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The amino acid content (alanine/arginine, glutamine, proline, taurine) of five different lichen species (Evernia prunastri, Hypogymnia physodes, Parmelia sulcata, Physcia adscendens, Xanthoria parietina) from different parts of Germany and NW France with different atmospheric nitrogen depositions was determined.
The study revealed that the so called nitrophytic lichen species (Physcia adscendens, Xanthoria parietina) had no higher amino acid contents as compared with the other species. The amino acid contents of five different lichen species from the same tree varied without regard to the nitrophily of the species. The contents of amino acids of the lichen species studied from Bonn is four to twelve times higher as in the same species in the Vosges Mountains, France. The amount of amino acids in nitrophytic species (Xanthoria parietina, Physcia adscendens) from a region with high load of atmospheric nitrogen (35 kg/y/ha) is in average 5 times higher than in the same species from a region with low nitrogen immission (16 kg/y/ha).
It can be concluded that the amino acid contents of lichens reflects the atmospheric nitrogen load and that the amino acid content of so called nitrophytic lichen species is not higher as in other species, that lichens are passive sampler and take up the available nitrogen but make no use of it but store it as amino acids. On the other hand, the conductivity of the cell liquid (as a measure of the osmotic pressure) of nitrophytic lichen species is higher as compared with non-nitrophytic species. Thus the “nitrophily” of these species is presumably not based upon the facility to higher nitrogen uptake but osmotic tolerance against the salt effects of nitrogen compounds. Within nitrophytic species, the osmotic values of Phaeophyscia orbicularis are double as high as those from Physcia adscendens, which is explained by the higher tolerance of Phaeophyscia against dry deposition. The higher osmotic values of nitrophilous lichen species lead to the conclusion that they are also drought resistant species and occur in regions with low humidity where they are more competitive than other lichen species.
The identity of Braunia alopecura (Brid.) Limpr. with Braunia secunda (Hook.) Bruch & Schimp.
(2013)
Braunia alopecura, originally regarded as species endemic to the Southern Alps, later known in addition from the the Cape Verde Islands and recently reported from the Indohimalaya, has revealed to be identical with the neotropical Braunia secunda. This is another case of an American species in the Southern Alps and in Europe in general, as well as an example of possible long distance dispersal.
The location of Ticino in the southern Alps with an altitudinal range from 200 to more than 3000 m generates a high biodiversity of bryophytes, however, in addition, a mixture of mediterranean elements (caused by mild temperatures), atlantic elements (caused by high precipitation) and especially insubrian elements (confined to the Southern Alps) has attracted many famous bryologists over the past 150 years and make this region to a real bryological hot spot. Six of the 7 insubrian species are mainly distributed in North America. Their presence in the Southern Alps is correlated with a certain geological formation and their origin is not clear.
Thalloid liverworts with unistratose thallus margins are easily determined as Aneura maxima, which shall be identified by this character. However, forms of Pellia epiphylla and P. endiviifolia grown under humid conditions can have an unistratose undulate thallus margin and thus confused with the latter. Pellia species can, however, be distinguished from Aneura by the presence of slime hairs vz. slime papillae, which are described and illustrated here.
Hot spots are characterized by the occurrence of „hot“ species, rare, endangered, phytogeographically (for example highly disjunct) or ecologically interesting species (for example heavy metal species). The Apuanian Alps (ital. Alpi Apuani) are a place of extraordinary botanical and also bryological interest. Although situated far from the west coast of Europe, many atlantic species are found there, which have isolated occurrences and show up next in Asturias, Macaronesia. Ireland or Scotland. Representative of the oceanic element in the bryoflora are Dumortiera hirsuta, Lejeunea lamacerina, Lophocolea fragrans, Plagiochila exigua, P. bifaria, Saccogyna viticulosa, Harpalejeunea ovata and Marchesinia mackaii, supplemented by ferns such as Trichomanes speciosum and Hymenophyllum tunbrigense (Cortini-Pedrotti et al. 1992). Reasons for the presence of such species in Italy are the extraordinary climatic conditions. Situated directly along the Meditrerranean Sea, the climate is mild and due to depressions in the gulf of Genova, the rain is caught by the mountains resulting in a high precipitation of about 1400 at the foot of the region and more than 3000 mm in the summit region. This does, however, not explain whether these species are relics from the Tertiary or dispersed from the W-coast of Europe after the Pleistocene glaciations.
Dicranodontium didymodon, a species described from the Himalaya was recently reported from Spain. It has been distinguished from D. denudatum by a smooth subula. A reexamination of the type of this species revealed no additional characters which would support the recognition of a separate species. Therefore D. didymodon is synonymised with D. denudatum. The specimen from Spain is referred to D. denudatum var. glabrum, which differs from D. didymodon by larger stature and lack of brood leaves.
In the past, many bryophyte species were regarded as endemic to the Alps. Herzog listed more than 70 examples. Many of them are micro-endemisms or merely alpine forms of other species (Leptodontium styriacum) and not of taxanomic value, or considered as relics from the last interglacial period, although the Alps were covered by glaciers during the last ice age, which made a survival almost impossible, especially for forest species and epiphytes. Several of these species turned out to occur as well in Asia (Distichophyllum carinatum) or were described from there under a different name (Tayloria rudolphiana as T. delavayi). So far, one important species, Brotherella lorentziana, remained unsolved. A recent study revealed that this species is present in Asia, where it is known as B. henonii. At the present state of knowledge, five species namely Herbertus sendtneri, Riccia breidleri, Barbula bicolor, Marsupella ramosa and Trochobryum carniolicum must still be considered as endemic.
Die Beobachtung einer verbreiteten Sippe aus dem Bryum capillare Komplex mit nicht schraubig zusammengedrehten Blättern, nicht austretender Rippe und schmalem Blattsaum warf die Frage auf, ob es sich dabei um einen Genotyp handelt und wenn ja, welchen Namen er tragen muss. Zunächst wurde geklärt, dass die Nominatform von Bryum capillare Pflanzen mit stark schraubig zusammengedrehten Blättern, austretender Rippe und starkem Blattsaum umfasst, die genannte Sippe also nicht dazu gehört. Ein Versuch belegte, dass die Nominatform in hyperhygrischer Kultur unverändert blieb, die abweichende Sippe also keine Hygromorphose oder durch Übergänge mit der Nominatform verbunden ist. Sie war von Schimper als Bryum capillare var. α bezeichnet worden und wird hier als var. schimperi legitimisiert. Gleichzeitig wird die im Flachland und Mittelgebirge auf basischen Felsen und Mauer beheimatete Sippe aus dem Bryum capillare Komplex, welche fälschlicherweise als Bryum elegans bezeichnet wurde, als Bryum capillare var. simile neu beschrieben.
During the past years, Fontinalis specimens with round, concave leaves were collected in Germany and Spain, which were named as F. antipyretica var. mollis. A comparison with the type of F. mollis revealed that they are not identical and accordingly are described as new variety, F. antiypretica var. rotundifolia.