The Index of Atmospheric Purity (IAP) is a popular tool used for the assessment of air quality in polluted urban areas, on the basis of phytosociological data of epiphytic lichen communities. We hypothesized that this indicator could also be used in less polluted forest areas to determine the quality of ecological conditions for lichens. The aim of the present study was to verify the use of IAP method in the assessment of environmental pollution, and alternatively for the assessment of general ecological conditions in protected mountain forests of Gorce National Park (Polish Western Carpathians) based on the epiphytic lichen biota associated with Picea abies. The spatial distribution of IAP values on monitored sites in GNP was compared with: 1) spatial distribution of accumulated sulfur, nitrogen, selected heavy metals, and total heavy metals in Hypogymnia physodes thalli in 1993 and 2018 (30 sites), 2) mean ecological indicator values characterizing species requirements for light (L), substrate reaction (R) and nutrients (N), in 1993, 2013 and 2018 (33 sites). Generalized linear model and redundancy analysis were performed for disclosing most influencing factors affecting lichen communities. The study revealed a few negligible relationships between IAP values and accumulation of such elements as Ni, Mn, Cd, and Cr in both monitoring periods. Simultaneously, IAP can be useful for the identification of forest areas with a high degree of naturalness.

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The characteristics of lichens were prepared by the author(s) listed below the name of the species.

Five species of lichen-forming fungi not reported yet or rare in the Carpathians have been found during lichenological researches by authors in the Tatra Mts and the Gorce Mts. Of these, Tetramelas chloroleucus has not been recorded in Poland since 19th century and, similarly to Gyalecta russula, has been found for the first time in the Polish part of the Carpathians. Absconditella celata has been discovered in the Polish Western Carpathians. Fellhanera gyrophorica has never been listed before in the Western Carpathians and Epigloea bactrospora in whole Carpathians. Notes on the taxonomy, habitat and worldwide distribution of these species (including maps of their ranges in Europe) are accompanied by photo plates illustrating their morphology and anatomy.

The review of current studies on the importance of two main natural disturbances in montane and boreal forests of Europe, dominated by Norway spruce, namely windstorms and the spruce bark beetle outbreaks, for the accumulation of decaying wood in forest ecosystems, shows the relationship between these processes and the creation of habitat diversity for epixylic lichens, especially in the context of the conservation of rare and endangered species. At the same time, this work reveals insufficiency of knowledge on this subject and points to the potential negative effects of removing this substrate in forests under area protection. It also includes recommendations for modern forestry, in which one of the significant goals would be to protect biodiversity. bark beetle outbreaks, windstorms, lichen protection, decaying wood.