Five New Allographa Species

Five New Allographa Species

Prelims:

Environment and Ecology

Mains:

GS Paper III-Environment and Ecology

Current relevance:

Researchers from the MACS Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, have discovered five new species of lichen-forming fungi belonging to the genus Allographa from the Western Ghats.

Highlights:

1.      About Allographa:

                    i.            Allographa is a genus of script lichens (lichen-forming fungi) belonging to the family Graphidaceae.

                  ii.            It consists of more than 200 species and is characterised by elongated fruiting bodies.

                iii.            It is formed through a symbiotic association between a fungus and algae or cyanobacteria.

2.      Lichens:

                    i.            Lichens are important indicators of forest health and environmental quality due to their sensitivity to pollution and habitat changes.

                  ii.            They help identify ecologically sensitive areas and support long-term environmental monitoring.

                iii.            They contribute to evidence-based conservation policies and the sustainable management of forest ecosystems.

3.      Key findings:

                    i.            New Species of lichen-forming fungi discovered, they are A.keralensis, A.nayakae, A.paraconsanguinea, A.persistinspersa , A.semicarbonisata.

                  ii.            Revealed that morphologically similar species are not necessarily closely related evolutionarily.

                iii.            Improved the understanding of species boundaries, evolutionary relationships, and lichen symbiosis.

Source: PIB - https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2287004&reg=48&lang=1