Lišejníky NPR Karlovské bučiny

Karlovské bučiny National Nature Reserve in North Bohemia (58.3 ha) preserves beech forests up to 200 years old on limestone bedrock, rich in orchids and macromycetes. A lichen inventory revealed 121 species, including many regionally rare taxa, mostly restricted to low rocky outcrops in the forest. Microlichens (83.5%) predominated in the area. Epiphytic communities used to be strongly affected by acid rain in the past, hence most trees currently almost lack lichens. Higher lichen diversity is found on trees with a higher bark pH (e.g. Fraxinus excelsior) and generally in sunlit places, such as crowns. The most interesting records are represented by Agonimia globulifera, Catinaria atropurpurea, Lemmopsis arnoldiana, Scytinium tenuissimum, Staurothele hymenogonia, Thelidium minutulum, Thelocarpon magnussonii, T. olivaceum, Verrucaria nigroumbrina and V. polysticta.