High lichen species richness in Polylepis australis forest: new records from South America and Argentina

Abstract

The Polylepis australis forests in Central Argentina support a great biodiversity in a relative small area. As a result of this study focusing on the diversity and ecology of the lichen communities of these forests, we present five new species for South America: Rinodina ficta, R. malcolmii, R. obscura, Usnea glabrata, Tetramelas triphragmioides and eight taxa new for Argentina: Calicium abietinum, Erioderma leylandii subsp. leylandii, Leptogium microstictum, Phaeophyscia endococcinodes, Rinodina dolichospora, R. intermedia, Usnea cirrosa and U. flavocardia. Unidentified Usnea species, similar to U. silesiaca, were also characterized and discussed.

A monograph of the genus Polylepis (Rosaceae)

“… Polylepis forest in central Argentina have high polypore (wood-decay fungi) species richness in mature forest, with numerous threatened and rare species ( Postia caesia , Fuscoporia gilva , Polyporus arcularius and Ceriporia spissa ) found in the presence of large logs ( Robledo and Renison 2010 ). Similarly, there is a high diversity of lichens ( Rodriguez et al 2020 ). In the southern Yungas (Jujuy Province), the P. australis forests have high bird diversity, but Polylepis specialist bird species are absent, possibly because these are small patches ( Bellis et al 2014 ).…”