Dries Van den Broeck

• Lichenologist at Meise Botanic Garden

Alle Taxa Biodiversiteit Inventarisatie en 30 jaar natuurbeheer

Arthopyrenia analepta (Ach.) A. Massal., a non-lichenized fungus, rediscovered in Flanders after more than 150 years but threatened already. This species has recently been found for the second time in Flanders after more than 150 years. It was discovered on February 22, 2020 on Quercus in a former clay pit at Rumst (Terhagen, province of Antwerp, B...

A new species of Synarthonia , S. leproidica , is described from Luxembourg. Phylogenetic analyses of mtSSU and RPB 2 sequences were used to determine the generic affiliation of this sterile species. Synarthonia leproidica differs from all other species of the genus by the combination of a leproid thallus and the production of psoromic acid. It is...

Background and aims – The Arthoniaceae form a species-rich family of lichenized, lichenicolous and saprophytic fungi in the order Arthoniales. As part of taxonomic revisions of the African Arthoniaceae, a number of species assignable to the genus Synarthonia were collected and sequenced. The present study aims at placing the genus in a phylogeny fo...

Protecting aboveground carbon stocks in tropical forests is essential for mitigating global climate change and is assumed to simultaneously conserve biodiversity. Although the relationship between tree diversity and carbon stocks is generally positive, the relationship remains unclear for consumers or decomposers. We assessed this relationship for...

Enterographa confusa is described as new to science from Cuba. It is characterized by a lichenicolous habit, punctiform ascomata immersed in the host thallus, (6–)8-spored asci and 3-septate ascospores of 17–23 × (2.5–)3 µm with a distinct gelatinous sheath of 1.5(–2) µm. The new species was discovered by chance in the thallus of type material of A...

Protecting aboveground carbon stocks in tropical forests is essential for mitigating global climate change and is assumed to simultaneously conserve biodiversity. Although the relationship between tree diversity and carbon stocks is generally positive, the relationship remains unclear for consumers or decomposers. We assessed this relationship for...

Just as in 2014 and in 2015 the VWBL spent his annual autumn weekend in France, this time near Aizelles (department Aisne, region Picardie). Friday 16 September we visited the quarry La Chaouia and the adjoining forest in Oeuilly, a nature reserve. On trees we found the rare Polycoccum slaptoniense, a lichenicolous fungus on Xanthoria parietina, Mi...

On 1 April 2017 ten members of the VWBL visited the provincial domain Raversyde to make an inventory of the lichens and the lichenicolous fungi. This survey is part of the making of a conservation plan for the domain by Green Spot on behalf of the Province of West Flanders. In this domain many relics from WWII (Atlantic wall) are suitable substrate...

During three excursions in the province of Antwerp (Flanders, Belgium) in 2016, within the framework of the atlas project, in total 152 species of lichens and lichenicolous fungi were recorded. The total number of taxa found in the province of Antwerp since 2003 now stands at 349 lichens and 30 lichenicolous fungi. Since the last report on the atla...

As part of a management plan for the medieval and Roman walls of Tongeren, an inventory of the mosses, lichens and lichenicole fungi was made. At the same time, populations of unique vascular plants growing on walls were mapped. The Roman walls consist of blocks of silex pointed with cement while the medieval walls contain also other type of stones...

Four species of Arthothelium from Africa and Socotra are described as new to science: Arthothelium atrorubrum from Madagascar, characterized by irregularly rounded blackish ascomata with a deeply red hypothecium and submuriform ascospores; Arthothelium aurantiacopruinosum from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, characterized by black, irregularl...

Heterocyphelium is a mazaediate genus containing a single species, H. leucampyx . The species was originally described from Cuba within the genus Trachylia ( Arthoniales , Arthoniaceae ) and later placed in various genera of the collective order Caliciales s. lat. For the past three decades, Heterocyphelium was considered an orphaned genus ( incert...

Micarea lignaria, new for the lichen biota of Flanders. The species was discovered on March 19, 2016 on a border of iron sandstone of the Saint-Lamberts church at Westerlo (prov. of Antwerp). Morphology, habitat, ecology and distribution of the species are described. The species is not very demanding in the choice of substrate but prefers an acid,...

Cryptophaea, a new corticolous lichen genus, is described from the Congo basin as belonging to the cryptothecioid Arthoniaceae. It is characterized by (1) maculiform, tomentose, brownish ascomata lacking a distinct exciple, (2) the absence of a distinct hamathecium of paraphysoids, (3) a byssoid crustose thallus with a trentepohlioid photobiont, (4...

Au cours d’une étude commandée et financée par le Service public de Wallonie, Département de l’Etude du Milieu naturel et agricole (numéro de Visa 15/16957), les lichens épiphytes et les polypores non-résupinés ont été recensés entre le 19 août et le 20 novembre 2015 dans 53 placettes. Ces placettes avaient déjà fait l’objet d’un inventaire du même...

Presence of Cladonia incrassata in Belgium confrmed. On the 24th of August 2014 fertile specimens of Cladonia incrassata Flörke were found on a decayed trunk of Pinus sylvestris in a damp depression in mixed forest at Groot Schietveld, a military training ground valued as a natural area and situated in the northern part of the province of Antwerp....

Absconditella delutula, new for the lichen flora of Flanders. During a lichenological feld excursion at the Military Base in Tielen, in December 2014. Absconditella delutula was found on a dead trunk. Habitat, ecology and distribution of the genus Absconditella and A.delutula are described.

Three new species of Graphidaceae are described as new to science from tropical Africa: Graphis aptrootiana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz and Redingeria desseiniana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and G. vandenboomiana Ertz, Lücking & Van den Broeck from Reunion. A key is presented to all known species of...

We provide an updated skeleton phylogeny of the lichenized family Graphidaceae (excluding subfamily Gomphilloideae), based on three loci (mtSSU, nuLSU, RPB2), to elucidate the position of four new genera, Aggregatorygma, Borinquenotrema, Corticorygma, and Paratopeliopsis, as well as the placement of the enigmatic species Diorygma erythrellum, Fissu...

Recent studies of the global diversity of the lichenized fungal family Graphidaceae suggest that there are a large number of species remaining to be discovered. No less than 640 species have been described since 2002, including 175 new species introduced in a collaborative global effort in a single issue in this journal. These findings suggest that...

We present an updated 3-locus molecular phylogeny of tribe Ocellularieae, the second largest tribe within subfamily Graphidoideae in the Graphidaceae. Adding 165 newly generated sequences from the mitochondrial small subunit rDNA (mtSSU), the nuclear large subunit rDNA (nuLSU), and the second largest subunit of the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II (R...

Anthropogenic climate change represents a major threat to biodiversity as well as to human well-being. Humanity’s response is to (attempt to) develop and implement mitigation strategies that minimise the speed and eventual level of climate change. Prominent among these is the United Nations scheme known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and...

Six new species of foliicolous lichenized fungi are described as new to science from lowland rainforest in the Congo Basin: Bapalmuia serusiauxiana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Pilocarpaceae) characterized by (7–)15(–19)-septate ascospores of (40–)50–65(–72)×1·5–2·5 μm, Microtheliopsis ramazaniana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Microtheliopsida...

Studies of mainly recent collections of lichens and lichenicolous fungi led to the addition of nine taxa to the flora of Belgium, Luxembourg and northern France: Aphanopsis coenosa, Biatora efflorescens, Burgoa splendens, Caloplaca soralifera, Flavoplaca limonia, Phoma physciicola, Tremella wirthii, Usnea glabrescens var. glabrescens and Xanthomend...

Background – As part of taxonomic revisions of tropical African lichens, two species of Piccolia are described as new to science while a third unknown one collected in the Solomon archipelago was kindly send to us by the second author. Material and Methods – Morphology was studied using a stereo and light microscope. Chemistry was studied with spot...

During two lichenological field meetings in Luxembourg, a total of 379 species of lichens and lichenicolous fungi were recorded in 14 localities. Caloplaca conversa var. fallax and Zwackhiomyces peltigerae are new for the checklist of Belgium, Luxembourg and northern France. Seven further species are reported as new to Luxembourg: Acarospora nitrop...

More than twenty species of lichenicolous fungi have been described in Phoma, a large anamorphic genus of primarily plant-associated pathogens with broad geographic distributions. We obtained nuclear and mitochondrial rDNA sequences from 19 fungal cultures isolated from specimens representing four described and two undescribed lichenicolous species...

Specimens and sequences used in two-locus (nuLSU + mtSSU) phylogenetic analysis of lichenicolous Phoma species and relatives in the Pleosporales

Studies of large and mainly recent collections of lichens and lichenicolous fungi led to the addition of 27 taxa to the flora of Belgium, Luxembourg and northern France: Arthonia coronata, A. mediella, Candelaria pacifica, Chaenothecopsis parasitaster, Dacampia cyrtellae, Dactylospora parellaria, Diplotomma epipolium var. parasiticum, Epigloea uros...

A total of 99 lichen species was recorded on the 877 trunks studied. Quercus and Fagus have the highest number of lichen species (table). The average number of species is lower in conifer forests (10.5) than in deciduous forests (27.5) but does not differ between the forests with Picea abies and Pseudotsuga (Fig.4). The fact that Pseudotsuga was in...

Sampling Air concentrations of ammonia were continuously measured for 13 months by passive samplers (Radiello) at 100 points in Flanders (Belgium) between January 2008 and February 2009. A typical measuring location had five measuring points at increasing distance to the northeast of an ammonia source (livestock farm): at three points the ammonia w...

Sampling Air concentrations of ammonia were continuously measured for 13 months by passive samplers (Radiello) at 100 points in Flanders (Belgium) between January 2008 and February 2009. A typical measuring location had five measuring points at increasing distance to the northeast of an ammonia source (livestock farm): at three points the ammonia w...

Atlas van de epifytische korstmossen en de erop voorkomende lichenicole fungi van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest Nationale Plantentuin van België

Résumé. – Un hotspot de lichens à quinze kilomètres du centre de Bruxelles. Des prospections intensives du Jardin Botanique National de Belgique, à Meise, ont permis de recenser 175 lichens et 14 champignons lichénicoles, un véritable hotspot près de Bruxelles capitale. C’est même jusqu’ici le site le plus riche en lichens pour la Flandre. La zone...

Lichens of the spring field meeting 2010 in Bad Bentheim In the vicinity of Bad Bentheim several interesting lichens were found. Opegrapha areniseda, found on the castle walls, is new to Germany. Cladonia subcervicornis, found on natural sandstone outcrops at the Isterberg, was only found once before in Germany, and this record was even doubted. It...

Opegrapha and other lichens with a Trentepohlia photobiont are increasing in Flanders (Belgium). Since 2005 more species with the algae Tren-tepohlia as photobiont have been recorded from different parts of Flanders, and also the number of records has increased. An observer effect definitely plays a role: in the past crustose species were sometimes...

Dries Van den Broeck 4 , Pieter van den Boom 5 & Emmanuël Sérusiaux 6 1 Kaupstraße 43, D-64289 Darmstadt, Germany (Eichler-Cezanne@t-online.de) 2 Musée national d'histoire naturelle, 25 rue Munster, L-2160 Luxembourg, Luxembourg (paul.diederich@education.lu) 3 Jardin Botanique National de Belgique, Domaine de Bouchout, B-1860 Meise, Belgique (damie...

Studies on large and mainly recent collections of lichens and lichenicolous fungi led to the addition of 19 taxa to the flora of Belgium, Luxembourg and northern France: Buelliella poetschii, Caloplaca arcis, C. coralliza, C. dichroa, C. oasis, C. pyracea, Gyalecta derivata, Lemmopsis pelodes, Lepraria ecorticata, Leptogium aragonii, L. pulvinatum,...

Lichen as bio-indicator of ammonia concentrations. [in Dutch]

Van den Broeck D. & Herremans M. 2008. Influences of air pollution and environmental conditions on lichens in the provinces Limburg and Vlaams-Brabant (Belgium). Natuur.focus 7(4): 128-134. [in Dutch] This study reports on the evolution of lichen populations on trees in the provinces Limburg and Vlaams-Brabant between 1960-1962 and 2005-2007. Consi...

Volunteers document effects of climate change on nature in Flanders. [in Dutch]

Volunteers document effects of climate change on nature in Flanders. [in Dutch]

Volunteers document effectsof climate change on nature in Flanders. [in Dutch]

Dit rapport richt zich zowel tot wie de activiteiten van Natuurpunt Studie kent als tot wie ze (nog) niet kent. Voor de eerste groep is het een geheugensteuntje als herinnering en dank aan wat er in 2007 zoal kon gebeuren en welke meerwaarden er met de informatie van vrijwillige medewerkers konden gerealiseerd worden. Voor wie ons nog niet kent, vo...

Volunteers document effects of climate change on nature in Flanders. [in Dutch]

Dit rapport richt zich zowel tot wie de activiteiten van Natuurpunt Studie kent als tot wie ze (nog) niet kent. Voor de eerste groep is het een geheugensteuntje als herinnering en dank aan wat er in 2006 zoal kon gebeuren en welke meerwaarden er met de informatie van vrijwillige medewerkers konden gerealiseerd worden. Voor wie ons nog niet kent, vo...

Determinatiesleutel voor een aantal courante korstmossoorten/-groepen.

[264 species from 8 localities. Acarospora glaucocarpa var. conspersa and Thelopsis rubella are new to the region.

In 2005-2006 werden verspreid over de ganse provincie Limburg 559 punten onderzocht op epifytische (op bomen groeiende) korstmossen. In dit onderzoek werden op ca. 10 bomen per opnamepunt alle aanwezige soorten per boom genoteerd. Er werden voornamelijk eiken, maar soms ook populieren en essen onderzocht. Gelijkaardige onderzoeken in 1960 en 1985-1...

pp. 48 [provides popular Dutch names and scientific names for all lichen species recorded in the Netherlands and Flanders, both alphabetically scientific > Dutch and Dutch > scientific]

During two lichenological field meetings in southern Belgium (prov. Luxembourg), a total of 237 species of lichens and lichenicolous fungi were recorded in twelve localities. Comments are provided on rare species. Micarea vulpinaris and Pyrenidium actinellum are new for the area covered by the recent checklist of Belgium, Luxembourg and northern Fr...