László Lőkös’s scientific contributions

Recent lichenological investigations add new and noteworthy records of lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi to the Aggtelek National Park, especially from the Szalonna-Karst region (Mt Esztramos near Bódvarákó, Mt Szár-hegy near Martonyi). Altogether 64 records of 38 species of lichen-forming fungi and 13 species of lichenicolous fungi are presented and annotated. Agonimia globulifera, Lecanora compallens and Thalloidima physaroides have been reported from the Aggtelek National Park for the first time, and all the lichenicolous fungi (Athelia arachnoidea, Bryostigma parietinarium, Bryostigma phaeophysciae, Didymocyrtis slaptonensis, Illosporiopsis christiansenii, Lichenochora obscuroides, Lichenoconium erodens, Lichenodiplis lecanorae, Pronectria robergei, Pyrenochaeta xanthoriae, Roselliniella cladoniae, Xanthoriicola physciae, Zyzygomyces physciacearum) are also new to the Aggtelek National Park.

A synthesis on the distribution of the protected lichen species Xanthoparmelia pulvinaris in Hungary is provided. In addition to summarising the herbarium and published data, we have significantly increased the number of known occurrences with systematic field mapping and clarified the distribution pattern of the species in Hungary. The species occurs in the sandy areas of the Great Hungarian and the Little Hungarian Plains, in the southern and southeastern margins and sporadically in the inner hilly landscapes of the Transdanubian Mountain Ranges. Xanthoparmelia pulvinaris is a characteristic species of the open steppe habitats, further important evidence of the plant geography and historical vegetation development relationships between the sandy grasslands of the plains and the limestone and dolomite rocky grasslands of the middle mountains. Its stronger stands persisted on the eastern edge of the Vértes Mts and in some sand steppes of good natural condition of the Great Hungarian Plain. Most of its mapped occurrences represent small, vulnerable populations.