The biodiversity of aquatic and subaquatic lichens increases under cooler conditions. So far, this assumption has been almost entirely based on species concepts which are limited to the analysis of external or microscopic features. However, as soon as genetic characters of lichen-forming fungi and the associated algae are examined, it turns out that hitherto differentiated morphospecies often disintegrate into several different, sometimes not even closely related evolutionary lines. To what extent the previous hypotheses about biodiversity patterns can be confirmed or if they have to be changed in light of new genetic data is an open question. The answers to this question have implications for the assessment of expected impacts of global climate and land use change on lichen ecosystem functions, their threat assessment and reliable diagnostics for the lichens as raw material for pharmaceutical research.
Cooperations with: Perez-Ortega, S. (Real Jardín Botanico de Madrid), Fryday, A. (Michigan State Univ.), Heidmarsson, S. (Univ. Akureyri), Gueidan, C. (CSIRO, Canberra), Orange, A. (National Museum of Wales, Cardiff), Spribille, T. (Univ. Alberta), Shivarov, V. (Univ. Sofia), Nascimbene, J. (Univ. Bologna), Schiefelbein, U. (Univ. Rostock), Gonzales, F. (UNED, San José), Schiefelbein , U. (Univ. Greifswald), Flakus, A. (Univ. Krakow), Pykälä, J. (Helsinki), Skaloud, P. (Charles Univ. Prag).
Publications:
Türk, R., Berger, F., Berger, A., Berger, M., Cezanne, R., Dolnik, C., Eichler, M., Gruber, J. P., Grünberg, H., Hafellner, J., Klüßendorf, J., Neumann, P., Otte, V., Schultz, M., Stapper, N., Teuber, D., Thüs, H. &; Weber, L. 2022: Flechten und lichenicole Pilze im UNESCO Biosphärenpark Salzburger Lungau (BLAM-Exkursion 2019) – Herzogia 35 (in press).
Spribille, T., Fryday, A., Pérez-Ortega, S., Svensson, M., Tønsberg, T., Ekman, S., Holien, H., Resl, P., Schneider, K., Stabentheiner, E., Thüs, H., Vondrák, J, Sharman, L. (2020) Lichens and associated fungi from Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. – The Lichenologist, 52 (2), 61–181. doi.org/10.1017/S0024282920000079
Shivarov V., Denchev C., Thüs H. (2018) Ecology and distribution of Dermatocarpon (Verrucariaceae, Ascomycota) in the catchment areas of two Bulgarian rivers. – The Lichenologist, 50: 679–690.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0024282918000452.
Fryday A., Thüs H. (2017) The genus Xenolecia (Lecideaceae s. lat., Lecanoromycetidae inc. sed.), including a second species in the genus from Campbell Island, New Zealand. – The Lichenologist,49: 365–372. doi: 10.1017/S0024282917000287
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