The circumscription and phylogenetic position of Bryonora (Lecanoraceae, Ascomycota), with two additions to the genus.

Lecanoraceae is one of the largest families of the Lecanoromycetes, with about 30 accepted genera, many of which, however, have uncertain status and/or circumscriptions. We assess the phylogenetic position of the genus Bryonora and its segregate Bryodina for the first time, using a six-locus phylogeny comprising the Lecanoraceae as well as closely related families. We find strong support for the placement of Bryonora in the Lecanoraceae, whereas there is no support for treating Bryodina as a genus separate from Bryonora. Hence, we reduce Bryodina to synonymy with Bryonora. Further, we describe Bryonora microlepis as new to science and transfer Lecanora castaneoides to Bryonora and L. vicaria to Miriquidica. A world key to Bryonora is included.

Considerations and consequences of allowing DNA sequence data as types of fungal taxa.

Nomenclatural type definitions are one of the most important concepts in biological nomenclature. Being physical objects that can be re-studied by other researchers, types permanently link taxonomy (an artificial agreement to classify biological diversity) with nomenclature (an artificial agreement to name biological diversity). Two proposals to amend the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), allowing DNA sequences alone (of any region and extent) to serve as types of taxon names for voucherless fungi (mainly putative taxa from environmental DNA sequences), have been submitted to be voted on at the 11th International Mycological Congress (Puerto Rico, July 2018). We consider various genetic processes affecting the distribution of alleles among taxa and find that alleles may not consistently and uniquely represent the species within which they are contained. Should the proposals be accepted, the meaning of nomenclatural types would change in a fundamental way from physical objects as sources of data to the data themselves. Such changes are conducive to irreproducible science, the potential typification on artefactual data, and massive creation of names with low information content, ultimately causing nomenclatural instability and unnecessary work for future researchers that would stall future explorations of fungal diversity. We conclude that the acceptance of DNA sequences alone as types of names of taxa, under the terms used in the current proposals, is unnecessary and would not solve the problem of naming putative taxa known only from DNA sequences in a scientifically defensible way. As an alternative, we highlight the use of formulas for naming putative taxa (candidate taxa) that do not require any modification of the ICN.

Implementing a cumulative supermatrix approach for a comprehensive phylogenetic study of the Teloschistales (Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota).

The resolution of the phylogenetic relationships within the order Teloschistales (Ascomycota, lichen-forming-fungi), with nearly 2000 known species and outstanding phenotypic diversity, has been hindered by the limitation in the resolving power that single-locus or two-locus phylogenetic studies have provided to date. In this context, an extensive taxon sampling within the Teloschistales with more loci (especially nuclear protein-coding genes) was needed to confront the current taxonomic delimitations and to understand evolutionary trends within this order. Comprehensive maximum likelihood and bayesian analyses were performed based on seven loci using a cumulative supermatrix approach, including protein-coding genes RPB1 and RPB2 in addition to nuclear and mitochondrial ribosomal RNA-coding genes. We included 167 taxa representing 12 of the 15 genera recognized within the currently accepted Teloschistineae, 22 of the 43 genera within the Physciineae, 49 genera of the closely related orders Lecanorales, Lecideales, and Peltigerales, and the dubiously placed family Brigantiaeaceae and genus Sipmaniella. Although the progressive addition of taxa (cumulative supermatrix approach) with increasing amounts of missing data did not dramatically affect the loss of support and resolution, the monophyly of the Teloschistales in the current sense was inconsistent, depending on the loci-taxa combination analyzed. Therefore, we propose a new, but provisional, classification for the re-circumscribed orders Caliciales and Teloschistales (previously referred to as Physciineae and Teloschistineae, respectively). We report here that the family Brigantiaeaceae, previously regarded as incertae sedis within the subclass Lecanoromycetidae, and Sipmaniella, are members of the Teloschistales in a strict sense. Within this order, one lineage led to the diversification of the mostly epiphytic crustose Brigantiaeaceae and Letrouitiaceae, with a circumpacific center of diversity and found mostly in the tropics. The other main lineage led to another epiphytic crustose family, mostly tropical, and with an Australasian center of diversity--the Megalosporaceae--which is sister to the mainly rock-inhabiting, cosmopolitan, and species rich Teloschistaceae, with a diversity of growth habits ranging from crustose to fruticose. Our results confirm the use of a cumulative supermatrix approach as a viable method to generate comprehensive phylogenies summarizing relationships of taxa with multi-locus to single locus data.

Contribution to the lichen biota of Slovenia XII. Some lichens from Logarska dolina.

A list of 94 species is presented including Bacidia subacerina and Lopadium disciforme as new for Slovenia and Bilimbia accedens, Lecanora leptyrodes, Megalaria grossa, Mycobilimbia epixanthoides, Rinodina efflorescens, and Sclerophora peronella as new for the alpine phytogeographical region of Slovenia.

Phylogenetic studies in the Candelariaceae (lichenized Ascomycota) based on nuclear ITS DNA sequence data.

The phylogeny of the lichen family Candelariaceae was investigated using nucleotide sequences from the ITS region of the nu-rDNA. Twenty-three species of Candelariella, six species of Candelaria, two species of Candelina and two species of Placomaronea were included in the study. Acarospora cervina and Pleopsidium chlorophanum were used as outgroup species. The phylogenetic analyses were performed using MP and Bayesian MCMC inference. The resulting trees were poorly resolved and strong support was only found for terminal clades. However, the results indicate that polyspored asci have evolved a limited number of times within the family and appear within four clades. One of these clades comprises the core group of Candelariella, including the type species C. vitellina. Placomaronea and Candelina both form strongly supported monophyletic clades, but neither genera are distinctly morphologically separated from Candelariella, and their positions in the tree are uncertain. The genus Candelaria is probably polyphyletic and should possibly be restricted to comprise only polyspored species with a lower cortex.

The sister group relation of parmeliaceae (Lecanorales, Ascomycota).

The family Parmeliaceae (Lecanorales, Ascomycota) is possibly the largest, best known and most thoroughly studied lichen family within its order. Despite this fact the relationship between Parmeliaceae and other groups in Lecanorales is still poorly known. The aim of the present study is to contribute to finding the sister group of Parmeliaceae as an aid in future studies on the phylogeny and character evolution of the group. We do this by sampling all potential relatives to the Parmeliaceae that we have identified, i.e. Gypsoplaca, Japewia, Mycoblastus, Protoparmelia, and Tephromela, a good representation of the major groups within the Parmeliaceae s. lat. and a good representation of other taxa in the core Lecanorales. We use molecular data from two genes, the large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nrLSU) and the small subunit of the mitochondrial ribosomal RNA gene (mrSSU), and a Bayesian analysis of the combined data. The results show that the closest relatives to Parmeliaceae are the two genera Protoparmelia and Gypsoplaca, which are crustose lichens. Parmeliaceae in our sense is a well supported group, including also the family segregates Alectoriaceae, Hypogymniaceae, Usneaceae and Anziaceae.

A phylogenetic study of the Lecanora rupicola group (Lecanoraceae, Ascomycota).

A molecular phylogeny of the Lecanora rupicola group is presented, based on ITS sequence analyses. The study includes saxicolous and corticolous members of the Lecanora rupicola group as well as other Lecanora species with pruinose apothecia. A phylogenetic hypothesis for species in Lecanora s. lat. and various other genera in Lecanoraceae, based on an alignment-free distance estimation technique, shows that the Lecanora rupicola group forms a monophyletic clade within Lecanoraceae. Affinities to the core group of Lecanora are not well supported, likewise the monophyly of Lecanora s. str. with other species groups in Lecanora, such as the lobate taxa (and Rhizoplaca) is not supported. A more detailed analysis involving Lecanora species with pruinose apothecial discs was carried out with model-based Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (B/MCMC) tree sampling. The results suggest the monophyly of the Lecanora species that are characterized by the presence of chromones. Corticolous as well as saxicolous species are included. Lepraria flavescens is closely related to the Lecanora swartzii subgroup, and the new name Lecanora rouxii nom. nov. is introduced for that species. Other Lecanora species with pruinose discs are not closely related to the Lecanora rupicola group.

Tree-Dependent Lichens and Beetles as Indicators in Conservation Forests.

We tested whether the conspicuous lichen Lobaria pulmonaria indicates the number of tree-dependent, red-listed species in a hemiboreal forest in southern Sweden. In 18 naturally regenerated, mainly old deciduous forest plots considered to be of high or very high conservation value, the number of red-listed tree lichens or wood beetles was not positively correlated with the area of the forest stands studied (8-56 ha). The 8 stands with L. pulmonaria had about nine (median) red-listed lichens, but 10 stands without L. pulmonaria had only about one such species, a highly significant difference. Similarly, the variation between stands in the number of red-listed wood beetles was considerable, but it was very weakly correlated with the number of red-listed lichens. The number of red-listed wood beetles dependent on dead trees was not different in areas with or without Lobaria pulmonaria, but the number of red-listed wood beetles dependent on hollow trees was higher in stands with Lobaria pulmonaria (median of seven species) than in those without (three species) the lichen. Stands with this lichen species also contained significantly more of other types of lichens that have been proposed as indicators of forest continuity according to three lists. We stress the need for identification of species that could serve as indicators of different types of forest continuity and identify some organism groups that may indicate the different types. Los líquenes y coleópteros dependientes de árboles como indicadores en los bosques bajo conservación.

Resumen: Evaluamos si el consipicuo líquen Lobaria pulmonaria indica el número de especies dependientes de los árboles, listadas en el libro rojo en un área de bosque hemi-boreal en el sur de Suecia. El número de líquenes de los árboles o coleópteros de la madera listados en el libro rojo no estuvo positivamente correlacionado con el área de los rodales de bosque estudiados (8-56 ha), en 18 rodales naturalemente regenerados, en su mayoría de antiguo crecimiento de bosques deciduos; los cuáles se considera tienen de alto a muy alto valor de conservación. Los 8 rodales con L. pulmonaria tuvieron alrededor de nueve (mediana) líquenes listados en el libro rojo, pero 10 rodales sin L. pulmonaria tuvieron sólamente una de dichas especies, una diferencia significativamente alta. Asi mismo, la variación entre rodales en el número de coleópteros listados en el libro rojo fue considerable, pero estuvo debilmente correlacionada con el número de líquenes listados en el libro rojo. El número de coleópteros de la madera listados en el libro rojo, dependientes de árboles muertos no fue diferente en áreas con o sin Lobaria pulmonaria. Sin embargo, el número de coleópteros de la madera listados en el libro rojo dependientes de troncos huecos fue más alto en rodales con Lobaria pulmonaria (mediana = siete especies) que en aquellos sin el mencionado líquen (tres epecies). Los rodales con este líquen también contuvieron significativamente un número mayor de otros líquenes que han sido propuestos como indicadores de la continuidad del bosque de acuerdo a tres listas. Remarcamos la necesidad de la identificación de especies que pueden servir como indicadoras de los diferentes tipos de continuidad del bosque y la identificación de ciertos grupos de organismos que pueden indicar los diferentes tipos.