Diversity of Georgia’s lichens

Batsatsashvili Ketevan1,2, Chelidze Nana2, Inashvili Tsimi1

Institute of Botany of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, Kojori Road 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
1

2
Department of Botany, I. Javakhishvili State University of Tbilisi, University St. 2, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia

Preface Lichen floras of Gare Kakheti, Racha-Lechkhumi Large collections from Georgia, many parts of the
Georgia (69 700 km2) is situated in the central and western parts of the
as well as distribution of species of Parmelia and Caucasus and other regions are kept in the lichen
Caucasus – on the boundary between Europe and Asia. The relief of the Cetraria in Georgia were studied by V. Pachunova herbarium at the of the Institute of Botany of the
country in constituted by two latitudinal mountain systems – the Greater
Caucasus (5068 m, the highest point) in the north and Minor Caucasus (3301
(1952, 1956, 1946, 1959). Georgian Academy of Sciences. The herbarium
m, the highest point) in the south – with an intermountain depression between
Lichen floras of the river Aragvi gorge, Abkhazia, includes samples obtained by J. Steiner, J. Motyka,
them divided into Colchian (West Georgia) and Iberian (East Georgia) parts
by a mountain range. Adjara, Svaneti, Trialeti, Javakheti, Imereti A. Magnusson, A. Oxner and other well-known
Flora of the higher plants of Georgia numbers approx. 4100 species. Diverse (including surroundings of the Supsa terminal) lichenologists. Lichen herbaria are kept at the State
plant cover includes deserts, semi-deserts, steppe, xerophilous and hemi-
several nature reserves (Bichvintha-Miusera Museum of Georgia and Department of Botany of
xerophilous shrubbery, deciduous as well as coniferous forests, meadows,
wetlands, etc. (approx. 100 species), Borjomi (347 taxa), the Tbilisi State University.
Vashlovani (94 taxa), Lagodekhi (204 taxa),
Mariamjvari-Saguramo (98 taxa)), lichens of the
Nikortsminda cathedral in West Georgia are
History of investigation studied by Ts. Inashvili (1965, 1981, 1986, 1999).
Investigation of Georgia’s lichen flora started at the Dry habitats of East Georgia, surroundings of
beginning of the XIX century, when naturalists Tbilisi (the capital of Georgia) (210 species), Leptogium corticola Usnea florida
from different countries visited the Caucasus and Imereti, Samegrelo and also lichen flora of a
collected lichens along with higher plants. The first number of medieval churches and castles
issue to mention lichen species collected in Georgia Fig. 1.
throughout the country are studied by N. Chelidze
was Lichenographia Universalis by E. Acharius Lichenographia
(1971, 2000).
(1810). universalis by E.
K. Batsatsashvili
Acharius (1810) was (2004, 2005) is studying lichen
Species from Georgia (mainly from the
theflora
first of Tbilisi
issue to to collect baseline data for air Sticta limbata Gomohymenia mesopotamica
surroundings of Tbilisi) are mentioned in works by qualitylichen
monitoring.
mention Fig. 4. Some noteworthy species of
Ch. Belanger (1825-29), F. Buhse (1860), L.
species
A number collected in in the country are not studied
of regions Georgia’s lichen flora. L. corticola, U. florida and
Rabenhorst (1871), E. Vainio (1887).
Georgia.
yet. Besides, identification of certain lichens, S. limbata were entered in the Red Data Book of the
Later lichen collections from various regions of particularly, crustose taxa inhabiting, for instance,
USSR (1984); G. mesopotamica, a Minor Asian
Georgia were thoroughly analyzed by Vainio species, on the territory of the former USSR for the
granite rocks or moraines in high mountains, is first time was found in dry habitats of East Georgia,
(1899), A. Jatta (1900), G. Radde (1901). rather difficult in the field. Therefore, the actual where its frequency of occurrence and abundance are
Lichenological researches conducted by A. Elenkin number of the lichen taxa must be higher. rather high (Chelidze 1971, Key, 1975).
in the Caucasus (1901-1913) were particularly 1
significant. 3
Future studies
Further, these studied were continued by
U. Voronov (1915, 1922-23), N. Voronikhin
2
4
6
Georgia The authors plan to continue
lichenological investigation of
(1915), Steiner (1919), V. Pakhunova
poorly studied parts of the
(1926-1959). 7
5 country, particularly, gorges
At present studies of Georgia’s lichen flora are of certain rivers and prepare
carried out by Ts. Inashvili, N. Chelidze and 9 16 local lichen keys; to continue
8
K. Batsatsashvili. 10 19 the research on lichen floras
of historical monuments; to
11 12 17 make a basis for air quality
13 22 23
monitoring using lichens on
Present data 18
areas with a potential to
Great diversity of habitats has encouraged 14 15 20 24
industrial development.
development of rich lichen flora. More than 730
21 25
species (987 taxa including subspecies, varieties
and forms) are recorded in the country nowadays.

Fig. 2. Lichenologically investigated regions of Bibliography(1946-2005)

Georgia
1-5. Abkhazia: 1. Gagra range; 2. Bichvintha-Miusera
Reserve; 3. Lake Ritsa surroundings; 4. Tsebelda gorge
5. Surroundings of the Bebesiri Lakes ; 6. Svaneti; 7.
Racha-Lechkhumi; 8. Samegrelo (Khobi district );
9-12. Imereti: 9. Tskhaltubo surroundings; 10. Kutaisi
surroundings; 11. Supsa Terminal; 12. Sairme
surroundings; 13-14. Ajaria: 13. Kintrishi gorge; 14.
Batumi Botanical Garden; 15. Meskheti; 16. South
Oseti; 17-20. Kartli: 17. Borjomi-Bakuriani district; 18.
Trialeti range; 19. Aragvi gorge; 20. Tbilisi surroundings ;
21. Javakheti; 22-25. Kakheti: 22. Sagaredjo
district; 23. Lagodekhi reserve; 24. Chiauri reserve; 25.
Vashlovani reserve.
Number of Altitude, m
species
Batsatsashvili, K. 2004. Lichen flora of the Tbilisi Botanical
Garden. Proc. Georgian Acad. Sci., Biol. Ser. B 2 (1-
2):35-41.
Batsatsashvili, K. 2005. Lichens of the surroundings of Lake
Lisi on the background of vascular plant vegetation.
Proc. Georgian Acad. Sci., Biol. Ser. B 2 (3):38-44.
Chelidze, N. 1971. Lichens of dry habitats of East Georgia.
PHD thesis. Tbilisi. (in Russian)
Chelidze, N. 2000. Lichens of the river Vere gorge (Tbilisi
surroundings). Unpublished manuscript. (in Georgian)
Inasvili, Ts. 1965. Lichens of Aragvi valley. PHD thesis.
Tbilisi. (in Russian)
Inashvili, Ts. 1986. Lichens. In: Kanchaveli, K.,
Kukhaleishvili, L., Ruckadze, T., Chkhaidze, R.,
Gulmagarashvili, V., Melia, M., Murvanishvili, I.,
Inashvili, Ts. and Chikovani, N tgf. Flora of Georgia’s
cryptogamic plants (Checklist). Metsniereba, Tbilisi. (in
Russian)
Pakhunova, V. G. 1946. Representatives of the genus
Parmelia in Georgia. PHD thesis. Tbilisi. (in Russian)
Pakhunova, V. G. 1952. Materials for investigation of the
lichen flora of Gare Kakheti. Works of Tbilisi Institute of
Botany, vol. XIV. Tbilisi. (in Russian)
Pakhunova, V. G. 1956. Lichen flora of Rascha-Lechkhumi.
Works of Tbilisi Institute of Botany, vol. XX. Tbilisi. (in
Russian)
Pakhunova, V. G. 1959. Representatives of the genus
Cetraria in Georgia. Works of Tbilisi Institute of Botany,
vol. XX. Tbilisi. (in Russian)
USSR lichen key. 1971-77. Vol. I-IV. Nauka, Leningrad. (in
Russian)

Acknowledgments
We thank the New York Botanical Garden, also
Fig. 3. Species number according to altitude.
Ch. Davidson and Sh. Cristoff for funding our
Georgia as well as the entire Caucasus is not participation in the IBC2005.
Fig. 1. Generic spectrum (125 genera) of studied with respect to lichen vegetation. However,
Georgia’s lichen flora according to “Flora of there was an attempt to analyze lichen
Georgia’s cryptogamic plants (Checklist)”, communities of East Georgia’s dry habitats, where
1986. At present Ts. Inashvili is preparing an 58 communities were distinguished; 37 of them are For further information
updated checklist according to recent nomenclature. saxicolous (on calcareous as well as non- Please contact
calcareous substrates), 10 terricolous and 11 Ketevan Batsatsashvili
epiphitic (Chelidze, 1971). E-mail: ketevan_batt@yahoo.com