Checklist of the non-lichenised fungi of Fair Isle, Scotland

A taxonomic list of the non-lichenised fungi recorded for Fair Isle is given. The total comprises 260 taxa: 251 verified species and 9 additional intraspecific variants. Several other entities remain provisional until fresh material is available. The list is annotated with summary details of abundance, distribution, habitat, phenology and, for notable species, their wider status within Britain. Four species are new citations for the British Isles. The list demonstrates the island’s regional, national, international and conservation importance, particularly for grassland taxa and montane fungi associated with dwarf willow (Salix herbacea).

Salix herbacea L. (Salicaceae) in the Maramures massif of the Ukrainian Carpathians

Salix herbacea is a relict plant species related to the circumpolar arctic-alpine element of the Holarctic group. The aim of the study was to clarify the data on the distribution of S. herbacea within the Maramures massif of the Ukrainian Carpathians, since this species is reported by different authors for the massif without specific geographical and habitats descriptions. Field studies were conducted in the Maramures massif on the slopes of Pip Ivan Marmarosky (1936 m a.s.l.) and Rapa (1872 m a.s.l.) mountains in 2017–2019. The S. herbacea distribution chorology was analyzed on the basis of the inventory of UU, KW, KWHA, LW, Herbarium of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve and Herbarium of the Biology and Ecology Department of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University collections. We have found S. herbacea confined to cliffs on a rocky tourist path between the peaks of Pip Ivan Marmarosky and Rapa mountains in Rakhiv district of Transcarpathian region (Zakarpattia oblast). Moreover, these rocky formations were colonized by tall grasses such as Calamagrostis villosa, Poa pratensis, and Festuca picturata. Also was found the occurrence of Holarctic and Alpine-Carpathian species Vaccinium uliginosum, Potentilla aurea, Pulsatilla alba, Thamnolia vermicularis, and Cetraria islandica. The occurrence of these species was caused by decreasing livestock grazing intensity during the past years in this area. The exact location and phytocoenological conditions of the site, which is endangered and requires additional conservation measures, were outlined. The necessity of these measures to preserve the habitat of S. herbacea on the Maramures massif was stressed out.

Current palynological pattern of steppe-tundra at the Altai highland depressions

<p>The landscape and climate research in Altai highlands were carried out in 2018 – 2019. The results of our investigation at the Khindiktig-Khol’ Lake Basin (Mongun-Taiga massif, Tuvan Republic) and Bertek depression (plateau Ukok, Altai Republic) are presented. In frame of study 75 samples (56 – subfossil, 13 flower buds, 6 recent) were collected for pollen analysis. Two key questions are to define the possible steppe-tundra palynological pattern based on project BIOME 6000 relying on steppe and tundra data and to compare palynological pattern with the subfossil data from Altai expeditions (2018-2019). The study was financially supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) (Grant 18-05-00860).</p><p>Within international investigation project BIOME 6000 the palynological patterns of tundra and steppe vegetation were composed (Bigelow et al., 2003). Tundra is characterized by several biomes, such as low- and high-shrub tundra (SHRU; <em>Alnus fruticosa</em>, <em>Betula nana</em>, <em>Salix vestita</em>, <em>Eriophorum</em>, <em>Sphagnum</em>), erect dwarf-shrub tundra (DWAR; <em>Betula nana</em>, <em>Salix herbacea</em>, <em>Cassiope</em>, <em>Empetrum</em>, <em>Vaccinium</em>, Poaceae, Cyperaceae), prostrate dwarf-shrub tundra (PROS; <em>Salix herbacea</em>, <em>Dryas</em>, <em>Pedicularis</em>, Asteraceae, Caryophyllaceae, Poaceae, true mosses), cushion-forb tundra (CUSH; <em>Draba</em>, <em>Papaver</em>, Caryophyllaceae, Saxifragaceae, lichens, true mosses) and graminoid and forb tundra (DRYT; <em>Artemisia</em>, <em>Kobresia</em>, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Poaceae, true mosses). Steppe is described by two biomes: temperate grassland (STEP; Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Liliaceae, grasses) and temperate xerophytic shrubland (STEP; <em>Artemisia</em>, <em>Chrysothamnus</em>, <em>Hippophae</em>, <em>Purshia</em>, grasses). In spite of the absence of steppe-tundra palynological pattern, it may include the pollen data both from steppe (<em>Artemisia</em>, <em>Chrisotamnus</em>, <em>Hippophae</em>, <em>Kobresia</em>, <em>Purshia</em>, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae) and tundra (<em>Alnus fruticosa</em>, <em>Betula nana</em>, <em>Salix herbacea</em>, <em>Cassiope</em>, <em>Draba</em>, <em>Dryas</em>, <em>Empetrum</em>, <em>Eriophorum</em>, <em>Papaver</em>, <em>Pedicularis</em>, <em>Vaccinium</em>, Cyperaceae, Saxifragaceae, <em>Sphagnum</em>, lichens) patterns.</p><p>In pollen spectra of western Mongun-Taiga trees mean values vary from 36.4% to 45.4%. The predominance of dwarf birch (<em>Betula nana</em>) dust with the average number 28.7% is identified. As for the Bertek depression, the values change from 36.4% in Muzdy-Bulak to 59.3% in Argamdzhi (2019). Data from subfossil samples in 2018 show the dominance of Betula nana pollen (23.0%), whereas in 2019 it is indicated the significant and constant wind drift of <em>Betula sect. Albae</em> particles (average number – 36.7%) through the massif valleys to the region of sample collection.</p><p>In pollen spectra of herbs in Mongun-Taiga region mean value equals 57.9%, whereas at the Bertek depression the values differ from 62.8% (2018) to 37.3% (2019). Those spectra mostly consist of dust samples, such as <em>Carex</em>, Cyperaceae and Poaceae. Asteraceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae and Fabaceae are also present in both regions.</p><p><em>Artemisia</em> and Chenopodiaceae are the prime indicators of steppe conditions. The vegetation description of the landscapes, where the subfossil samples were collected, proves those conditions. Both vegetation and pollen data are also correlated with the DRYT and STEP biomes from project BIOME 6000. The only difference is that <em>Artemisia</em> prevails at the steppe sites of central and eastern part of Bertek depression, whereas Chenopodiaceae is mostly found within the coexistence of tundra and steppe cenoses in Khindiktig-Khol’ area and western part of Bertek depression.</p>

Reproductive and genetic consequences of extreme isolation in Salix herbacea L. at the rear edge of its distribution

Background and Aims At the rear edge of the distribution of species, extreme isolation and small population size influence the genetic diversity and differentiation of plant populations. This may be particularly true for Arctic-alpine species in mid-latitude mountains, but exactly how peripherality has shaped their genetic and reproductive characteristics is poorly investigated. The present study, focused on Salix herbacea, aims at providing new insights into the causes behind ongoing demographic dynamics and their consequences for peripheral populations of Arctic-alpine species. Methods We performed a whole-population, highly detailed sampling of the only two S. herbacea populations in the northern Apennines, comparing their clonal and genetic diversity, sex ratio and spatial genetic structure with a reference population from the Alps. After inspecting ~1800 grid intersections in the three populations, 563 ramets were genotyped at 11 nuclear microsatellite markers (nSSRs). Past demography and mating patterns of Apennine populations were investigated to elucidate the possible causes of altered reproductive dynamics. Key Results Apennine populations, which experienced a Holocene bottleneck and are highly differentiated (FST = 0.15), had lower clonal and genetic diversity compared with the alpine population (RMLG = 1 and HE = 0.71), with the smaller population exhibiting the lowest diversity (RMLG = 0.03 and HE = 0.24). An unbalanced sex ratio was found in the larger (63 F:37 M) and the smaller (99 F:1 M) Apennine population. Both were characterized by the presence of extremely large clones (up to 2500 m2), which, however, did not play a dominant role in local reproductive dynamics. Conclusions Under conditions of extreme isolation and progressive size reduction, S. herbacea has experienced an alteration of genetic characteristics produced by the prevalence of clonal growth over sexual reproduction. However, our results showed that the larger Apennine population has maintained levels of sexual reproduction enough to counteract a dramatic loss of genetic and clonal diversity.

Microfungal diversity of Juncus trifidus L. and Salix herbacea L. at isolated locations in the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains

During cold periods in the Pleistocene Epoch, many plants known as the “relict species” migrated and inhabited new areas. Together with plants, some microfungi also migrated, remaining present on plants and in plant communities. However, the relationship between fungi and the migrating plants (especially host plants) is not well understood. Therefore, we examined the diversity and distribution of microfungi associated with two migratory relict plants in the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains: <em>Salix herbacea</em> L. and <em>Juncus trifidus</em> L. In total, we found 17 taxa of fungi that were collected from nine different locations. Nine fungal taxa were collected on <em>S. herbacea</em>, and eight taxa on <em>J. trifidus</em>. Localities richest of fungi on <em>S. herbacea</em> were Mały Śnieżny Kocioł (Karkonosze Mts, Sudetes) and on <em>J. trifidus</em>, the Tatra Mts (Carpathian Mts). This work provides new insights into the distribution of fungi inhabiting <em>S. herbacea</em> and <em>J. trifidus</em> in Poland.

Snow-bed communities with dominant Salix herbacea in the Julian Alps

In the alpine belt of the Julian Alps (glacial cirque Na Jezerih under Mt. Veliki Rokav, Jarečica, the Mangart Saddle and Prodi under Mt. Mangart as well as Mt. Plešivec in the rock wall of Loška Stena) we studied the phytosociology and ecology of snow-bed vegetation with dominating flowering plants Salix herbacea, Luzula alpinopilosa, Gnaphalium supinum, Soldanella pusilla and Salix retusa, and numerous moss species. Based on the comparison with similar snow-bed communities in the Central, Eastern and Southern Alps we described a new association Salicetum retuso-herbaceae and classified it into the alliance Salicion herbaceae and class Salicetea herbaceae. We determined several successional stages of snow-bed vegetation on mixed calcareous-silicate bedrock that we treat as variants, in two relevés also the initial association Polytrichetum sexangularis.

Salix herbacea L. as a host of the leaf-mining sawfly Scolioneura tirolensis (Enslin, 1914) (Hymenoptera: Symphyta, Tenthredinidae)

The first definite records of the willow species Salix herbacea L. as a host of the leaf-mining sawfly Scolioneura tirolensis (Enslin, 1914) are presented. This is currently the only leaf-mining sawfly species whose larvae are known to feed on this host.