News

International Lichenological Newsletter Vol. 31, nr. 2, December 1998
Table of Contents IAL4 - Barcelona 2000 ABLS meeting 1999 NLF meeting 1999 Conservation Biology conference 1999 European Mycologists congress 1999 Cryptogamic symposium Madrid 1999 Biomonitoring Italy New Literature Personalia Contact us about IAL	News IAL4 - Barcelona 2000: Progress and Problems in Lichenology at the Turn of the Millennium - September 3^rd-8^th, 2000 The next IAL Congress will start in Barcelona in the evening of September, 3^rd, 2000 with the registration of the participants; the scientific sessions will take place from September 4^th until September 7^th. The Scientific Programme is in preparation: according to a preliminary proposal it will include the following sections: A) Phylogeny and Systematics of the Mycobiont, B) Photobionts, C) Morphology and Structure, D) Ecology and Ecophysiology, E) Lichen Diversity and Biogeography, F) Lichen-dominated communities, G) Populations and thallus individuality, H) Lichenicolous Fungi. Proposed special symposia: 1) Lichen bioindication of stability and stress in ecosystems, 2) Storage and retrieval of lichen data: publications, herbaria, checklists, floras, identification keys, 3) Strategies for a sustainable use of biodiversity in relationship with lichens. Two or three pre- and post-Congress excursions will be organized in different parts of Spain (e.g. Ebro Valley and Pyrenées, Almeria and Granada, Iberian System and southern Catalonia). IAL4 will be organized by the Departament de Biologia Vegetal (Botànica), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 645, ES-08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. President: Martin Jahns (Düsseldorf), Secretary: Xavier Llimona (Barcelona). Organizing Committee and Advisory Board: C. Ascaso (Madrid), E. Barreno (Valencia), A. R. Burgaz (Madrid), R. Carballal (Santiago de Compostela), M. Casares (Granada), A. Crespo (Madrid), J. M. Egea (Murcia), A. Gómez-Bolea (Barcelona), N. L. Hladun (Barcelona), X. Llimona (Barcelona), C. Máguas (Lisboa), E. Manrique (Madrid), L. G. Sancho (Madrid), C. Sérgio (Lisboa), F. Valladares (Madrid), C. Vicente-Córdoba (Madrid). Local Organizing Commitee: X. Llimona, N. L. Hladun, A. Gómez-Bolea, M. Barbero, P. Navarro-Rosinés and M. Giralt. Any proposal and suggestion is welcome, and should be addressed to X. Llimona at the following e-mail address: llimona@porthos.bio.ub.es. American Bryological and Lichenological Society (ABLS) meeting (southern Illinois, July 30^th- August 1^st, 1999) The American Bryological and Lichenological Society (ABLS) will hold its annual meeting and foray in southern Illinois, just prior to the XVI International Botanical Congress in St. Louis. The International Association for Lichenology (IAL), the International Association of Bryologists (IAB), and Moss 99 Conference are co-sponsors. The meeting and field trips are being organized by Barbara Crandall-Stotler (crandall@plant.siu.edu), Andrew Wood (wood@plant.siu.edu) and Bob Egan (egan@unomaha.edu). Field trips are planned for the Shawnee National Forest, Giant City State Park, and Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Student members are encouraged to attend and participate in oral paper presentations for the annual ABLS A. J. Sharp Award. Limited student travel grants will be available. Time has been set aside for general business meetings as needed. Participants may stay in SUI dormitory housing, or at local motels. Campgrounds are available within 15 miles of Carbondale. Participants will have ample time on Sunday afternoon, August 1^st, to travel to St. Louis for the opening of the XVI International Botanical Congress. Registration fee will be US$ 30.00 and will include meetings, programs, snacks, and Saturday evening dinner. Housing in the SIU dormitories will cost US $17.15/night (double) or US$ 21.70/night (single). Local motels range from US$ 35.00/night to US$ 109.00/night. The Saturday field trip to Shawnee National Forest will cost US$20.00/person. Registration forms will be sent to ABLS members in January and posted on the ABLS web site http://ucjeps.herb.berkeley.edu/bryolab/ABLS.html. Feel free to contact the organizers for additional information. Nordic Lichen Society (NLF) excursion to Finland (August 1999) The next NLF excursion will be arranged for 1-6 August, 1999, in Kuhmo, eastern Finland. Kuikka (=loon), an old logging camp located 60 km east of Kuhmo near the Russian border, has been reserved for the excursion. It has recently been totally renovated by the Finnish Forest and Park Service to accommodate c. 40 people in 4-6 bed rooms. There is also a room for lectures and identification of the collected material. The Kuikka camp is located by a small lake and is surrounded by an almost uninhabited, but mostly managed middle boreal forest landscape. There are, however, several areas of pristine old forest in the vicinity of the camp. The largest areas are the Ulvinsalo Strict Nature Reserve (2,500 ha) to the South and Elimyssalo Nature Reserve (7,300 ha) to the North, both being part of the Finnish-Russian nature reserve network "Friendship", situated on both sides of the national boundary. In addition to the old forests, excursions will be made to dry heath forests with extensive cover of Cladonia spp. and to oligo-mesotrophic cliffs. A one-day visit to Kostomuksha State Nature Reserve just inside the Russian border is also planned. A mini-symposium: "Conservation of the lichen flora in northern Europe" will be held during the excursion. The estimated excursion fee will be 1,000-1,500 FIM (c. 1,400-2,100 SEK) depending on the number of participants. This fee includes accomodation, all meals, and transportation during the excursion. Kuhmo can be most easily reached by bus (1.5-2 hours) from Kajaani. There are several daily flights (1 hour) and train connections (7.5 hours) between Helsinki and Kajaani. The excursion is open to everyone interested in the boreal lichen flora. Preliminary registration should be sent to: Mikko Kuusinen, Department of Ecology and Systematics, P.O.Box 47, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki (e-mail: mikko.kuusinen@helsinki.fi; fax: +358-9-708-4830). Please notify if you are interested in contributing to the mini-symposium with a short (20-30 min.) presentation. All provisionally registered persons will receive a circular for final registration. More information will soon be available through internet on the NLF homepage: http://www.helsinki.fi/kmus/lichen/2nlf.html. Mikko Kuusinen, Helsinki International Conference on Lichen Conservation Biology (Licons - Birmendsorf, Switzerland, August 30^th - September 2^nd, 1999) Conservation biology has attracted increasing attention in science, government and education. However, scientific knowledge of major aspects of conservation biology of lichenised fungi is still very incomplete, which impedes the development of effective conservation strategies. Specific topics related to lichen conservation include their symbiotic way of life, the population biology of rare lichens, and lichen sensitivity to air pollution and environmental changes. Licons is an international conference on methodological aspects of conservation biology of lichenised fungi. Contributions on the conservation of epiphytic organisms in general (bryophytes, algae and non-lichenised fungi) as ecologically related organisms are also welcome. The following topics will be covered: 1) Habitat conservation and sustainable management, 2) Specific problems in the conservation of primeval forest lichens, 3) Conservation strategies: small-population biology and species protection, 4) Lichen Red Lists - how to apply the IUCN categories? 5) Biogeography and conservation priorities, 6) Air pollution and environmental changes. Organising Committee: Ch. Scheidegger, W. Strahm (IUCN), P. Wolseley (Lichen Specialists Group of SSC-IUCN), and K. Ammann. Papers and posters will be published. A lichenological Tour de Suisse will be organised from Friday, September 3^rd until September 7^th. Info: Ch. Scheidegger, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, CH-8903, Birmensdorf, fax: (+41) 1-739-22-15, e-mail: scheidegger@wsl.ch. XIII Congress of European Mycologists (Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, September 21^st - 25^th, 1999) The Scientific Programme will include an opening lecture and thirty invited lectures, divided in the following sessions: Conservation, Systematics/Taxonomy, Environment, Other topics (Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, fungus-host interactions, Medical Mycology, etc.). There will be a permanent poster exhibition. Other exhibitions to be determined, depending on proposals: books, audio-visual, CDs, Internet, etc. In this respect, the Committee welcomes as many proposals as possible. Invited lectures will be selected by the Organising Committee and, if necessary, by the mycologists appointed by the latter, depending on the general interest of the subject proposed. Although the posters will be permanently shown during the Congress, at least one of the authors will be asked to be present to ensure discussion. No other activity proposed by the Organisation will take place simultaneously. The programme of parallel events includes: a welcome by the University of Alcalá, a guided tour of the old part of Alcalá de Henares, visiting the city's most representative monuments, cultural events: dances, chorus, a closing dinner in a typical restaurant in the city's outskirts. On Saturday, September 25^th there will be an excursion, to show the most typical and varied vegetation that can be found in Spain's central region. The excursion will be by bus and under the direction of professors of the Plant Biology Dept. of the University of Alcalá de Henares. Info: http://www.fgua.es/micolog.htm. XIII Symposium of Cryptogamic Botany (Madrid, December 19^th-22^nd, 1999) The Symposium, which will be held at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, is organised jointly by the Depts. of Plant Biology of the Faculties of Biology and Pharmacy. The sessions will take place in the Faculty of Pharmacy. Beside the Universidad Complutense, the Consejería de Educación y Cultura of the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura are acting as sponsors. Purpose -The Symposium will provide a forum for presentation and discussion of the latest advances in the the field of the disciplines traditionally included in Cryptogamic Botany. Although these scientific meetings were originally national in character, it is intended to extend participation to other European scientists, particularly those from the Mediterranean Region. The floor is also open to provide an opportunity for an ordinary meeting of the Scientific Societies related to these botanical and mycological specialities. Program - Papers on all aspects of Cryptogamic Botany are welcome. All papers will be presented in the form of posters. The working sessions will be complemented with invited plenary talks. Preliminary registration form - All those interested in attending are requested to complete a form, which should be sent to the Secretariat of the Symposium by January 31^st 1999 (form available on the web site, see later). The Steering Committee would be grateful if this first announcement is circulated to as many colleagues as possible. Symposium's Awards - In order to improve the participation of young scientists, the Scientific Committee is proposing a special award for the best contribution presented in each section by a young researcher; only contributions whose first author is pre-doctoral or holding a doctorate for less than two years will be considered. Publication of contributions - Contributions will be eventually published in a special volume of the journal Lazaroa, edited by the Universidad Complutense. The Scientific Commitee will act as a panel of Scientific Editors. Languages - Spanish and English will be the official languages of the Symposium. No simultaneous translation will be provided. Second circular - The second circular will be sent only to those who have pre-registered. It will specify scientific and other aspects of the meeting such as registration and fees. Specially reduced fees for students will be offered. Steering Commitee - President: A. Crespo; Secretaries: A. R. Burgaz and L. G. Sancho. Members: F. de Diego Calonge, E. Fuertes Lasala, T. Gallardo, E. Manrique, I. Pérez Ruzafa, M. Carmen Prada, V. J. Rico, C. V. Córdoba. Info: XIII Simposio de Botánica Criptogámica, Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, España, phone: (+34) 91 3941769, fax (+34) 91 3941774. Web site: http://www.ucm.es/info/farmacia/XIIIscriptogamia. Biomonitoring with lichens: good news from Italy The Italian National Environmental Agency (ANPA) has organized a national workshop in Rome (November 16^th-17^th, 1998), aimed at selecting some standard methodologies for the assessment of air quality based on the use of organisms as indicators of pollution, and as accumulators of trace metals. The workshop, attended by more than 200 participants, mainly from regional or provincial Agencies concerned with air pollution monitoring, was a major success. Lichens, in particular, played a very important role. The Italian literature on lichens and air pollution consists of more than 300 articles (see Lichenology-on-line section), and the use of lichens is becoming routine throughout the country. The proposed standard methodologies will remain "exposed" at the Web page of ANPA (http://sinanet.anpa.it) for several months, in order to collect criticism and proposed amendments by the scientific community (critical notes - also written in English - by foreign colleagues who can understand Italian are most welcome). Their final publication is foreseen by the late spring of 1999. - More good news came in November: the Ministry of Research has financed a large national project on "Cryptogams" as Bioindicators of Air Quality, coordinated by P.L. Nimis, and involving 11 research teams in different universities. The total budget of the project is of 1.450.000.000 Italian liras (a little less than one million US$): at least for next year, Italian lichenologists will not die of starvation... P.L. Nimis, Trieste Personalia Michael S. Batcher (Buskirk, USA) is working for NY State Department of Environmental Conservation on a Karner blue butterfly site in NY, mapping and describing plant communities, and providing management recommendations. They are concerned that lupine (Lupinus perennis), the larval food plant of the butterfly, is being hindered at this site by lichens (Cladonia and several others). Michael thinks that lichens may be facilitating lupine by moderating fluctuation in soil temperature and moisture. They also may shelter eggs that fall from the lupine plants following senescence. He asks for thoughts or opinions, or for literature sources on the functional relationships between lichens and herbaceous vascular plants. His address is: 1907 Buskirk - West Hoosick Rd., Buskirk, NY 12028, USA, e-mail: mbatcher@netheaven.com. Emiliana Bernasconi (Bariloche) has started studies on South American Menegazzia species. She would greatly appreciate receiving collections and/or information regarding available types of Menegazzia spp. She is working at: Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, 8400 RN, Argentina, under the direction of S. Calvelo. Her e-mail is: bernasconi@usa.net. Charis C. Bratt (Santa Barbara, CA) will leave the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is welcoming her with open arms. They have gone to great lengths to make the necessary changes to accommodate her. Her herbarium has been donated to the Botanic Garden and will be maintained there. All loans that Charis has from other institutions will go to the Botanic Garden. Any loans from her herbarium should be returned to her at the Botanic Garden. Vicent Calatayud (Valencia) in September 1998 successfully defended his Ph.D thesis Lichens and lichenicolous fungi of siliceous rocks in the eastern Sistema Iberico and the Columbretes Islands, prepared under the guidance of E. Barreno, against a commission composed of V. Atienza, P. Navarro-Rosinés, P. L. Nimis and V. Rico. He will pursue his studies on air pollution and lichens, and on lichens and lichenicolous fungi of the Iberian Peninsula. Guido Benno Feige (Essen) just published a booklet on the etymology of generic names of lichens (see New Literature section). A red list of threatened lichens in Nordrhein-Westfalen, compiled in cooperation with Esther Heibel and Bruno Mies, will be published in spring 1999. Currently, there are two visitors from overseas in Essen: Maria Ines Messuti from Bariloche in Argentina is completing her Ph.D. thesis on the Pertusariales flora of southern South America, and Dr. Dalip Kumar Upreti from Lucknow is in Essen until the end of this year, working on the chemotaxonomy of selected crustose lichens from India. Two Ph.D. students will soon finish their theses, Esther Heibel on mapping of lichens in Nordrhein-Westfalen, and Roland Guderley on a revision of the Lecanora subfusca group in South America. Thorsten Lumbsch and Imke Schmitt have now established molecular work in Essen and, besides other minor projects, are mainly concerned with the phylogeny of the Agyriineae in cooperation with Mats Wedin and Heidi Döring. Katherine A. Glew (Seattle, WA) received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in May, 1998. Her dissertation: Distribution and Diversity of Alpine lichens: Biotic and abiotic factors influencing Alpine lichen communities in the northeast Olympic and North Cascade Mountains also included ordination analyses of lichen associations with vascular plants. Early last summer she travelled to British Columbia, Canada, assisting Dr. D. McCarthy (Brock University, Ontario, Canada) in his research on the use of lichens for dating moraines in the Canadian Rockies. In July and August she worked with Dr. S. Eversman (Montana State Univ.) and Dr. C. Wetmore (Univ. of Minnesota) in Yellowstone National Park developing a more thorough inventory of Yellowstone's lichens. This fall she served as Acting Collections Manager for the University of Washington Herbarium, concentrating on the lichen collections. This winter she will travel to the University of Bergen (Norway) for post-doctoral work with Dr. T. Tønsberg on the taxonomy of crustose lichens. Dr. Glew received a Norwegian-American Marshall Grant to underwrite her work in Norway. She will return to the University of Washington in the spring quarter of 1999 as a lecturer in the Biology Program. Robert H. Hill (Harrisburg, PA) is currently working on a treatment of the lichen genus Phlyctis for the Lichen Flora of Eastern North America Project. He would be pleased to receive any material (worldwide) that lichenologists could share with him. Arrangements could be made for 'one-for-one' trading of the more common lichens of eastern North America in exchange for Phlyctis specimens. If interested in assisting in this project, please e-mail correspondences to: enviroconsult@mindspring.com. Phlyctis material may be sent to: Dr. Robert J. Hill, Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources, PO Box 8552, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8552, USA. Marcelo P. Marcelli (São Paulo) is exchanging his personal copies of the two books edited by him this year (see New Literature section) for any book or major works on lichen ecology or on the taxonomy of tropical and Antarctic taxa on a 1x1 basis. Any person who has duplicates of lichen books in his library, ancient, old or new, is welcome to propose an exchange. E-mail: mmarcelli@sti.com.br. Fax: +55-11-6191-2238. Roger Rosentreter and Ann DeBolt (Boise, Idaho) visited the Galapagos Islands in February 1998, and witnessed a major die-off of the foliose epiphytic lichens due to the warm-wet El Niño weather. Many of the macrolichens had obvious fungal decay overgrowing them. Ulrik Søchting (Copenhagen) visited Bhutan for five weeks in the spring 1998 to train local biologists in lichenology and to initiate Bhutanese studies in lichen biodiversity. Duplicates of specimens collected in the Kingdom have been deposited in Bhutan for inclusion in the forthcoming herbarium, and the material is now being identified in cooperation with various specialists. He will spend some time on Kerguelen in December 1998 together with his student Roar Poulsen, who will collect lichens there for three months as part of a project under the Institut Français pour la Recherche et la Technologie Polaires. Martin Westberg (Lund) started his Ph.D. studies in Lund in November 1996, with I. Kärnefelt as supervisor. He is working on a taxonomic revision of the North American species of Candelariaceae, particularily Candelariella. During 1998 he has made field-trips to western North America (Baja California, Mexico and western USA: mainly California, Arizona and Colorado). New Literature M. P. MARCELLI & T. AHTI (eds.), 1998 - Recollecting Edvard August Vainio. São Paulo. CETESB. 188p. Format 15 x 21 cm. Instituto de Botânica de São Paulo. Caixa Postal 4005. São Paulo/SP., Brazil. CEP 01061-970. US$ 30.00 plus US$ 14 (postage). - This volume is based on the field meeting and conference entitled "Re-collecting Vainio", organized by IAL at Hotel Caraça, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, on 16-22 September 1997. - Contents: Edvard August Vainio (1853-1929) (R. Alava), E. A. Vainio - life and lichenological significance (O. Vitikainen), Vainio collections - TUR-V (S. Stenroos), The Caraça History and Importance (M. P. Marcelli), E. A. Vainio and his journey to Brazil, with notes on the Cladoniaceae (T. Ahti), E. A. Vainio's contribution to the knowledge of the Parmeliaceae (T. Feuerer), Edvard Vainio and the family Lobariaceae, with special reference to the taxonomic history of Sticta (D. J. Galloway), Vainio and Lobaria, old and modern concepts (I. Yoshimura), Vainio's ideas on the classification of calicioid lichens (L. Tibell), Aspects on Vainio's Brazilian "Étude" with keys to its species (M. P. Marcelli). M. P. MARCELLI & M. R. D. SEAWARD (eds.), 1998 - Lichenology in Latin America: history, current knowledge and applications. São Paulo. CETESB. 177p. Format 21 x 30.5 cm. Instituto de Botânica de São Paulo. Caixa Postal 4005. São Paulo/SP., Brazil. CEP 01061-970. US$ 40.00 plus US$ 14 (postage) - Contents: Lichenology in Argentina: past, present and future (S. Calvelo), History and current knowledge of Brazilian lichenology (M. P. Marcelli), A bibliography on Brazilian lichenology (M. P. Marcelli, E. C. Pereira & M. Iacomini), Lichens from northeast Brazil: studies and applications (E. C. Pereira), Lichenological investigations in Bolivia (T. Feuerer, T. Ahti & O. Vitikainen), The lichens of Chile: present knowledge and future prospects (D J. Galloway), Richard Spruce's contribution to South American cryptogamic botany (M. R. D. Seaward), The lichen family Cladoniaceae in the Neotropics (T. Ahti), Keys to genera and species of Parmeliaceae s. lat. from Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and south Atlantic islands (Argentina) (S. Calvelo), Lobaria in Latin America: taxonomic, geographic and evolutionary aspects (I. Yoshimura), Taxonomical notes on neotropical species of Peltigera (O. Vitikainen), Collecting and identifying tropical pyrenocarpous lichens and ascomycetes (A. Aptroot), Culture methods and culture of selected tropical mycobionts and photobionts as exemplified by South American lichens (E. Stocker-Wörgotter), Studies on lichens and atmospheric pollution in Argentina (M. L. Pignata), Lichen species identification and distribution according to tolerance to airborne contamination in the city of Córdoba (Argentina) (C. Estrabou), Lichen secondary products and their importance in environmental studies (W. Quilhot et al.). A. APTROOT, C. M. VAN HERK, H. F. DOBBEN, P. P. G. VAN DEN BOOM, A. M. BRAND & L. SPIER, 1998. - Bedreigde en kwetsbare korstmossen in Nederland - Buxmaumiella, 46, 101 pp. Price: f. 3 plus postage. Order from: F. van Gelder, Vossenkamp 24, 3972 VJ Driebergen, e-mail: fm.gelder@wxs.nl - This booklet contains a proposal for the Dutch Red List of threatened lichens, prepared on the basis of IUCN criteria. Species are assigned to six categories on the basis of a combination of rareness and decline: not threatened, susceptible, vulnerable, endangered, critical, extinct. Species in the last five of these categories are in the Red List. Out of a total flora of 695 species, 326 (47%) are on the Red List, 83 of them are considered as extinct. Threats and conservation measures are treated for 22 habitats which are important for lichens, and 48 representative species are treated in detail. The booklet is in Dutch, with a very short English abstract. T. TØNSBERG, Y. GAUSLAA, R. HAUGAN, H. HOLIEN & E. TIMDAL, 1995 - The threatened macrolichens of Norway. - Sommerfeltia, 23, 258 pp. ISBN 82-7420-029-2, ISSN 0800-6865. Price: N Kroner 200. Order from: Botanical Garden and Museum, Univ. of Oslo, Trondheimsveien 23B, N-0562, Oslo 5. - A revised red-list for Norwegian macrolichens, including 69 species out of a total of 430 macrolichens known from Norway. Each species is described and discussed with respect to its ecological preferences, threats and status in Norway. Detailed distribution maps are provided for species which are known from more than 5 localities. Recommendations are given for conservation purposes. Quantity and quality of the information are high, which also makes this book interesting for an international audience. On the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the birth of the eminent lichenologist Alfred M. Oxner (1898-1973), the UK Darwin Initiative and the European Commission sponsored an International Workshop on Lobarion-lichens, which was held in Kostrino (Ukraine) in May 1998, gathering together 51 participants from 15 countries. On that occasion, three booklets were published. I could not find information about their prices and exact ordering address, but you can certainly get this by contacting Dr. S. Ya. Kondratyuk, Institute of Botany, Tereshchenkivska str. 2, 252601 Kiev, MSP-1, fax (+380) 44-224-10-64, e-mail: skondr@botan.kiev.ua. 1) S.Ya. KONDRATYUK, 1998 - Prof. Dr. A.M. Oxner - ISBN 966-7459-06-1, Kiev, Phytosociocentre, 64 pp - A very interesting biography of Oxner, including an assessment of his contributions to lichenology, and a catalogue of the 384 new lichen names proposed by him (new taxa and new combinations), with appropriate reference to publication and page. 2) S. Ya.KONDRATYUK, A. Ye. KHODOSOVTSEV & S.D. ZELENKO, 1998 - The second checklist of lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi of Ukraine. - ISBN 966-7459-07-X, Kiev, Phytosociocentre, 180 pp. - The first checklist, published only two years ago, has been updated with 100 new taxa, plus further data on geographic distribution. This checklist, based on more than 370 papers, includes 1,331 species, 16 subspecies, and 17 varieties. Lichenicolous fungi are represented with 65 species. 3) S. Ya. KONDRATYUK & B.J. COPPINS (eds.), 1998 - Lobarion lichens as indicators of the primeval forests of the eastern Carpathians. - ISBN 966-7459-09-6, Kiev, Phytosociocentre, 192 pp. - This book contains 36 papers, subdivided into five chapters: 1) Invited lectures, 2) Lobarion-species as indicators of primeval forests in Eurasia, 3) Diversity, ecological characters and preservation of cryptogamic plants in the Carpathians, 4) Lichens as indicators of environmental exchanges (sic!) and their preservation, 5) Taxonomical diversity, ecological and geographical peculiarities of cryptogamic plants in various regions of Eurasia. The quality of the contributions is very variable, but the book is certainly of interest, especially for those working in lichen conservation. M. G. GLENN, R. C. HARRIS, R. DIRIG & M. S. COLE (eds.), 1998 - Lichenographia Thomsoniana. North American Lichenology. In Honor of John W. Thomson. Mycotaxon LTD, Ithaca, NY ISBN 0-930845-08-0. Price: US$35. Order: Mariette Cole, 3010 West 112^th Street, Bloomington, MN 55431, USA. - The book, introduced by a tribute by W. L. Culberson to the eminent American lichenologist John W. Thomson, starts with a set of 15 taxonomic studies, followed by 10 floristic accounts, covering localities throughout the continent, and, finally, by four papers on lichen ecology. Altogether, there are 50 contributors, mostly from North America. An interesting cross section of North American lichenology at the end of the century! G. B. FEIGE, 1988 - Etymologie der wissenschaflichen Gattungsnamen der Flechten. Bot. Inst. & Bot. Garten Univ. Essen, 91 pp; order: to the Author, price: 15 DM. - A most welcome booklet, which explains the origins of many generic names which we use every day, often without knowing what they really mean. I am sure that this apparently simple, dictionary-like list, caused the author much work and trouble. This, however, was certainly time well-spent: now the booklet will become a small mine of surprises for several colleagues who have no or little acquaintance with Greek and Latin and/or with the history of our discipline (provided, however, that they know German...); just one example: whoever were Mr. Esuperanzio Buelli (Buellia), and Mr. Carlo Tonini (Toninia)? The booklet does not answer these questions, but it stimulates people (including me) to look for answers. Or, how many of us knew that the name Roccella comes from a wealthy Florentine family of the XV century called Ruccellari, that Hypogymnia, in Greek, means more or less "naked below", and that the name Hymenelia has nothing to do with the hymenium, as it means "thin film"? This is a small shrine of information, and a stimulus to our cultural growth. The Editor

International Lichenological Newsletter Vol. 31, nr. 2, December 1998

Table of Contents

IAL4 - Barcelona 2000

ABLS meeting 1999

NLF meeting 1999

Conservation Biology conference 1999

European Mycologists congress 1999

Cryptogamic symposium Madrid 1999

News

IAL4 - Barcelona 2000: Progress and Problems in Lichenology at the Turn of the Millennium - September 3^rd-8^th, 2000

The next IAL Congress will start in Barcelona in the evening of September, 3^rd, 2000 with the registration of the participants; the scientific sessions will take place from September 4^th until September 7^th. The Scientific Programme is in preparation: according to a preliminary proposal it will include the following sections: A) Phylogeny and Systematics of the Mycobiont, B) Photobionts, C) Morphology and Structure, D) Ecology and Ecophysiology, E) Lichen Diversity and Biogeography, F) Lichen-dominated communities, G) Populations and thallus individuality, H) Lichenicolous Fungi. Proposed special symposia: 1) Lichen bioindication of stability and stress in ecosystems, 2) Storage and retrieval of lichen data: publications, herbaria, checklists, floras, identification keys, 3) Strategies for a sustainable use of biodiversity in relationship with lichens. Two or three pre- and post-Congress excursions will be organized in different parts of Spain (e.g. Ebro Valley and Pyrenées, Almeria and Granada, Iberian System and southern Catalonia). IAL4 will be organized by the Departament de Biologia Vegetal (Botànica), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 645, ES-08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. President: Martin Jahns (Düsseldorf), Secretary: Xavier Llimona (Barcelona). Organizing Committee and Advisory Board: C. Ascaso (Madrid), E. Barreno (Valencia), A. R. Burgaz (Madrid), R. Carballal (Santiago de Compostela), M. Casares (Granada), A. Crespo (Madrid), J. M. Egea (Murcia), A. Gómez-Bolea (Barcelona), N. L. Hladun (Barcelona), X. Llimona (Barcelona), C. Máguas (Lisboa), E. Manrique (Madrid), L. G. Sancho (Madrid), C. Sérgio (Lisboa), F. Valladares (Madrid), C. Vicente-Córdoba (Madrid). Local Organizing Commitee: X. Llimona, N. L. Hladun, A. Gómez-Bolea, M. Barbero, P. Navarro-Rosinés and M. Giralt. Any proposal and suggestion is welcome, and should be addressed to X. Llimona at the following e-mail address: llimona@porthos.bio.ub.es.

American Bryological and Lichenological Society (ABLS) meeting (southern Illinois, July 30^th- August 1^st, 1999)

The American Bryological and Lichenological Society (ABLS) will hold its annual meeting and foray in southern Illinois, just prior to the XVI International Botanical Congress in St. Louis. The International Association for Lichenology (IAL), the International Association of Bryologists (IAB), and Moss 99 Conference are co-sponsors. The meeting and field trips are being organized by Barbara Crandall-Stotler (crandall@plant.siu.edu), Andrew Wood (wood@plant.siu.edu) and Bob Egan (egan@unomaha.edu). Field trips are planned for the Shawnee National Forest, Giant City State Park, and Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Student members are encouraged to attend and participate in oral paper presentations for the annual ABLS A. J. Sharp Award. Limited student travel grants will be available. Time has been set aside for general business meetings as needed. Participants may stay in SUI dormitory housing, or at local motels. Campgrounds are available within 15 miles of Carbondale. Participants will have ample time on Sunday afternoon, August 1^st, to travel to St. Louis for the opening of the XVI International Botanical Congress. Registration fee will be US$ 30.00 and will include meetings, programs, snacks, and Saturday evening dinner. Housing in the SIU dormitories will cost US $17.15/night (double) or US$ 21.70/night (single). Local motels range from US$ 35.00/night to US$ 109.00/night. The Saturday field trip to Shawnee National Forest will cost US$20.00/person. Registration forms will be sent to ABLS members in January and posted on the ABLS web site http://ucjeps.herb.berkeley.edu/bryolab/ABLS.html. Feel free to contact the organizers for additional information.

Nordic Lichen Society (NLF) excursion to Finland (August 1999)

The next NLF excursion will be arranged for 1-6 August, 1999, in Kuhmo, eastern Finland. Kuikka (=loon), an old logging camp located 60 km east of Kuhmo near the Russian border, has been reserved for the excursion. It has recently been totally renovated by the Finnish Forest and Park Service to accommodate c. 40 people in 4-6 bed rooms. There is also a room for lectures and identification of the collected material. The Kuikka camp is located by a small lake and is surrounded by an almost uninhabited, but mostly managed middle boreal forest landscape. There are, however, several areas of pristine old forest in the vicinity of the camp. The largest areas are the Ulvinsalo Strict Nature Reserve (2,500 ha) to the South and Elimyssalo Nature Reserve (7,300 ha) to the North, both being part of the Finnish-Russian nature reserve network "Friendship", situated on both sides of the national boundary. In addition to the old forests, excursions will be made to dry heath forests with extensive cover of Cladonia spp. and to oligo-mesotrophic cliffs. A one-day visit to Kostomuksha State Nature Reserve just inside the Russian border is also planned. A mini-symposium: "Conservation of the lichen flora in northern Europe" will be held during the excursion. The estimated excursion fee will be 1,000-1,500 FIM (c. 1,400-2,100 SEK) depending on the number of participants. This fee includes accomodation, all meals, and transportation during the excursion. Kuhmo can be most easily reached by bus (1.5-2 hours) from Kajaani. There are several daily flights (1 hour) and train connections (7.5 hours) between Helsinki and Kajaani. The excursion is open to everyone interested in the boreal lichen flora. Preliminary registration should be sent to: Mikko Kuusinen, Department of Ecology and Systematics, P.O.Box 47, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki (e-mail: mikko.kuusinen@helsinki.fi; fax: +358-9-708-4830). Please notify if you are interested in contributing to the mini-symposium with a short (20-30 min.) presentation. All provisionally registered persons will receive a circular for final registration. More information will soon be available through internet on the NLF homepage: http://www.helsinki.fi/kmus/lichen/2nlf.html.

Mikko Kuusinen, Helsinki

International Conference on Lichen Conservation Biology (Licons - Birmendsorf, Switzerland, August 30^th - September 2^nd, 1999)

Conservation biology has attracted increasing attention in science, government and education. However, scientific knowledge of major aspects of conservation biology of lichenised fungi is still very incomplete, which impedes the development of effective conservation strategies. Specific topics related to lichen conservation include their symbiotic way of life, the population biology of rare lichens, and lichen sensitivity to air pollution and environmental changes. Licons is an international conference on methodological aspects of conservation biology of lichenised fungi. Contributions on the conservation of epiphytic organisms in general (bryophytes, algae and non-lichenised fungi) as ecologically related organisms are also welcome. The following topics will be covered: 1) Habitat conservation and sustainable management, 2) Specific problems in the conservation of primeval forest lichens, 3) Conservation strategies: small-population biology and species protection, 4) Lichen Red Lists - how to apply the IUCN categories? 5) Biogeography and conservation priorities, 6) Air pollution and environmental changes. Organising Committee: Ch. Scheidegger, W. Strahm (IUCN), P. Wolseley (Lichen Specialists Group of SSC-IUCN), and K. Ammann. Papers and posters will be published. A lichenological Tour de Suisse will be organised from Friday, September 3^rd until September 7^th. Info: Ch. Scheidegger, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, CH-8903, Birmensdorf, fax: (+41) 1-739-22-15, e-mail: scheidegger@wsl.ch.

XIII Congress of European Mycologists (Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, September 21^st - 25^th, 1999)

The Scientific Programme will include an opening lecture and thirty invited lectures, divided in the following sessions: Conservation, Systematics/Taxonomy, Environment, Other topics (Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, fungus-host interactions, Medical Mycology, etc.). There will be a permanent poster exhibition. Other exhibitions to be determined, depending on proposals: books, audio-visual, CDs, Internet, etc. In this respect, the Committee welcomes as many proposals as possible. Invited lectures will be selected by the Organising Committee and, if necessary, by the mycologists appointed by the latter, depending on the general interest of the subject proposed. Although the posters will be permanently shown during the Congress, at least one of the authors will be asked to be present to ensure discussion. No other activity proposed by the Organisation will take place simultaneously. The programme of parallel events includes: a welcome by the University of Alcalá, a guided tour of the old part of Alcalá de Henares, visiting the city's most representative monuments, cultural events: dances, chorus, a closing dinner in a typical restaurant in the city's outskirts. On Saturday, September 25^th there will be an excursion, to show the most typical and varied vegetation that can be found in Spain's central region. The excursion will be by bus and under the direction of professors of the Plant Biology Dept. of the University of Alcalá de Henares. Info: http://www.fgua.es/micolog.htm.

XIII Symposium of Cryptogamic Botany (Madrid, December 19^th-22^nd, 1999)

The Symposium, which will be held at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, is organised jointly by the Depts. of Plant Biology of the Faculties of Biology and Pharmacy. The sessions will take place in the Faculty of Pharmacy. Beside the Universidad Complutense, the Consejería de Educación y Cultura of the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura are acting as sponsors. Purpose -The Symposium will provide a forum for presentation and discussion of the latest advances in the the field of the disciplines traditionally included in Cryptogamic Botany. Although these scientific meetings were originally national in character, it is intended to extend participation to other European scientists, particularly those from the Mediterranean Region. The floor is also open to provide an opportunity for an ordinary meeting of the Scientific Societies related to these botanical and mycological specialities. Program - Papers on all aspects of Cryptogamic Botany are welcome. All papers will be presented in the form of posters. The working sessions will be complemented with invited plenary talks. Preliminary registration form - All those interested in attending are requested to complete a form, which should be sent to the Secretariat of the Symposium by January 31^st 1999 (form available on the web site, see later). The Steering Committee would be grateful if this first announcement is circulated to as many colleagues as possible. Symposium's Awards - In order to improve the participation of young scientists, the Scientific Committee is proposing a special award for the best contribution presented in each section by a young researcher; only contributions whose first author is pre-doctoral or holding a doctorate for less than two years will be considered. Publication of contributions - Contributions will be eventually published in a special volume of the journal Lazaroa, edited by the Universidad Complutense. The Scientific Commitee will act as a panel of Scientific Editors. Languages - Spanish and English will be the official languages of the Symposium. No simultaneous translation will be provided. Second circular - The second circular will be sent only to those who have pre-registered. It will specify scientific and other aspects of the meeting such as registration and fees. Specially reduced fees for students will be offered. Steering Commitee - President: A. Crespo; Secretaries: A. R. Burgaz and L. G. Sancho. Members: F. de Diego Calonge, E. Fuertes Lasala, T. Gallardo, E. Manrique, I. Pérez Ruzafa, M. Carmen Prada, V. J. Rico, C. V. Córdoba. Info: XIII Simposio de Botánica Criptogámica, Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, España, phone: (+34) 91 3941769, fax (+34) 91 3941774. Web site: http://www.ucm.es/info/farmacia/XIIIscriptogamia.

Biomonitoring with lichens: good news from Italy

The Italian National Environmental Agency (ANPA) has organized a national workshop in Rome (November 16^th-17^th, 1998), aimed at selecting some standard methodologies for the assessment of air quality based on the use of organisms as indicators of pollution, and as accumulators of trace metals. The workshop, attended by more than 200 participants, mainly from regional or provincial Agencies concerned with air pollution monitoring, was a major success. Lichens, in particular, played a very important role. The Italian literature on lichens and air pollution consists of more than 300 articles (see Lichenology-on-line section), and the use of lichens is becoming routine throughout the country. The proposed standard methodologies will remain "exposed" at the Web page of ANPA (http://sinanet.anpa.it) for several months, in order to collect criticism and proposed amendments by the scientific community (critical notes - also written in English - by foreign colleagues who can understand Italian are most welcome). Their final publication is foreseen by the late spring of 1999. - More good news came in November: the Ministry of Research has financed a large national project on "Cryptogams" as Bioindicators of Air Quality, coordinated by P.L. Nimis, and involving 11 research teams in different universities. The total budget of the project is of 1.450.000.000 Italian liras (a little less than one million US$): at least for next year, Italian lichenologists will not die of starvation...

P.L. Nimis, Trieste

Personalia

Michael S. Batcher (Buskirk, USA) is working for NY State Department of Environmental Conservation on a Karner blue butterfly site in NY, mapping and describing plant communities, and providing management recommendations. They are concerned that lupine (Lupinus perennis), the larval food plant of the butterfly, is being hindered at this site by lichens (Cladonia and several others). Michael thinks that lichens may be facilitating lupine by moderating fluctuation in soil temperature and moisture. They also may shelter eggs that fall from the lupine plants following senescence. He asks for thoughts or opinions, or for literature sources on the functional relationships between lichens and herbaceous vascular plants. His address is: 1907 Buskirk - West Hoosick Rd., Buskirk, NY 12028, USA, e-mail: mbatcher@netheaven.com.

Emiliana Bernasconi (Bariloche) has started studies on South American Menegazzia species. She would greatly appreciate receiving collections and/or information regarding available types of Menegazzia spp. She is working at: Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, 8400 RN, Argentina, under the direction of S. Calvelo. Her e-mail is: bernasconi@usa.net.

Charis C. Bratt (Santa Barbara, CA) will leave the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is welcoming her with open arms. They have gone to great lengths to make the necessary changes to accommodate her. Her herbarium has been donated to the Botanic Garden and will be maintained there. All loans that Charis has from other institutions will go to the Botanic Garden. Any loans from her herbarium should be returned to her at the Botanic Garden.

Vicent Calatayud (Valencia) in September 1998 successfully defended his Ph.D thesis Lichens and lichenicolous fungi of siliceous rocks in the eastern Sistema Iberico and the Columbretes Islands, prepared under the guidance of E. Barreno, against a commission composed of V. Atienza, P. Navarro-Rosinés, P. L. Nimis and V. Rico. He will pursue his studies on air pollution and lichens, and on lichens and lichenicolous fungi of the Iberian Peninsula.

Guido Benno Feige (Essen) just published a booklet on the etymology of generic names of lichens (see New Literature section). A red list of threatened lichens in Nordrhein-Westfalen, compiled in cooperation with Esther Heibel and Bruno Mies, will be published in spring 1999. Currently, there are two visitors from overseas in Essen: Maria Ines Messuti from Bariloche in Argentina is completing her Ph.D. thesis on the Pertusariales flora of southern South America, and Dr. Dalip Kumar Upreti from Lucknow is in Essen until the end of this year, working on the chemotaxonomy of selected crustose lichens from India. Two Ph.D. students will soon finish their theses, Esther Heibel on mapping of lichens in Nordrhein-Westfalen, and Roland Guderley on a revision of the Lecanora subfusca group in South America. Thorsten Lumbsch and Imke Schmitt have now established molecular work in Essen and, besides other minor projects, are mainly concerned with the phylogeny of the Agyriineae in cooperation with Mats Wedin and Heidi Döring.

Katherine A. Glew (Seattle, WA) received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in May, 1998. Her dissertation: Distribution and Diversity of Alpine lichens: Biotic and abiotic factors influencing Alpine lichen communities in the northeast Olympic and North Cascade Mountains also included ordination analyses of lichen associations with vascular plants. Early last summer she travelled to British Columbia, Canada, assisting Dr. D. McCarthy (Brock University, Ontario, Canada) in his research on the use of lichens for dating moraines in the Canadian Rockies. In July and August she worked with Dr. S. Eversman (Montana State Univ.) and Dr. C. Wetmore (Univ. of Minnesota) in Yellowstone National Park developing a more thorough inventory of Yellowstone's lichens. This fall she served as Acting Collections Manager for the University of Washington Herbarium, concentrating on the lichen collections. This winter she will travel to the University of Bergen (Norway) for post-doctoral work with Dr. T. Tønsberg on the taxonomy of crustose lichens. Dr. Glew received a Norwegian-American Marshall Grant to underwrite her work in Norway. She will return to the University of Washington in the spring quarter of 1999 as a lecturer in the Biology Program.

Robert H. Hill (Harrisburg, PA) is currently working on a treatment of the lichen genus Phlyctis for the Lichen Flora of Eastern North America Project. He would be pleased to receive any material (worldwide) that lichenologists could share with him. Arrangements could be made for 'one-for-one' trading of the more common lichens of eastern North America in exchange for Phlyctis specimens. If interested in assisting in this project, please e-mail correspondences to: enviroconsult@mindspring.com. Phlyctis material may be sent to: Dr. Robert J. Hill, Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources, PO Box 8552, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8552, USA.

Marcelo P. Marcelli (São Paulo) is exchanging his personal copies of the two books edited by him this year (see New Literature section) for any book or major works on lichen ecology or on the taxonomy of tropical and Antarctic taxa on a 1x1 basis. Any person who has duplicates of lichen books in his library, ancient, old or new, is welcome to propose an exchange. E-mail: mmarcelli@sti.com.br. Fax: +55-11-6191-2238.

Roger Rosentreter and Ann DeBolt (Boise, Idaho) visited the Galapagos Islands in February 1998, and witnessed a major die-off of the foliose epiphytic lichens due to the warm-wet El Niño weather. Many of the macrolichens had obvious fungal decay overgrowing them.

Ulrik Søchting (Copenhagen) visited Bhutan for five weeks in the spring 1998 to train local biologists in lichenology and to initiate Bhutanese studies in lichen biodiversity. Duplicates of specimens collected in the Kingdom have been deposited in Bhutan for inclusion in the forthcoming herbarium, and the material is now being identified in cooperation with various specialists. He will spend some time on Kerguelen in December 1998 together with his student Roar Poulsen, who will collect lichens there for three months as part of a project under the Institut Français pour la Recherche et la Technologie Polaires.

Martin Westberg (Lund) started his Ph.D. studies in Lund in November 1996, with I. Kärnefelt as supervisor. He is working on a taxonomic revision of the North American species of Candelariaceae, particularily Candelariella. During 1998 he has made field-trips to western North America (Baja California, Mexico and western USA: mainly California, Arizona and Colorado).

New Literature

M. P. MARCELLI & T. AHTI (eds.), 1998 - Recollecting Edvard August Vainio. São Paulo. CETESB. 188p. Format 15 x 21 cm. Instituto de Botânica de São Paulo. Caixa Postal 4005. São Paulo/SP., Brazil. CEP 01061-970. US$ 30.00 plus US$ 14 (postage). - This volume is based on the field meeting and conference entitled "Re-collecting Vainio", organized by IAL at Hotel Caraça, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, on 16-22 September 1997. - Contents: Edvard August Vainio (1853-1929) (R. Alava), E. A. Vainio - life and lichenological significance (O. Vitikainen), Vainio collections - TUR-V (S. Stenroos), The Caraça History and Importance (M. P. Marcelli), E. A. Vainio and his journey to Brazil, with notes on the Cladoniaceae (T. Ahti), E. A. Vainio's contribution to the knowledge of the Parmeliaceae (T. Feuerer), Edvard Vainio and the family Lobariaceae, with special reference to the taxonomic history of Sticta (D. J. Galloway), Vainio and Lobaria, old and modern concepts (I. Yoshimura), Vainio's ideas on the classification of calicioid lichens (L. Tibell), Aspects on Vainio's Brazilian "Étude" with keys to its species (M. P. Marcelli).

M. P. MARCELLI & M. R. D. SEAWARD (eds.), 1998 - Lichenology in Latin America: history, current knowledge and applications. São Paulo. CETESB. 177p. Format 21 x 30.5 cm. Instituto de Botânica de São Paulo. Caixa Postal 4005. São Paulo/SP., Brazil. CEP 01061-970. US$ 40.00 plus US$ 14 (postage) - Contents: Lichenology in Argentina: past, present and future (S. Calvelo), History and current knowledge of Brazilian lichenology (M. P. Marcelli), A bibliography on Brazilian lichenology (M. P. Marcelli, E. C. Pereira & M. Iacomini), Lichens from northeast Brazil: studies and applications (E. C. Pereira), Lichenological investigations in Bolivia (T. Feuerer, T. Ahti & O. Vitikainen), The lichens of Chile: present knowledge and future prospects (D J. Galloway), Richard Spruce's contribution to South American cryptogamic botany (M. R. D. Seaward), The lichen family Cladoniaceae in the Neotropics (T. Ahti), Keys to genera and species of Parmeliaceae s. lat. from Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and south Atlantic islands (Argentina) (S. Calvelo), Lobaria in Latin America: taxonomic, geographic and evolutionary aspects (I. Yoshimura), Taxonomical notes on neotropical species of Peltigera (O. Vitikainen), Collecting and identifying tropical pyrenocarpous lichens and ascomycetes (A. Aptroot), Culture methods and culture of selected tropical mycobionts and photobionts as exemplified by South American lichens (E. Stocker-Wörgotter), Studies on lichens and atmospheric pollution in Argentina (M. L. Pignata), Lichen species identification and distribution according to tolerance to airborne contamination in the city of Córdoba (Argentina) (C. Estrabou), Lichen secondary products and their importance in environmental studies (W. Quilhot et al.).

A. APTROOT, C. M. VAN HERK, H. F. DOBBEN, P. P. G. VAN DEN BOOM, A. M. BRAND & L. SPIER, 1998. - Bedreigde en kwetsbare korstmossen in Nederland - Buxmaumiella, 46, 101 pp. Price: f. 3 plus postage. Order from: F. van Gelder, Vossenkamp 24, 3972 VJ Driebergen, e-mail: fm.gelder@wxs.nl - This booklet contains a proposal for the Dutch Red List of threatened lichens, prepared on the basis of IUCN criteria. Species are assigned to six categories on the basis of a combination of rareness and decline: not threatened, susceptible, vulnerable, endangered, critical, extinct. Species in the last five of these categories are in the Red List. Out of a total flora of 695 species, 326 (47%) are on the Red List, 83 of them are considered as extinct. Threats and conservation measures are treated for 22 habitats which are important for lichens, and 48 representative species are treated in detail. The booklet is in Dutch, with a very short English abstract.

T. TØNSBERG, Y. GAUSLAA, R. HAUGAN, H. HOLIEN & E. TIMDAL, 1995 - The threatened macrolichens of Norway. - Sommerfeltia, 23, 258 pp. ISBN 82-7420-029-2, ISSN 0800-6865. Price: N Kroner 200. Order from: Botanical Garden and Museum, Univ. of Oslo, Trondheimsveien 23B, N-0562, Oslo 5. - A revised red-list for Norwegian macrolichens, including 69 species out of a total of 430 macrolichens known from Norway. Each species is described and discussed with respect to its ecological preferences, threats and status in Norway. Detailed distribution maps are provided for species which are known from more than 5 localities. Recommendations are given for conservation purposes. Quantity and quality of the information are high, which also makes this book interesting for an international audience.

On the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the birth of the eminent lichenologist Alfred M. Oxner (1898-1973), the UK Darwin Initiative and the European Commission sponsored an International Workshop on Lobarion-lichens, which was held in Kostrino (Ukraine) in May 1998, gathering together 51 participants from 15 countries. On that occasion, three booklets were published. I could not find information about their prices and exact ordering address, but you can certainly get this by contacting Dr. S. Ya. Kondratyuk, Institute of Botany, Tereshchenkivska str. 2, 252601 Kiev, MSP-1, fax (+380) 44-224-10-64, e-mail: skondr@botan.kiev.ua.

1) S.Ya. KONDRATYUK, 1998 - Prof. Dr. A.M. Oxner - ISBN 966-7459-06-1, Kiev, Phytosociocentre, 64 pp - A very interesting biography of Oxner, including an assessment of his contributions to lichenology, and a catalogue of the 384 new lichen names proposed by him (new taxa and new combinations), with appropriate reference to publication and page.

2) S. Ya.KONDRATYUK, A. Ye. KHODOSOVTSEV & S.D. ZELENKO, 1998 - The second checklist of lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi of Ukraine. - ISBN 966-7459-07-X, Kiev, Phytosociocentre, 180 pp. - The first checklist, published only two years ago, has been updated with 100 new taxa, plus further data on geographic distribution. This checklist, based on more than 370 papers, includes 1,331 species, 16 subspecies, and 17 varieties. Lichenicolous fungi are represented with 65 species.

3) S. Ya. KONDRATYUK & B.J. COPPINS (eds.), 1998 - Lobarion lichens as indicators of the primeval forests of the eastern Carpathians. - ISBN 966-7459-09-6, Kiev, Phytosociocentre, 192 pp. - This book contains 36 papers, subdivided into five chapters: 1) Invited lectures, 2) Lobarion-species as indicators of primeval forests in Eurasia, 3) Diversity, ecological characters and preservation of cryptogamic plants in the Carpathians, 4) Lichens as indicators of environmental exchanges (sic!) and their preservation, 5) Taxonomical diversity, ecological and geographical peculiarities of cryptogamic plants in various regions of Eurasia. The quality of the contributions is very variable, but the book is certainly of interest, especially for those working in lichen conservation.

M. G. GLENN, R. C. HARRIS, R. DIRIG & M. S. COLE (eds.), 1998 - Lichenographia Thomsoniana. North American Lichenology. In Honor of John W. Thomson. Mycotaxon LTD, Ithaca, NY ISBN 0-930845-08-0. Price: US$35. Order: Mariette Cole, 3010 West 112^th Street, Bloomington, MN 55431, USA. - The book, introduced by a tribute by W. L. Culberson to the eminent American lichenologist John W. Thomson, starts with a set of 15 taxonomic studies, followed by 10 floristic accounts, covering localities throughout the continent, and, finally, by four papers on lichen ecology. Altogether, there are 50 contributors, mostly from North America. An interesting cross section of North American lichenology at the end of the century!

G. B. FEIGE, 1988 - Etymologie der wissenschaflichen Gattungsnamen der Flechten. Bot. Inst. & Bot. Garten Univ. Essen, 91 pp; order: to the Author, price: 15 DM. - A most welcome booklet, which explains the origins of many generic names which we use every day, often without knowing what they really mean. I am sure that this apparently simple, dictionary-like list, caused the author much work and trouble. This, however, was certainly time well-spent: now the booklet will become a small mine of surprises for several colleagues who have no or little acquaintance with Greek and Latin and/or with the history of our discipline (provided, however, that they know German...); just one example: whoever were Mr. Esuperanzio Buelli (Buellia), and Mr. Carlo Tonini (Toninia)? The booklet does not answer these questions, but it stimulates people (including me) to look for answers. Or, how many of us knew that the name Roccella comes from a wealthy Florentine family of the XV century called Ruccellari, that Hypogymnia, in Greek, means more or less "naked below", and that the name Hymenelia has nothing to do with the hymenium, as it means "thin film"? This is a small shrine of information, and a stimulus to our cultural growth.

The Editor