Population of threatened lichen Lobaria pulmonaria (L. ) Hoffm. In forest communities of South Karelia at different levels of anthropogenic load

In the present study, the status of populations of threatened species Lobaria pulmonaria found in forest communities of southern Karelia was evaluated at different levels of anthropogenic load: Petrozavodsk city (strong), the Nature reserve “Zaozerskii” (medium), and the Nature reserve “Kivach” (weak). In the habitats of the species in focus, characteristics of the communities, parameters of the trees and microenvironment were registered. For each lichen thalli the following values were assessed: the total area, the area of necrosis and affiliation with the functional-age group. The study was carried out on the basis of the analysis of 343 thalli growing on 101 trees (69 - from Petrozavodsk, 127 - from “Zaozerskii”, 147 - from ”Kivach”). According to the results of the study, with the increase of anthropogenic load the number of forophytes and the density of population reduce, the area of thalli, the area of thalli necrosis as well as the proportion of senile and subsenile individuals in the spectrum of the population increase.