| Title | The Revision of Lichen Flora Around Maxwell Bay, King George Island, Maritime Antarctic |
|---|---|
| Author | Jae Eun So1,2, Josef P. Halda3, Soon Gyu Hong1,2, Jae‑Seoun Hur4, and Ji Hee Kim1* |
| Address | 1Division of Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea, 2Department of Polar Sciences, University of Science and Technology, Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea, 3Museum of Orlické Hory, Jiráskova 2, Rychnov Nad Kněžnou 516 01, Czech Republic, 4Korean Lichen Research Institute (KoLRI), Sunchon National University, Suncheon 57922, Republic of Korea |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 61(2),159-173, 2023, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-023-00015-x |
| Key Words | Lichen · Lichen taxonomy · Antarctic lichen diversity · Ecological traits |
| Abstract | Since the floristic study of lichens at the Barton and Weaver Peninsulas of King George Island in 2006, there have been intense investigations of the lichen flora of the two peninsulas as well as that of Fildes Peninsula and Ardley Island in Maxwell Bay, King George Island, South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic. In this study, a total of 104 species belonging to 53 genera, are identified from investigations of lichens that were collected in austral summer seasons from 2008 to 2016. Phenotypic and molecular analyses were incorporated for taxonomic identification. In particular, 31 species are found to be endemic to the Antarctic and 22 species are newly recorded to the Maxwell Bay region. Lepra dactylina, Stereocaulon caespitosum, and Wahlenbergiella striatula are newly recorded in the Antarctic, and the previously reported taxon Cladonia furcata is excluded from the formerly recorded list due to misidentification. We also provide ecological and geographical information about lichen associations and habitat preferences. |