ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF PROTECTED REINDEER LICHEN POPULATIONS IN THE BALATON UPLANDS (HUNGARY)

Abstract

Habitat preferences of three protected Cladonia species growing on red sandstone, basalt, Pannonian sandstone and gravel were investigated by detailed sampling. Exposure, bedrock type, soil depth, habitat type, percentage cover of stone, bryophyte, lichen, vascular plant and canopy, percentage cover value of all species (lichens, bryophytes and vascular plants), disturbance and animal impacts were recorded, soil pH and CaCO 3 content were measured. Altogether 154 species (42 lichens, 97 vascular plants, 15 bryophytes) were recorded in the 46 quadrats. Sporadic populations of these species mostly live in top of hills and mountains in “Open acidofrequent oak forests”, but they may occur in other habitat types, such as “Closed acidofrequent oak forests”, “Slope steppes on stony soils”, “Siliceous open rocky grasslands”, “Open sand steppes”, “ Nardus swards and other acidofrequent grasslands on shallow soils” and “Dry Calluna heaths”. The conclusion of our investigation is that Cladonia rangiferina grows in higher canopy closure (mean 38%, max. 95%), than C. arbuscula (mean 26%, max. 70%) and Cladonia mitis (mean 15%, max. 70%) in the Balaton Uplands. Furthermore, canopy cover showed significant differences between occupied and non-occupied relevés in case of all three investigated species. Cladonia rangiferina is a rather good indicator species of natural and seminatural habitats in Hungary because of its narrow distribution area and its low ecological tolerance. Current results may establish introducing effective conservation methods in the future. Our work was supported by the project NKFI K 124341.