Abstract
Present study enumerates 48 species of lichens belonging to 25 genera and 13 families from different vegetations in Koppa region of Western Ghats, Karnataka. Physciaceae, Parmeliaceae are the dominant families in the area with 9 species each, while Parmotrema is the most common genus with 8 species. The Shanon-Weiner diversity (H’ = 3.63) and Simpson’s richness value (D = 0.02) indicate high species richness. Lichen-Host plant interaction in different vegetations reveals Randia dumetorum supports large number of Lichen species, whereas host plant with less than 20 cm GBH (Girth at Breast Height) supports more number of lichens than large trees (>20 cm GBH). The study will act as the base line information for future bio-monitoring studies in the area.
Keywords
Lichen species diversity, Epiphytic lichens, Ligmicolous, Terricolous, Bio-monitoring, Shanon-Winnem diversity value (H), Simpson’s richness value