Message - 7th IAL Symposium

Lichen: from genome to ecosystem in a changing world
2B-P
2B: Forest lichens: their ecology and distribution
(2B-P1) Submission ID: IAL0015-00002
STUDIES ON THE LICHENIZED FUNGI OF THE FIJIAN ARCHIPELAGO
Lumbsch T. 1 , Papong K. 2 , Vonkonrat M. 3 , Naikatini A. 4
1 The Field Museum, Chicago, United States
2 Department of Biology and Natural Medicinal Mushroom Museum, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham ,Thailand
3 Department of Botany, The Field Museum, Chicago, United States
4 Institute of Applied Science, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
The Fijian archipelago consists of over 300 oceanic islands and is located in the tropical south-west
Pacific. Its tropical maritime climate is influenced by the south-east trade winds and together with the rugged
topography and mountain ranges in the main islands that rise up to 1,300m provide suitable habitats for lichens.
Habitats on the islands include cloud forests, upland tropical rainforest, lowland tropical rainforest, dry forests,
mangrove forests and coastal forests. The lichen flora of Fiji is currently poorly known. Since the first paper by
Krempelhuber in 1873 only a few studies have specifically focused on Fijian lichens. A recently updated checklist
of Fijian lichens includes 159 species (Elix & McCarthy 2008). Recently we have started a joint project on the
lichen, bryophyte and fern flora of the Fijian archipelago. After a first field trip in 2008 that resulted in 66 new
records for Fiji and four new species, an additional field trip in 2011 further increased our understanding in the
lichen flora of this archipelago and its floristic affinities. In this presentation we will summarize our results and
compare the Fijian lichen flora to that of other Pacific islands.
(2B-P2) Submission ID: IAL0056-00001
A PRELIMINARY INVENTORY OF THE LICHEN FLORA OF MT. KITANGLAD
AND MT. MUSUAN, BUKIDNON, PHILIPPINES
Azuelo A. G. 1 , Magday E. J. 1 , Montecillo R. G. 1 , Pabualan M. P. 1
1 Professional Education, Central Mindanao University, Bukidnon, Philippines
An inventory of the lichen flora was carried out in two mountains namely: Mt. Kitanglad and Musuan,
Bukidnon, Philippines. Specifically, the study aimed to describe the morphology characters of the lichens; compare
the floristic composition of lichen flora between study sites; and assess the conservation status of the lichen
flora. Field collections of the lichens were made through alpha taxonomic methods in different vegetation types.
The Biodiversity Professional was used as the statistical tool to determine the diversity status of the lichens.
Taxonomic treatments include the growth forms, color, size and presence of fruiting bodies were used to identify
and classify the lichens. Results of the study showed that the mountains exhibited a unique distribution pattern of
the lichen species. A total of 114 species belonging to 25 genera and 12 families were observed in Mt. Kitanglad.
While 39 species belonging to 16 genera and 13 families in Mt. Musuan. Both biogeographical sites revealed
uniqueness on the morphology characters of the species under study. In Mt. Kitanglad, the family Lobariaceae
has the most numbered species-rich, followed by Physciaceae, Parmeliaceae, Cladoniaceae, Peltigeraceae,
Lecanoraceae, Usneaceae, Pertusariaceae, Thelotremataceae, Megalosporaceae, Ramalinaceae and Graphidaceae.
While the family of Graphidaceae showed the most numbered species-rich, followed by Parmeliaceae,
Physiaceae, Lecanoraceae, Pyrenalaceae, Lobariaceae and Thelotremataceae in Mt. Musuan. Lobaria sp. and
Usnea sp. were noted as sensitive species and are extremely thriving in cold and high elevations in Mt. Kitanglad.
Moreover, the study revealed floristic differences in their classificatory systems, diversity status, species
composition and their ecology distribution. The overall observations on the lichen status show that the variations
in morphology characters are attributed to their specific and extreme habitats.
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