Lišejníky PR Prales Jizera

Mt Jizera is the second highest peak of the Jizerské hory Mts in the north of Bohemia. The protected area consists of is 92.4 ha large and is mostly covered by spruce woodlands and boulder scree. It has granite rocky outcrops covered with Pinus mugo and Sorbus aucuparia at the top of the mountain. Since the 1960s, the valuable climax spruce forests have suffered great damage from air pollution and later by bark-beetles. In 1966, the reserve was affected by a wind disaster, during which 25 ha of the oldest forest, with spruces reaching up to 180 years in age, was destroyed. The revival of climax spruce forest is locally supported by planting autochthonous spruce and the species diversity is further increased by the planting of rowans, birches and willows. During three field excursions in 2020, a total of 103 lichens and two non-lichenized fungi were recorded. A major part of the lichens was recorded on granite stones (49), lignicolous lichen communities were represented by 23 taxa, terricolous lichens by 22 taxa, and the smallest part of the species list covered epiphytic taxa (15). The most remarkable species are Cetrariella commixta, Cladonia bellidiflora, C. borealis, Enterographa zonata, Ophioparma ventosa, Porina guentheri, Pycnora praestabilis, Rhizocarpon lavatum and Stereocaulon evolutum.