Abstract Detail

Bryology and Lichenology

Mishra, Gaurav Kumar [1].

Distribution and diversity of Pyrenocarpous lichens in India with special reference to forest health.

Our nature exhibited the presence of a number of unique plants which can be used as an indicator of the environmental condition of particular place. Lichens are unique plant which has an ability to absorb not only organic, inorganic and metaloties but also absorb radioactive nuclide substances present in the environment. In the present study, pyrenocarpous lichens will used as an indicator of good forest health in a particular place. The Pyrenocarpous lichens are simple crust forming with black dot-like perithecia have few characters for their taxonomical segregation as compared to their foliose and fruticose. The thallus colour and nature, presence and absence of hypothallus are only few characters of thallus are used to segregate the taxa. The ascocarp morphology, ascocarp arrangement, the perithecial wall, ascocarp shape and colour, ostiole shape and position, ostiole colour, ascocarp anatomy including a type of paraphyses, asci shape and size, ascospores septation, ascospores wall and periphyses are the valuable characters used for segregation of different pyrenocarpous lichen taxa. India is represented by the occurrence of the 350 species of 44 genera and eleven families. Among the different genera, Pyrenula is dominant with 82 species followed by the Porina with 70 species. Recently, systematic of the pyrenocarpous lichens have been revised by American and European lichenologists using phylogenetic methods. Still, the taxonomy of pyrenocarpous lichens is in flux and information generated after the completion of this study will play a vital role in settlement of the taxonomy of this peculiar group of lichens worldwide. The Indian Himalayan region exhibits a rich diversity of pyrenocarpous lichens in India. The western Himalayan region has luxuriance of pyrenocarpous lichens due to its unique topography and climate condition. However, the eastern Himalayan region has rich diversity of pyrenocarpous lichens due to its warmer and moist climate condition. The rich moist and warmer climate in the eastern Himalayan region supports forest with the dominance of evergreen tree vegetation. The pyrenocarpous lichens communities are a good indicator of young and regenerated forest type. The rich diversity of lichens clearly indicates that moist of the forest within the eastern Himalayan region has good health of the forest. Due to the fast pace of urbanization and other developmental activities will defiantly have adverse effects on the diversity and distribution of pyrenocarpous lichens in different forest type and the present distribution pattern will act as baseline data for carried out future biomonitoring studies in the area.

1 - Lichenology Laboratory, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lu, Lichenology Laboratory, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow-226001, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226001, India

Keywords:
pyrenocarpous
indicator species
environmental factors.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: LICH1, Lichenology
Location: San Pedro 2/Starr Pass
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2019
Time: 3:00 PM
Number: LICH1007
Abstract ID:642
Candidate for Awards:None