The authors present a list of regionally extinct, threatened, lower risk and insufficiently status taxa of lichens in whole Poland. It is thirth edition of our list. Status of threat to the lichen species used has been determined according to the IUCN Red List Categories in version 3.1 (modified by GlNSBURG 2001). The Red List includes 886 taxa, which constitute 55.4% of the Polish lichen biota. The status of threatened biota has the following categories: Regionally Extinct (RE) - 141 taxa, Critically Endangered (CR) - 179, Endangered (EN) - 201, Vulnerable (VU) - 165, Near Threatened (NT) - 68, Least Concern (LC) - 22 and Data Deficient (DD) 110.

Old-growth forests arę natural biocoenoses, which developed and function without apparent impacts of human activity, which are adjusted to their habitats and remain in perfect biocoenotic equilibrium. In a forest environment there occurs a high diversity of seminal and cryptogamic plants and fungi, including lichenized fungi (lichens). The disappearance of old-growth forests affected by human activity or their strong fragmentation and isolation are the greatest danger for numerous typically forest lichens. On the basis of selected lichens - indicators of old-growth forests we undertook an attempt at detecting well-preserved lowland areas, which are at present biocentres of typically forest species. The most important features of indicatory species were considered the following: they are native species growing exclusively in forest communities; they are permanent components of forest biocoenoses, while their biological-ecological properties are adjusted to the phytoclimate and biotopes of forest environment; they inhabit specific forest habitats; they are typical epiphytes and epixylites inhabiting old live trees and dead wood of various stages of decomposition; they do not grow in managed forests. A total of 71 species that will serve the function of obligatory indicators (IND) of old-growth forests were selected for Poland's natural lowland forests (see Table 1). 53 of these species are presently strongly threatened, possessing the status of the Red List Categories (CR, EN and VU). The following 10 forest areas were evaluated: Białowieża National Park (58 IND), the reserves of Budzisk (34 IND), and Starożyn (29 IND) in North-Eastern Poland, reserves of Borki (29 IND), Las Warmiński (17 IND) and Krutynia (18 IND) in Northern Poland, and the reserves of Spała (15 IND), Zagożdżon (13 IND), Białe Ługi (10 IND) and Żyznów (4 IND) in Central Poland (Table 2). The highest number of old-growth forests occur in the Białowieża National Park (84%). This value indicates that the Białowieża Ntional Park may now be considered a model comparitive object, the biocentre of epiphytic and epixylic forest species of old-growth forests representing the total ecological amplitude of biodiversity and occupied habitats. In all the 10 biocentres there occur 66 indicatory species of old-growth forests, the highest number of which, ca 88%, occur in the Białowieża National Park, while 51.5% in the Budzisk reserve in the Knyszyńska Forest.

54 new species of lichenized, lichenicolous and saprobic fungi were found in the nature reserves of Augustowska Forest - Starożyn, Mały Borek and Kozi Rynek, and in Biebrzański National Park. The following species are: new to Poland - <i>Multiclavula mucida</i> and <i>Polycoccum pulvinatum</i>; rcported for the first time from the Polish lowlands - <i>Biatora chrysantha, Normandina pulchella</i> and <i>Microcalicium ahlneri</i>; new to N Poland - <i>Leptorhaphis epidermidis</i>; new to NE Poland - <i>Arthrorhaphis aeruginosa, Epicladonia sandstedej E. stenospora, Lichenomphalia umbellifera, Reichlingia leopoldii</i> and <i>Verruaia bryoctona</i>.

This paper presents the distribution of 405 taxa of the lichens and 26 species of lichenicolous fungi in the Świętokrzyski National Park.

The first regional list of threatened lichens and allied fungi is presented. The list is a result of investigation studies in the Kozienicka Old-growth Forest, in forests located between the Vistula and Radomka Rivers, in Central Poland. The status of threat to the lichen and allied fungi species listed has been determined according to the Red List Categories by IUCN (2001, version 3.1). The data obtained were compared with historical ones. Changes of the species main frequency were used as an additional indicator of their threat status. The Red List includes 144 taxa of lichens, lichenicolous and saprobic fungi, which constitute 61.8% of the local biota and 9% of Polish biota. The status of threatened biota has the following categories: Regionally Extinct (RE) - 13 taxa, Critically Endangered (CR) - 26, Endangered (EN) - 31, Vulnerable (VU) - 23, NearThreatened (NT) -17, Least Concern (LC) -14 and Data Deficient (DD)-20. Epiphytic lichens of forest and roadside trees as well as forest epixylic arę the most threatened ones.