Epiphytic lichen communities with Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. in the old-growth forests of the South Urals

Epiphytic lichen communities with Lobaria pulmonaria are described and two new associations are distinguished in the Southern Urals. Communities of the ass. Anaptychio ciliaris—Lobarietum pulmonariae (diagnostic species: Anaptychia ciliaris, Bacidia rubella, Cladonia parasitica, Collema nigrescens, C. occultatum, Loxospora elatina, Lobaria pulmonaria, Leskeella nervosa, Leucodon sciuroides, Melanelia subargentifera, Nephroma parile, Physconia detersa, Parmelina tiliacea, Ramalina pollinaria) occur on the bark of Tilia cordata, Acer platanoides, and Ulmus glabra trees in broad-leaved forests, and those of the ass. Cetrario laureri—Lobarietum pulmonariae (diagnostic species: Cetraria laureri, Hypogymnia tubulosa, H. vittata, Lobaria pulmonaria, Parmelia saxatilis, Pertusaria albescens, Sanionia uncinata, Usnea hirta, U. lapponica, U. subfloridana) were described on the Sorbus aucuparia bark in spruce-dominated mountain forests. The presence of Lobaria pulmonaria, Collema nigrescens, C. occultatum, and Nephroma parile indicates floristic relationships between the described communities and the European alliance Lobarion pulmonariae. Howe­ver, communities with Lobaria pulmonaria in the Southern Urals differ from the European ones of the alliance Lobarion in the presence of Bacidia rubella, Cladonia parasitica, C. fimbriata, Hypogymnia vittata, Melanelia subargentifera, Phaeophyscia hirsuta, P. orbicularis, Physcia aipolia, Physconia detersa, P. distorta, P. perisidiosa, Ramalina pollinaria, Usnea hirta, U. lapponica as well as in the absence of Antitrichia curtipendula, Frullania dilatata, F. tamarisci, ­Hypnum cupressiforme, Isothecium myurum, Lobaria amplissima, Metzgeria furcata, Nephroma bellum, Normandina pulchella, Orthotrichum lyellii, Melanelia fuli­ginosa, Parmeliella triptophylla, Peltigera collina, Pertusaria amara, Phlyctis argenta, Platismatia glauca, Pterigynandrum filiforme and several other species, characteristic of the European communities of the alliance Lobarion. The climate in the Southern Urals is more continental, if compared to the Central-European one, and this fact probably explains such a pronounced floristic peculiarity of the associations described. Still the ass. Anaptychio ciliaris—Lobarietum pulmonariae may be preliminary assigned to the alliance Lobarion pulmonariae Ochsner 1928, whereas the ass. Cetrario laureri—Lobarietum pulmonariae is subordinated to the alliance Pseudevernion furfuraceae Barkman 1958.