Tisovec at Kraslice

Rare Lichens on Old Mine Dumps

Old ore dumps on hillside of the point Tisovec (807 m) near the town Kraslice in the Krušné hory Mts. are unique examples of the mining impact changing diversity of local fauna and flora and surrounding landscape. During the consequent succession heather communities prevailed on the affected locality and this habitat become suitable for terricolous and saxicolous lichens.

Aerial image from 1953 (Cenia, VGHMÚŘ Dobruška)

The heathlands on the hill Tisovec are chiefly dominated by Cetraria islandica, C. aculeata, Cladonia arbuscula s. l., C. uncialis, C. verticillata, C. macilenta, C. coccifera s. l., C. furcata, C. strepsilis, Dibaeis baeomyces and Baeomyces rufus.

Aerial image from 2007 with the position of localities (Cenia, VGHMÚŘ Dobruška)

Enhanced amount of metals and granularity of the dump-soil slow down the colonization by vascular plants, thus the competitively weaker terricolous lichens (Pycnothelia papillaria, Stereocaulon nanodes, S. condensatum, Cladonia glauca and Stereocaulon dactylophyllum) can dominate there. Some of the interesting saxicolous species (Stereocaulon vesuvianum or S. pileatum) also grow on phyllite stones of the dumps. Due to increased amount of metals in the rocks, there occur rare species as common Lecanora subaurea, Lecidea silacea Acarospora sinopica or Acarospora rugulosa. In several cases also Lecanora handelii, Lecanora soralifera and Lecanora gisleriana with ochraceous to orange ascomata together with Lecanora subaurea were there found. Only one incidence of Rhizocarpon oederi has been so far recorded. Rhizocarpon ridescens has been found rather recently and these old ore dumps present the only locality for this species at the Czech Republic.