International audienc

Solorina saccata received endangered status in the Hungarian lichen red list in 1997, and legal protection in Hungary in 2013. Based on its ca 200, old and recent, herbarium and literature records ca 100 localities from the Aggtelek karst (1), Bakony Mts (29), Balaton Uplands (5), Buda Mts (8), Bükk Mts (7), Gerecse Mts (6), Keszthely Mts (10), Kőszeg Mts (2), Pilis Mts (2) and Vértes Mts (30) are registered. Th ese currently known occurrence data are presented on a distribution map. Although it seems to be common at present in its potential habitats in the Transdanubian Mountain Range, these habitats are considered to be under real risk of habitat destruction and fragmentation parallel to the global tendency of population shrinkage of the species in Europe. In addition, habitat preferences and population dynamical conditions of Solorina saccata, necessary also for conservational purposes, are still insuffi ciently known. Maintaining the current condition of its habitats is crucial for the eff ective protection.

No abstract

The distribution patterns of lichen secondary metabolites are often taxon specific. They represent cryptic chemical diversity additional to morphological-anatomical biodiversity. Cetrelia W.L. Culb. & C.F. Culb. species (c. 200 specimens) were checked and revised by thin-layer chromatography. Soredia, pseudocyphellae, rhizines, features of lower surface are the main morphological characters analysed against the presence of cortical pigment, atranorin and medullary α-alectoronic acid, anziaic acid, α-collatolic acid, β-alectoronic acid, β-collatolic acid, imbricaric acid, 4-O-demethylimbricaric acid, olivetoric acid, perlatolic acid, physodic acid and 4-O-methylphysodic acid. The European occurrence of C. chicitae (W.L. Culb.) W.L. Culb. & C.F. Culb. -described from America -is confirmed on the basis of identical secondary metabolite composition by seven lichen substances. Four species were revealed and mapped in Hungary. Cetrelia chicitae and C. monachorum (Zahlbr.) W.L. Culb. & C.F. Culb. are new for the Hungarian lichen flora. From the originally known two taxa C. cetrarioides (Delise) W.L. Culb. & C.F. Culb. proved to be rare, C. olivetorum (Nyl.) W.L. Culb. & C.F. Culb. is less frequent than regarded earlier. Currently C. monachorum is the most frequent Cetrelia species in Hungary. Cetrelia chicitae and C. cetrarioides may need protection measures. Parmelia cetrarioides f. pseudofallax (Gyeln.) Gyeln. is lectotypified here.

Terricolous lichens are abundant in semi-arid areas, where they are exposed to high irradiation. Photoprotection is essential for the algae as the photobiont provides the primer carbon source for both symbionts. The UV-protectant lichen metabolites and different quenching procedures of the alga ensure adequate photoprotection. Since the long-term effect of diminishing UV-protectant lichen metabolites is unknown, a major part of lichen secondary metabolites was removed from Cladonia foliacea thalli by acetone rinsing, and the lichens were then maintained under field conditions to investigate the effect on both symbionts for 3 years. Our aim was to determine if the decreased level of UV-protectant metabolites caused an elevated photoprotection in the algae and to reveal the dynamics of production of the metabolites. Photosynthetic activity and light protection were checked by chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetics measurements every 6 months. The concentrations of fumarprotocetraric and usnic acids were monitored by chromatographic methods. Our results proved that seasonality had a more pronounced effect than that of acetone treatment on the function of lichens over a long-term scale. Even after 3 years, the acetone-treated thalli contained half as much usnic acid as the control thalli, and the level of photoprotection remained unchanged in the algae. However, the amount of available humidity was a more critical limiting environmental factor than the amount of incoming irradiation affecting usnic acid production. The lichenicolous fungus Didymocyrtis cladoniicola became relatively more abundant in the acetone-treated samples than in the control samples, indicating a slight change caused by the treatment.