%0 Journal Article
%T Diversity of Macrolichens in Bolampatti II Forest Range (Siruvani Hills), Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India
%A P. Balaji
%A G. N. Hariharan
%J ISRN Biodiversity
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/124020
%X An annotated checklist of 103 macrolichen species is provided based on identification of specimens collected from three different vegetation types within the Bolampatti II forest range, Western Ghats, India. Among them, the dominant order is Lecanorales with 47 species, while the dominant family is Parmeliaceae with 40 species. The foremost genus is Usnea with 15 species. 1. Introduction Nearly 80,000 species of fungi are available in nature [1]. Of these, approximately 17% are lichenized, forming symbioses with green algae (Chlorophyta, Viridiplantae) or the so called blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria, Bacteria). These relationships produce symbiotic organisms commonly called lichens [2]. Lichens are an outstandingly successful group of symbiotic organisms exploiting a wide range of habitats throughout the world. About 20,000 species of lichens are so far recorded across the globe, among which the Indian subcontinent harbours 2450 (12.25%) species [3]. Tropical forests, because of their complexity and variety of microhabitats, usually harbour a rich diversity of lichens. Even though they are often small and inconspicuous, especially in the lowland forest, they may play a significant role in the forest ecosystem [4]. It has been estimated that 50% of the Indian lichen biota are currently undescribed [5]. In India, the comprehensive regional treatments (both ecological and systematic) on lichens are still not available, and a few cover areas like portions of Western Ghats (Nilgiri and Palni Hills, Himalayas, and North Eastern regions) [6, 7]. Still, many of the pristine Western Ghats ecosystems remain unexplored to list out the extent and type of distribution of lichens [8]. In view to explore such important organisms, the present study has studied the macrolichens from Bolampatti II forest range, Western Ghats. The primary objective of this paper is to enumerate the macrolichens and their distribution within the forest types of the Bolampatti II forest range. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Study Area Bolampatti II forest range, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu (part of Western Ghats¡ª76¡ã 33¡ä¡ä to 76¡ã 46¡ä¡ä£¿E and 11¡ã 2¡ä¡ä to 10¡ã 54¡ä¡ä£¿N), is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is commonly known as Siruvani Hills (Figure 1), and is one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world. The study site is located west to Coimbatore city and north of the Walayar valley, is shaped like a horse-shoe opening eastwards, and covers an area of 197.66£¿km2. The Bolampatti valley consists of vegetation types progressively from lower to higher altitudes (east to west) dry
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.biodiversity/2013/124020/