Are lichens coming back? Strelninsky Bereg Protected Area (St. Petersburg, Russia)

Abstract

The total revealed lichen diversity of Strelninsky Bereg Protected Area includes 130 species, 123 of them are lichenized, four are lichenicolous, and three are non-lichenized saprobic fungi. The lichen biota of Strelninsky Bereg is quite rich, despite extremely small size of the area. The lichen Lecania olivacella is new to Russia. Bacidina pycnidiata, Fellhanera bouteillei, and Lecidella subviridis are new to North-Western European Russia. Nine lichen species reported from Strelninsky Bereg are red-listed in St. Petersburg. The reappearance of Leptogium saturninum, which was not recorded in St. Petersburg more than last 90 years, could reflect a decline of atmospheric pollution in the city suburbs. Successful occasional reintroduction of foliose lichens Flavoparmelia caperata, Hypotrachyna revoluta, and Punctelia jeckeri could be possible as a result of modern climate change in the region of St. Petersburg and in the World.