Message - 7th IAL Symposium

3B-2-P
Lichen: from genome to ecosystem in a changing world
(3B-2-P9) Submission ID: IAL0136-00003
ASSESSING VARIABILITY OF MOLECULAR MARKERS FOR POPULATION STUDIES IN
MYCOBIONTS AND PHOTOBIONTS: A CASE STUDY USING LASALLIA PUSTULATA
Sadowska-Des A. 1 , Balint M. 2 , Nunez J. 3 , Otte J. 2 , Pauls S. 2 , Pino-Bodas R. 4 , Schmitt I. 2
1 Departament of Biodiversity and Plant Cover Protection, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
2 Senckenberg Gesellschaft Fuer Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
3 Department of Biología Vegetal II, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
4 Department of Biología Vegetal I, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
In this study we assess the variability of the following markers: Photobiont: ITS rDNA, actin, RBCL,
COX, PSB; Mycobiont: ITSrDNA, mtSSU, mtLSU, RPB1, RPB2, MCM7, TSR1 and EF1. We report variability
of these markers within Lasallia pustulata collected from different populations across Europe. Additionally, we
checked for diversity of fungal ITS rDNA copies using 454 pyrosequencing of ITS amplicons. This study revealed
a number of different ITS haplotypes within a single specimen.
(3B-2-P10) Submission ID: IAL0138-00002
PECULIAR BIODIVERSITY OF LICHENS IN THE DAGESTAN REPUBLIC (RUSSIA)
Urbanavichyus G. P. 1 , Ismailov A. B. 2
1 Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Institute of The Industrial Ecology Problems of The North,
Russian Academy of Sciences, Apatity, Murmansk, Russia
2 Laboratory of Introduction, Mountain Botanical Garden, Dagestan Science Centre,
Russian Academy of Sciences, Makhachkala, Russia
On grounds of lichenofloristic surveys, the Dagestan Republic is one of the least-known parts of Russia
as well as the Caucasus Mountains. Due to its diverse geomorphology and altitudinal range, it harbors a speciesrich
mosaic of xerophilous to alpine vegetation; e.g. mountainous dry pine forests, mesophytic deciduous forests,
steppes and semi-deserts. Vascular plants are rather well-known and comprise c. 3,000 species, including 73
local endemics. Nevertheless, only 63 lichen species were known before our investigations. Our study increased
the number of known lichens and lichenicolous fungi to 460. Within 3 years (2009-2011), 415 species of lichens
and lichenicolous fungi were recorded within 15 square kilometers in the Gunib plateau (42°24′N, 46°55′E,
1,450-2,335 m) in Intermontane Dagestan. It has higher lichen biodiversity in a relatively small space than
anywhere else in Russia. More than 100 recorded species were previously not known from Caucasus and 29
species are new to Russia. More than 80% of the species (345) were present in two vegetation types: (1) pine
forest with Pinus kochiana and (2) birch forest; both types together occupy only c. 3 square kilometers of the
territory. Northern slopes with dense deciduous forests have the highest diversity of cyanolichens, 39 species.
The major epiphytic diversity was observed on bark of Betula in well-preserved forests, 128 species. Terricolous
species were recorded mainly above 1,900 m. The majority of saxicolous lichens was found on vertical, sunexposed
limestone rocks, in both xeric and humid conditions in altitudes 1,500-2,335 m. The lichen flora of the
Gunib plateau has a high proportion of temperate-oceanic and boreal elements amoung epiphytic lichens; but
montane-continental and arctic-alpine elements prevail among saxicolous and terricolous lichens. Our preliminary
data show that the lichen flora of Dagestan is related to the floras in Armeno-Iranian and Central Anatolian
floristic provinces within the Irano-Turanian region. In conclusion, we estimate more than thousand lichen species
occurring in Dagestan.
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