100 Lichens from Thailand: a tutorial for students

This is the printable version of an interactive identification tool for 100 species of lichens commonly occurring in Thailand, prepared on the occasion of a workshop held in Bangkok in June 2017. Of course, this guide cannot be used to identify all lichens found in the Country, but it may be useful as a tutorial in workshops and courses for students and beginners, who will be asked to identify only the species which are included in the key. In this way, they will learn the basic terminology, and will make the first steps in lichen identification. The dichotomous key is also available in several stand-alone versions: printable, CD-Rom, and for mobile devices via the free app KeyToNature (Android and iOS). The key has been created using program FRIDA at the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Trieste (Italy), and will be further tested and implemented at the Department of Biology of the Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, to encompass a broader set of species

Seasonal Water Relations and Leaf Temperature in a Deciduous Dipterocarp Forest in Northeastern Thailand

Deciduous dipterocarp forests across mainland Southeast Asia are dominated by two families: the Dipterocarpaceae and Fabaceae. Monsoon conditions produce strong seasonal climates with a hot dry season of 5–7 months extending from late November or early December through April or early May. Seasonal measurements of stomatal conductance and plant water potential found important differences between members of the two families. Despite their long dry season, Shorea siamensis and S. obtusa (Dipterocarpaceae) showed little significant patterns of seasonal change in xylem water potentials, with midday potentials never dropping below −1.3 MPa. These species present a classic example of isohydric strategies of adaptation where stomatal regulation maintains a relatively stable minimum water potential over the course of the year. However, maximum rates of stomatal conductance dropped sharply in the late dry season as the leaves heated in full sun without significant transpirational cooling, reaching as high as 44–45 °C, making them potentially sensitive to global increases in extreme temperature. The woody legumes Xylia kerrii and Dalbergia oliveri present different patterns of seasonal water relations and leaf response to high temperatures. The legumes exhibit anisohydric behavior where water potential decreases over the dry season as evaporative demand increases. Dry season midday water potentials dropped from high wet season levels to −2.4 to −3.2 MPa, moderately lowering maximum stomatal conductance. The relatively small leaflets of these legumes responded to the high temperatures of the late dry season by temporarily wilting, reducing their exposure to solar radiation and taking advantage of convective cooling. Large leaf size of dipterocarps in this community may not be an adaptive trait but rather an ancestral condition compensated for with ecophysiological adaptations

New species and new records in the lichen family Parmeliaceae (Ascomycotina) from Thailand

The following new lichen species are described from Thailand, Everniastrum scabridum Elix & Pooprang, Hypotrachyna chlorobarbatica Elix & Pooprang, Hypotrachyna ramkhamhaengiana Elix & Pooprang, Parmotrema rubromarginatum Elix & Pooprang and Parmotrema thailandicum Elix & Pooprang. In addition, the new combination Parmelinella chozoubae (Singh & Sinha) Elix & Pooprang is made and 29 species of Parmeliaceae are reported for the first time for Thailand

New Coenogonium species (Ostropales: Coenogoniaceae) from Thailand, new reports and a revised key to the species occurring in the country

A revision of 159 Coenogonium collections from Thailand preserved in RAMK, herb. K. Kalb and herb. K. & J. Kalb is presented. 18 species (including 1 doubtful) could be delimited, three of which are described as new to science, namely C. convexum which differs from the similar C. nepalense by smaller and convex apothecia already at a very early stage of development, C. subborinquense which has larger apothecia (almost double the size) than the similar C. borinquense and C. verrucimarginatum which differs from C. coronatum by having denticulate-verrucose margins of the apothecia. Coenogonium barbatum, C. epiphyllum, C. frederici, C. leprieurii and C. queenslandicum are new additions to the Thai lichen biota. C. disciforme is synonymized with C. isidiiferum. The peculiar vegetative propagules in this species, hitherto named isidia, are described as thallodiscs. Photographs showing the habitus of the species as well as characteristic structures are given and a dichotomous key for the identification of all species is provided

Lichens: from genome to ecosystems in a changing world

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New Species of Parmotrema and Relicina (Ascomycota, Parmeliaceae from Thailand

Parmotrema euplectinum and Relicina polycarpa are reported as new to science. In addition, Relicina palmata and R. subconnivens are reported for the first time from Thailand

Photosynthesis-related Parameters in Leucobryum aduncum Moss Bags as Bioindicators of Environmental Stress Caused by Road Traffic

The physiological response in moss samples is often used as an early warning signal of environmental stress caused by air pollution. This study aimed to test the efficiency of photosynthesis-related parameters in Leucobryum aduncum moss bags as bioindicators of environmental stress related to road traffic. The moss samples were collected and prepared in a relatively unpolluted area and then transplanted at 7 sites in forested, rural, and urban areas. The moss samples were picked up after being exposed for 1 and 3 months for physiological measurements. The results showed that the average values of all physiological parameters were highest in the forested area and lowest in the urban area. All parameters at most roadside (R site) sites were lower or significantly lower than those at the site away from the road (A site). This was particularly true for the 3-month exposure period, suggesting that the length of exposure should be longer than 1 month, but exposure up to 3 months could fully damage the photosystem II and destroy the moss bags. The vitality index also clearly indicated that the moss bags were more affected in the urban area, at the R sites, and at the 3-month exposure. Among six parameters, the most susceptible parameter was the chlorophyll fluorescence parameter, followed by the total carotenoids, chlorophyll a, total chlorophylls, chlorophyll b, and chlorophyll a degradation (OD435/OD415). The moss bag technique used in this study did not negatively affect the studied physiological parameters, but a great elevation difference could affect the moss bag physiology. This study illustrated that the photosynthesis-related parameters of L. aduncum moss bags can be used as effective bioindicators of environmental stress caused by road traffic. This study is among the priority studies of moss bioindication of air pollution in Thailand and can pave the way for future studies

Kalbionora palaeotropica, a new genus and species from coastal forests in Southeast Asia and Australia (Malmideaceae, Ascomycota)

A new species and genus, Kalbionora palaeotropica, is described for a crustose lichen occurring in coastal forests in Thailand, Vietnam, and northeastern Australia. It is morphologically similar to Malmidea and Eugeniella, but differing in morphological and chemical characters. The single known species in the new genus contains atranorin, zeorin, the stictic acid chemosyndrome and chlorinated xanthones. Morphologically it is characterized by having asci of the Catillaria-type, a yellowish brown colour, a granulose epihymenium, dark brown hypothecium, hyaline, 1–3 transversely septate ascospores. Molecular data strongly support a phylogenetic position in Malmideaceae, sister to a clade including Malmidea, Savoronala and two species currently placed in Lecidea s. lat. (including L. cyrtidia and L. plebeja)

Using Phylogenetic and Coalescent Methods to Understand the Species Diversity in the <i>Cladia aggregata</i> Complex (Ascomycota, Lecanorales)

The Cladia aggregata complex is one of the phenotypically most variable groups in lichenized fungi, making species determination difficult and resulting in different classifications accepting between one to eight species. Multi-locus DNA sequence data provide an avenue to test species delimitation scenarios using genealogical and coalescent methods, employing gene and species trees. Here we tested species delimitation in the complex using molecular data of four loci (nuITS and IGS rDNA, protein-coding GAPDH and Mcm-7), including 474 newly generated sequences. Using a combination of ML and Bayesian gene tree topologies, species tree inferences, coalescent-based species delimitation, and examination of phenotypic variation we assessed the circumscription of lineages. We propose that results from our analyses support a 12 species delimitation scenario, suggesting that there is a high level of species diversity in the complex. Morphological and chemical characters often do not characterize lineages but show some degree of plasticity within at least some of the clades. However, clades can often be characterized by a combination of several phenotypical characters. In contrast to the amount of homoplasy in the morphological characters, the data set exhibits some geographical patterns with putative species having distribution patterns, such as austral, Australasian or being endemic to Australia, New Zealand or Tasmania.</p

Morphological disparity in Cladoniaceae: The foliose genus Heterodea evolved from fruticose Cladia species (Lecanorales, lichenized Ascomycota)

Phylogenetic relationships of the genera Cladia and Heterodea were reconstructed using a combined dataset of nuclear ITS, nuclear LSU and mitochondrial SSU rDNA sequences. Based on different analyses (Bayesian approach, maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood), the ingroup (Cladia + Heterodea) is strongly supported as monophyletic. Pilophorus strumaticus has a well supported sister-group relationship to the ingroup and together they form a sister group with a well-supported clade, which includes Metus conglomeratus and Pycnotheliapapillaria. The Shimodaira-Hasegawa test and the ELW test significantly rejected monophyly of Cladia excluding Heterodea. Within Cladia three main clades can be distinguished which share morphological and chemical characters. The position of the foliose genus Heterodea within the fruticose Cladia is supported by anatomical and chemical characters. The species of clade II that includes two Cladia species and Heterodea share a similar type of upper cortex and two-layered medulla with an inner or lower medulla consisting of dark pigmented, thick-walled hyphae. Our phylogenetic estimate and the anatomical studies indicate that the foliose thallus of Heterodea originated from pseudopodetia of Cladia. It is discussed that the species currently classified in Cladia and Heterodea need to be placed in the same genus