Edyta Adamska

Lichen diversity in the managed forests of the Karnieszewice Forest Division and its surroundings (N Poland)

The lichen biota of the Karnieszewice Forest Division (N Poland) is presented. Despite it is predominantly a strongly managed woodland area, 270 lichen species were found there including many rare species for Poland, as well as for European Lowland. Near 20% of the whole lichen biota are considered to be threatened in the country (categories CR, EN, VU), and 34 species are protected by law in Poland. Agonimia flabelliformis is reported for the second time from Polish lowlands.

Epigeic lichens of different development stages of forest growing on the heathland

The study deals with the occurrence of epigeic lichens on the study plots with a varying percentage of Calluna vulgaris (L.) in different forest development stages on the heathland Glinki near the southern boundary of Torun. Five plots were established in the gradient of the increasing density of pine. A total of 17 lichen species were identified, typical of this type of habitats, mainly from the genus of Cladonia , including e.g.: Cladonia arbuscula , C. furcata , C. gracilis , C. uncialis as well as Cetraria aculeata , C. islandica , and also Stereocaulon condensatum and Trapeliopsis granulosa . Two species, i.e. Cladonia digitata and C. portentosa occurred only on the heath. The light availability and the trophic status of the substrate determine this kind of distribution of lichens.

Notes on the genus Thelidium (Verrucariaceae, lichenized Ascomycota) in the Kujawy region (north-central Poland)

Thelidium incavatum, Th. minutulum, Th papulare, Th. rimosulum and Th. zawackhii have been identified from the Polish lowlands. Many sites of the above species are located in industrial and urban areas of the Kujawy region. The species are illustrated and described based on the examined material. An identification key to the species and thier distribution are provided.

New localities and habitat preferences of common milkweed Asclepias syriaca L. in Toruń (Central Poland)

The paper presents the location and general description of habitats and plant communities with common milkweed occurring within the city limits of Torun. The data set comprised new localities of this species as well as those where Asclepias syriaca has been observed for several years but the sites have not been described in the ecological literature. Releves made at these sites were compared with those described by Puchalka et al. (2013) from three sites of Asclepias syriaca in Torun. A larger set of new sites included in the analysis allows for a more accurate description of the impact exerted by some ecological factors, e.g. afforestation, on the growth of the studied species. As evidenced by the new sites of Asclepias syriaca found recently in Torun and the surrounding area, it is necessary to monitor the dynamics of the population and to undertake the research on the impact of common milkweed on plant communities.

Materials for biota of lichens and lichenicolous fungi in the military area near Toruń, Poland

The paper presents the first species list of lichens and lichenicolous fungi found and identified in the artillery training area located near the city of Torun. Lichenological studies were conducted in that area in 1998–2001 and 2009. A total of 100 taxa were identified, including 4 species of lichenicolous fungi, with particular emphasis on epigeic lichens – mainly from the genus Cladonia and Cetraria associated with heaths and arenaceous grasslands. The identified lichens include some threatened and protected taxa, i.a. Bryoria subcana , Cetraria islandica , Physconia distorta , Peltigera canina , P. polydactylon , P. praetextata , Ramalina fraxinea , Stereocaulon condensatum.

Changes in the plant cover of the dune hill in Folusz near Szubin (NW Poland) between 1959 and 2012: the problem of preservation of xerothermic grasslands in the agricultural landscape

The dune hill in Folusz is one of the most interesting sites with xerothermic vegetation in the Polish lowland. It is different from other sites by the fact that xerothermic vegetation covers a single dune located amidst large areas of Molinia meadows rather than slopes of river valleys. Vegetation occurring on the hill represents a cold Stipa steppe with rare species of floodplain meadows and has long aroused the interest of botanists. In the 19th century and in the early 20th century, observations in this area were carried out by German botanists (L. Kuhling, F. Spribille, H. Miller, W. Bock). In the 1930s, the investigation was continued by botanists from the University in Poznan. After World War II, it was one of the main research sites for botanists and ecologists from the University in Torun, and recently also from the universities in Bydgoszcz. Floristic lists were compiled by all the aforementioned researchers, which describe the state of flora in the subsequent periods, and when collated in tables, they help to determine the directions of changes occurring in the area over a hundred years. Not all the materials obtained in the past were published. A lot of interesting data were preserved in the Torun centre in the form of actual vegetation maps and releves. This paper presents the comparison of vegetation from 1959, plotted on the unpublished vegetation map by J. Wilkon-Michalska, with the vegetation in 2013. Changes in the land cover were also analysed through a series of aerial photographs from 1961, 1975, 1986 and 2005. The GIS and GPS technology was used in the spatial analysis. Furthermore, the analysis of flora changes was performed, including the comparison of data presented in ecological literature with unpublished data collected by J. Wilkon-Michalska in 1956-1964. In addition, numerical analysis of releves from both these periods and from 2012 was performed. The objective of all the analyses was to determine how the changes were affected by spontaneous development of oak trees on the dune and destructive human activity related to exploitation of the sand, afforestation of the dune with pine, birch and oak, and planting of common lilac. An effort was also made to assess the importance of including the Folusz dune hill within the Natura 2000 site − PLH040027 „Molinia meadows in Folusz” − for preventing further degradation of xerothermic vegetation.

Materials to the lichen biota of the hill in Folusz near Szubin (NW Poland)

A total of 37 lichen species were identified during the first lichenological research conducted in 2014 on the Folusz hill, including 28 taxa of epiphytes, 10 epixylic lichens and 4 common species of epigeic lichens. Historical sources contain only data on the occurrence of 13 taxa of epigeic lichens. In total, the list of lichens occurring in this area includes 48 species. No characteristic species of xerothermic grasslands were recorded at present or in the past.

Visualisation of the influence of habitat on lichen occurrence, Toruń, Poland

ABSTRACT The main aim of the paper was a visual comparison of lichen distribution with urban environmental factors. This paper presents a cartographic method for representing the spatial distribution of anthropogenic and natural factors in atmospheric air pollution and prevalent elements of the natural environment and their correlation to occurrences of two selected lichen species – the acidophilous Hypogymnia physodes and the nitrophilous Xanthoria parietina in the area of Toruń (Central Poland). Lichens are a good indicator of changes in habitat conditions. Analyses of the occurrence of lichens in Toruń were conducted for data covering a period of more than 60 years. A choropleth map method (a square tile grid map) was used, based on a grid of 144 one-kilometre squares (ATPOL). An inventory of taxa was made in 137 squares (localities). This recorded the type of substrate and abundance (extent) of occurrence.

An isolated site of calciphilous lichens in the Kujawy region

The paper presents a list of lichen species occurring in three quarries and on mine dumps located within the dust emission impact zone of the cement plant “Kujawy”. The species occur in the lowlands far from their natural localities on limestone rocks in southern Poland. The study area is therefore a valuable habitat island for epilithic and epigeic species of calciphilous lichens in central Poland. Particularly noteworthy are taxa characteristic of natural limestone rocks found in mountain areas of Poland: Verrucaria calciseda, Verrucaria nigroumbrina V. obfuscans and V. polysticta, as well as nine species from the Polish Red List of Lichens: Bacidia rubella, Caloplaca cf. cerina, Enchylium coccophorum, Endocarpon pusillum, Heppia adglutinata, Lempholema chalazanum, Goidanichia ambrosiana, Thelidium incavatum and Th. papulare.

The importance of habitat islands in the preservation of relict xerothermic and calcicolous epigeic lichens based on the example of the “Ostnicowe Parowy Gruczna” nature reserve (N Poland)

The objective of this paper is to discuss the role of environmental islands isolated in the agricultural landscape in the pres- ervation of xerothermic and calcicolous epigeic lichens. The site of lichens associated with relict steppe vegetation, rare in northern Poland, has been preserved in the reserve “Ostnicowe Parowy Gruczna”. The list of lichen taxa identified in the study area comprises 16 species that are very rare in lowland, e.g. Gyalolechia fulgens, Heppia adglutinata, Squamarina lentigera, Endocarpon pusillum, Gyalolechia bracteata, Placidium squamulosum and Toninia sedifolia. In many places, the lichens associated with dry grasslands become extinct despite the optimum light conditions. These lichen species are sensitive to the impact of agriculture. Preservation of epigeic lichens’ localities is possible in specific habitat conditions when they are isolated from surface runoff of fertile farm water.