Changes in the lichen biota of the Lions Rump area, King George Island, Antarctica, over the last 20 years

Climate changes observed in recent years in the maritime Antarctic have affected the tundra vegetation, including plant communities in which lichens are a dominant component. The results of comparative studies (1988 and 1990 vs. 2007 and 2008) on the dynamics of the lichen biota within the Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 151 (King George Island, Antarctica) minimally influenced by human impact, are presented. This long-term experiment is aimed at determining the trends and rate of changes on lichen biota induced by climate warming and rapid deglaciation. The most significant changes affecting the lichen biota have taken place in the forefield of a glacier and on the young moraines where in the second period of studies three species (Polyblastiagothica, Thelenellakerguelena, Thelocarponcyaneum) were not refound. There was also a reduction in the number of other sites for some species (e.g. Leptogiumpuberulum, Staurothellegelida) caused by substrate desiccation. On the other hand, there was an increase in the range of pioneering species (e.g. Bacidiachrysocolla, Caloplacajohnstonii, Candelariellaaurella, Lecanoradispersa) on young moraines recently uncovered by the retreating glacier. The smallest changes were observed on the cliff rocks near penguin colonies

New ultrastructural and physiological features of the thallus in Antarctic lichens

The paper describes anatomical and physiological features of photobionts and mycobionts in Bryoria forsteri Olech & Bystrek, Caloplaca regalis (Vain.) Zahlbr., Cetraria aculeata (Schreb.) Fr., Ramalina terebrata Hook f. & Taylor, Sphaerophorus globosus (Huds.) Vain. and Usnea antarctica Du Rietz, collected in the Antarctic under varied weather conditions. Green algae from the genera Lobosphaera and Trebouxia were gathered in depressions of the cortex under the more resistant mycobiont hyphae. In photobiont cells a large amount of highly osmiophilic electron-dense PAS-negative material, lipid-like in character, was of particular interest. Similar material also filled certain areas of the aerial apoplast. A star-shaped chromatophore with central and lateral pyrenoids encompassed most of the photobiont protoplast in all the studied species. Regularly arranged thylakoids with evenly widened lumina along their entire length and osmiophilic lipid droplets adhering to their outer surfaces were visible within the pyrenoid. Inside the chloroplast, large protein inclusions tightly joined with the thylakoids were observed. The mycobionts were closely attached to each other another and with the photobionts by means of an outer osmiophilic wall layer, and formed intramural haustoria. Their protoplasts were filled with PAS-positive polysaccharides and a large amount of lipid-like substances. The photobionts were physiologically active and produced a large amount of electron-dense osmiophilic material, and PAS-positive starch grains were visible around their pyrenoids in the thalli collected in different weather conditions. The permanent reserves of nutritive materials deposited in the thalli enable these organisms to quickly begin and continue indispensable physiological processes in the extreme Antarctic conditions

Ultrastructural observations on five pioneer soil algae from ice denuded areas (King George Island, West Antarctica)

Morphological observations were made using transmission electron microscopy on five species of green soil algae, including Chlorosarcinopsis cf. gelatinosa Chantanachat & Bold, Muriella decolor visher, Tetracystis aeria Brown & Bold, Tetracystis pampae Brown & bold, and Stichococcus bacillaris Nageli. With an exception of the latter species, they are all new records in Antarctica. These species were the important pioneers in the colonization process of the areas recently denuded of ice. Collection of Muriella decolor was the first record from a soil habitat

Bound water structure on the surfaces of Usnea antarctica as observed by NMR and sorption isotherm

Hydration courses and proton free induction decays are recorded at 30 MHz for Usnea antarctica thalli hydrated from gaseous phase. NMR data combined with gravimetry allow one to distinguish two fractions of tightly bound water, and loosely bound/free water pool. No water fraction "sealed" in thallus structures is present in U. antarctica

Contrasting patterns in lichen diversity in the continental and maritime Antarctic

Systematic surveys of the lichen floras of Schirmacher Oasis (Queen Maud Land, continental Antarctic), Victoria Land (Ross Sector, continental Antarctic) and Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic) were compared to help infer the major factors influencing patterns of diversity and biogeography in the three areas. Biogeographic patterns were determined using a variety of multivariate statistical tools. A total of 54 lichen species were documented from Schirmacher Oasis (SO), 48 from Victoria Land (VL) and 244 from Admiralty Bay (AB). Of these, 21 species were common to all areas. Most lichens from the SO and VL areas were microlichens, the dominant genus being Buellia. In AB, in contrast, many macrolichens were also present and the dominant genus was Caloplaca. In SO and VL large areas lacked any visible lichen cover, even where the ground was snow-free in summer. Small-scale diversity patterns were present in AB, where the number of species and genera was greater close to the coast. Most species recorded were rare in the study areas in which they were present and endemic to Antarctic

From barren substrate to mature tundra : lichen colonization in the forelands of Svalbard glaciers

This paper contributes to studies on the lichen biota of Arctic regions. The research was carried out in the forelands of eight glaciers and in the mature tundra surrounding them. Study areas were located in two parts of Svalbard: in the Kongsfjord (forelands of Austre Brøggerbreen, Vestre Brøggerbreen, Austre Lovénbreen, Midtre Lovénbreen, and Vestre Lovénbreen) and in the Isfjord (forelands of Rieperbreen, Svenbreen, and Ferdinandbreen). In each foreland and in the mature tundra surrounding it, a series of 1-m2 plots was established, within which a percentage cover for each species was determined. In total, 133 lichens and one lichenicolous fungus were recorded. Nineteen species were recorded for the first time in Svalbard: Agonimia allobata, Atla wheldonii, Bacidia herbarum, Catolechia wahlenbergii, Epigloea soleiformis, Lecanora behringii, Lepraria subalbicans, Leptogium arcticum, Pertusaria pseudocorallina, Placidiopsis custnani, Protothelenella corrosa, Pyrenidium actinellum, Spilonema revertens, Stereocaulon saxatile, Thelocarpon sphaerosporum, Toninia coelestina, Verrucaria elaeina, Verrucaria murina, and Verrucaria xyloxena. The lichen richness was the lowest in the Ferdinandbreen foreland (24 species) and the highest in the Rieperbreen foreland (82 species). Significant differences in species composition were found among the forelands studied, except for Austre and Vestre Brøggerbreen whose lichen composition was similar. The differences in lichen composition between mature tundra in the vicinity of the following forelands were identified: Vestre Brøggerbreen and Svenbreen, Austre Brøggerbreen and Svenbreen, and Austre Brøggerbreen and Ferdinandbreen. The most dominant group of lichens in both forelands and mature tundra were chlorolichens, not cyanolichens

The lichenicolous fungi of the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica : species diversity and identification guide

This paper contributes 96 species to the biota of lichenicolous fungi in the South Shetland Islands archipelago. New to science are the following genera: Antarctosphaeria Alstrup & Olech, gen. nov., Dahawkswia Alstrup & Olech, gen. nov., Lichenohostes Alstrup & Olech, gen. nov., Llanorella Alstrup & Olech, gen. nov., Phaeosporodendron Alstrup & Olech, gen. nov., and Prostratomyces Alstrup & Olech, gen. nov. Additionally, 31 species are described as new to science. These are: Antarctosphaeria bireagens Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., A. lichenicola Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Arthonia dufayelensis Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., A. livingstonensis Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., A. massalongiae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., A. pertusariicola Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., A. rakusae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Carbonea austroshetlandica Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Cercidospora pertusariicola Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Dactylospora antarctica Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., D. haematommatis Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Dahawkswia lichenicola Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Dendrophoma acarosporae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Didymellopsis antarctica Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Lichenohostes citrinospora Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Lichenostigma corymbosae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Llanorella ramalinae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Metasphaeria verrucosa Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Micarea lichenicola Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Phaeospora antarctica Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., P. convolutae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Phaeosporodendron badiae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Phoma acarosporae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Prostratomyces leprariae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., P. ochrolechiae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., P. rhizocarpicolae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Rhagadostoma antarctica Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Sphaerellothecium placopsiicola Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Stigmidium placopsiicola Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., Taeniolella frigidae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov., and Tetramelas caloplacae Alstrup & Olech, sp. nov. Furthermore, a literature survey was undertaken, which resulted in the preparation of an identification guide for the lichenicolous species occurring in the South Shetlands Islands

The lichen biota of Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 151, Lions Rump (King George Island)

Lions Rump lies on the southern coast of King George Bay on King George Island in Antarctica. The part of the area, as an effect of Polish initiative, has been approved as protected area (ASPA No. 151). The aim of this study was to document the occurrence and distribution of lichens to provide the baseline data for long-term monitoring of the ongoing changes in this valuable area