Message - 7th IAL Symposium

Lichen: from genome to ecosystem in a changing world
4I-P
(4I-P11) Submission ID: IAL0132-00001
A FIRST ASSESSMENT OF THE LICHEN BIODIVERSITY IN NEORA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK,
EASTERN HIMALAYA, INDIA
Jagadeesh Ram T.A.M. 1 , Sinha G. P. 2
1 Andaman & Nicobar Regional Centre, Botanical Survey of India, Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India
2 Central Regional Centre, Botanical Survey of India, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Neora Valley National Park is one of the pristine ecosystems of the Eastern Himalayas with its amazing
biodiversity, and home for many rare and endangered, plants, animals and birds. The national park spreads over
an area of 88 sq km bordering Sikkim and Bhutan under Kalimpong sub-division of the Darjeeling district of West
Bengal state. The valley is of great ecological interest and values about 60% of its total area being primeval forest
making this one of the best preserved biomes of the country. The park provides shelter and protection to various
species of wildlife included in the Red Data Book. Floristically the park is rich, it shows the occurrence of 812
species of Angiosperms under 468 genera and 138 families, 4 species of Gymnosperms under 4 genera and 3
families, and 48 species of Pteridophytes under 26 genera and 18 families. The diverse phorophytes (tropical to
alpine), both exposed and unexposed rocks along rivers, streams and hilly slopes and the humus rich soil support
a rich growth of all kinds of lichens in the park. The investigation of over 800 specimens collected between
2007 and 2010 from the area reveals the occurrence of 160 species under 63 genera and 35 families. This includes
6 new species, 10 new records for India, 14 new records for Himalaya and 27 new records for the state
of West Bengal. Of the total 160 taxa, 61 are crustose, 80 foliose and 19 fruticose. Analysis of the data reveal
family Parmeliaceae shows highest generic as well as species diversity with 13 genera and 41 species followed
by Graphidaceae with 6 genera and 18 species. Among the genera Hypotrachyna is the largest with 18 species
followed by Heterodermia (12 species), Lecanora (10 species), Graphis (9 species) and Cladonia (6 species).
Fourteen families are represented by 1 species each and thirty genera by 1 species each. The undisturbed primary
forests from Chaudaphery to Rechilla, Mullkharka to Rechilla, Chaudaphery to Doley and Doley to Aloobari
show rich in lichen diversity unlike to other reserve forests particularly in the low altitudes.
(4I-P12) Submission ID: IAL0156-00001
TAXONOMIC STUDY OF THE GENUS PORPIDIA (PORPIDIACEAE, ASCOMYCOTA)
FROM CHINA AND SOUTH KOREA
Wang X. 1 , Zhang L. 2 , Hur J. 1
1 Korean Lichen Research Institute, Sunchon National Universty, Jeonnan/sunchon, Jellanam, Korea
2 College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Shandong, jinan, People’s Republic of China
The crustose lichen genus Porpidia Körber is a saxicolous lichen widely distributes in China and South
Korea, it is a genus segregate from the large classical genus Lecidea. There has no systematic study ever been
done in these two countries, this is the first revisionary study of the genus in this region. 12 species are confirmed
in this study, including two new species from China (Porpidia a and b), one new record to South Korea (P. macrocarpa)
and three new records to China (P. flavicunda, P. soredizodes and P. thomsonii). Brief description of each
new species and new record is presented with the morphological, anatomical and chemical characters. A key to
all the known species is also provided.
144