Species diversity, chorology and conservation of the lichen flora in Tessala Mountains forest (North-West Algeria)

Abstract

online. This study is a first investigation of the lichen flora of the Tessala Mountains green oak forest in northwestern Algeria. Field research using stratified sampling method allowed us to propose a first checklist of the lichen flora of this region containing 53 taxa with taxonomic, chorological and biogeographical data in NorthWest Africa (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) of each of them. Among these lichens, 3 taxa are cited for the first time for the NW Africa. Comments on some interesting species are added, especially those with wide distribution reported currently only in Algeria, which are to be found in neighboring countries (Morocco, Tunisia). Finally, 17 taxa present in our list are protected by the Algerian law. The forest of Tessala Mountains must urgently benefit from an official protection status in order to preserve this lichen biodiversity of proven interest.

New data on lichen flora of the Edough Peninsula in north-eastern Algeria

“…However, Otálora et al (2017) have concluded that the biogeographic analysis of Pectenia plumbea indicates that the Mediterranean basin is the most likely ancestral distribution area of this species. Pectenia plumbea occurs in Western Europe, according to COSEPAC (2010), but in Algeria, it has been reported in previous studies (Flagey, 1896;Harmand, 1909or Werner, 1949 as well as more recently Boutabia, 2016;Hamralaine et al, 2019), but never in the current study area (Edough Peninsula).…”