New Micarea records from Norway and Sweden and an identification key to the M. prasina group in Europe

Micarea czarnotae and M. pseudomicrococca are reported as new to Sweden, and M. fallax is reported as new to Norway. Micarea laeta and M. melanobola are reported from Sweden for the first time since 1927 and 1892, respectively. Micarea fallax is reported from three new localities in Sweden. An updated identification key for the M. prasina group in Central and Northern Europe is provided.Peer reviewe

Taxonomic novelties and new records of Fennoscandian crustose lichens

We present taxonomic, distributional and ecological notes on Fennoscandian crustose lichens and lichenicolous fungi, based on new collections as well as revision of herbarium material. Two new combinations are proposed: Frutidella furfuracea comb. nov. for F. pullata and Puttea duplex comb. nov. for Fellhanera duplex. Lecidea byssoboliza, L. carneoglauca and Variolaria torta are all reduced to synonymy with Bacidia antricola, Bacidia invertens is synonymized with B. igniarii, B. atrolivida with Mycobilimbia tetramera, and Gyalidea fruticola with Thelenella pertusariella. A new description is provided for Micarea hylocomii. 25 species of lichens and lichenicolous fungi are reported as new to Finland, Norway and/or Sweden: Absconditella lignicola (Norway), Bacidia antricola (Norway), B. polychroa (Norway), B. pycnidata (Sweden), Bacidina adastra (Sweden), Biatora veteranorum (Norway), Briancoppinsia cytospora (Finland), Catillaria scotinodes (Norway), Cliostomum subtenerum (Norway), Dirina fallax (Sweden), Fellhaneropsis almquistiorum (Norway), Gyalidea subscutellaris (Sweden), Lecania inundata (Norway), L. suavis (Norway), Micarea capitata (Norway), M. deminuta (Norway), M. hylocomii (Sweden), M. lynceola (Sweden), M. soralifera (Sweden), M. subconfusa (Sweden), Mycoblastus sanguinarioides (Finland, Sweden), Paralecia pratorum (Sweden), Puttea duplex (Sweden), Sarcogyne algoviae (Finland) and Toninia subnitida (Norway). Lectotypes are designated for Bacidia antricola, Lecidea byssoboliza, Lecidea carneoglauca, Lecidea subconfusa and Lecidea submoestula

New and interesting records of lichens from Pältsan (Mt Bealccan) in northernmost Sweden

Austroplaca subtiroliensis, Gyalidea lecideopsis, Phacographa protoparmeliae, Placynthium pulvinatum and Solorina octospora are reported new to Sweden. Several other rare or rarely collected lichens are also reported: Absconditella annexa, Arthrorhaphis vacillans, Farnoldia micropsis, Gyalidea polyspora, Ionaspis ventosa, Lecanora lecanoricola, L. leptacinella, Lecidea commaculans, Pachyascus lapponicus, Placidiopsis pseudocinerea, Schadonia fecunda, Scytinium aquale and Thelocarpon sphaerosporum

Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species, Nephroma orvoi, in the N. parile species complex (lichenized Ascomycota)

Our knowledge of the diversity and distribution of many groups of lichens remains poor due to unclear species boundaries and challenging species identification. We have studied the medium sized to large foliose lichen Nephroma parile, which is known to be heterogeneous in chemistry and genetics. Our aim has been to assess the potential presence of evolutionary significant units within the Nephroma parile species complex that may be worthy of recognition at species level. Using phylogenetic analysis of the fungal DNA-barcode marker (ITS) in combination with studies of morphology and chemistry, we discover two distinct lineages in the N. parile species complex. For the strongly supported clade that corresponds to chemotype II, we describe the new species Nephroma orvoi. The new species is known from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Canada (Alberta and British Columbia), USA (Washington), and Greenland.publishedVersio

Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species, Nephroma orvoi, in the N. parile species complex (lichenized Ascomycota)

Our knowledge of the diversity and distribution of many groups of lichens remains poor due to unclear species boundaries and challenging species identification. We have studied the medium sized to large foliose lichen Nephroma parile, which is known to be heterogeneous in chemistry and genetics. Our aim has been to assess the potential presence of evolutionary significant units within the Nephroma parile species complex that may be worthy of recognition at species level. Using phylogenetic analysis of the fungal DNA-barcode marker (ITS) in combination with studies of morphology and chemistry, we discover two distinct lineages in the N. parile species complex. For the strongly supported clade that corresponds to chemotype II, we describe the new species Nephroma orvoi. The new species is known from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Canada (Alberta and British Columbia), USA (Washington), and Greenland.publishedVersio

Tremella rhizocarpicola sp. nov. and other interesting lichenicolous Tremellales and Filobasidiales in the Nordic countries

This is the published version of a paper published in MycoKeys. Citation for the original published paper (version of record): Millanes, A., Diederich, P., Westberg, M., Knutsson, T., Wedin, M. (2014) Abstract New data on the diversity and geographical distribution of lichenicolous Tremellales and Filobasidiales in the Nordic countries is presented. One new species, Tremella rhizocarpicola, is formally described. Tremella pertusariae and T. protoparmeliae are reported as new to the Nordic countries, Syzygospora physciacearum is new to Iceland, Tremella rinodinae is new to Sweden, and T. caloplacae is new to Norway. Nine species are reported as new to a number of Swedish provinces, including Biatoropsis usnearum, Syzygospora bachmannii, S. physciacearum, Tremella caloplacae, T. cetrariicola, T. cladoniae, T. coppinsii, T. diploschistina, and T. hypogymniae

Interesting lichenized and lichenicolous fungi found during the Nordic Lichen Society excursion in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway 2015

In August 2015, the Nordic Lichen Society held its 21st bi-annual meeting and excursion in Steinkjer, Nord- Trøndelag, Norway. During the excursion various habitats, including boreal rainforest, calcareous rocks with pine forest, coastal heath, heavy metal containing rock and montane spruce forest, were investigated. The most interesting findings are recorded herewith. Didymocyrtis pseudeverniae and Unguiculariopsis manriquei are new to Scandinavia, and six species are new to Norway: Absconditella celata, Catillaria aphana, Micarea contexta, Scytinium aquale, Tremella wirthii and Verrucaria sparsiuscula. Notes on a number of red-listed and/or rarely collected species in Norway are also provided

Examining neurodevelopmental problems in 15q11.2 ( BP1‐BP2 ) copy number variation carriers at ages 9/12 and 18 in a Swedish twin sample

Background: Several copy number variations (CNVs) are associated with increased risk for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. The CNV 15q11.2 (BP1‐BP2) deletion has been associated with learning difficulties, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, and brain morphology; however, many carriers present mild or no symptoms. Carrying the reciprocal duplication does not seem to confer risk for these disorders or traits. Our aim was to examine the impact of carrying either 15q11.2 deletion and reciprocal duplication on neurodevelopmental problems in a population‐based sample of children. Methods: Twins with genotype and phenotype information in the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS) were included (N = 12,040). We included measures of neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs), including learning problems, from the questionnaire Autism–Tics, ADHD, and other Comorbidities inventory (A‐TAC) at age 9/12, ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) questionnaires at age 18, as well as information about lifetime psychiatric diagnoses and epileptic seizures. We tested the association between these phenotypic measurements and carrying the 15q11.2 deletion, the reciprocal duplication, and other CNVs with previously reported strong associations with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders (i.e., psychiatric CNVs). Results: We identified 57 carriers of the 15q11.2 deletion, 75 carriers of the reciprocal duplication, and 67 carriers of other psychiatric CNVs. We did not find an increased risk for NDPs or psychiatric diagnoses in the 15q11.2 deletion carriers. For 15q11.2 duplication carriers, we found an increased risk for math learning problems and fewer self‐reported ADHD symptoms at age 18 but not for other NDPs. In line with previous studies, we found an increased risk of NDPs and other evaluated phenotypes in carriers of psychiatric CNVs. Conclusions: Our results support previous findings that carrying 15q11.2 deletion does not have a large effect on NDPs in children

Lichens from the Vadstena Monastery churchyard – the burial place of Eric Acharius

A list of 120 taxa observed at the Vadstena Monastery churchyard includes some rare species and a few lichenicolous fungi. Lecanora semipallida is reported from the province Östergötland [Ostrogothia] for the first time

Critical, Engaged and Change-oriented Scholarship in Environmental Communication. Six Methodological Dilemmas to Think With

While calls for critical, engaged and change-oriented scholarship in environmental communication (EC) abound, few articles discuss what this may practically entail. With this article, we aim to contribute to a discussion in EC about the methodological implications of such scholarship. Based on our combined experience in EC research and drawing from a variety of academic fields, we describe six methodological dilemmas that we encounter in our research practice and that we believe are inherent to such scholarship. These dilemmas are (1) grasping communication; (2) representing others; (3) involving people in research; (4) co-producing knowledge; (5) engaging critically; and (6) relating to conflict. This article does not offer solutions to these complex dilemmas. Rather, our dilemma descriptions are meant to help researchers think through methodological issues in critical, engaged and change-oriented EC research. The article also helps to translate the dilemmas to the reality of research projects through a set of questions, aimed to support a sensitivity to, and understanding of, the dilemmas in context. critical, engaged, change-oriented, methodology, dillemmaspublishedVersio