2011; Pointing and Belnap 2012), investigations in temperate regions have mainly focused on floristic and phytosociology, rather than functional aspects (Büdel 2003). From these studies it is known that the “Bunte Erdflechtengesellschaft” (colored soil lichen community; Reimers 1950, 1951), composed of communities of the Fulgensietum fulgentis and Cladonietum symphycarpae BAY 73-4506 purchase complex, has a wide distribution ranging from the southern Swedish Alvar region in the north (Bengtsson et al. 1988; Albertson 1950) to southern Algeria, and from the Poitou and the Eifel midlands in the west to the Aralo-Caspian semideserts and the Mesopotamian region in the east (Müller
1965). The presence of this arid microclimate-adapted (Hahn et al. 1989; Lange et al. 1995) community of colored soil lichens, centered in the Mediterranean and the continental areas of the Eurasian continent, may be explained
as a relic of the postglacial warm period (Reimers 1940). In Western Europe, the existence of the colored soil lichen community is restricted to sites largely free of vascular plant vegetation, sites that can either originate from human impact or from environmental conditions. Extreme selleck kinase inhibitor dryness, hot or cold temperatures or long lasting snow cover can restrict higher plant growth and therefore provide natural environments suitable for BSC development. Calpain On the other hand, soil and plant removal, for strategic reasons as for example in front of medieval castles, or heavy grazing can also restrict higher plants and provide human influenced environments ready for colonization with BSCs. As these areas
are no longer managed, these unique BSC communities are endangered, several attempts to protect them have been made by national nature conservation authorities (e.g. in Bavaria, Germany; Dunkel 2003). Initiated by the 2010–2011 joint call of BiodivERsA European network “Valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and better incorporation of biodiversity and ecosystem services into society and policy” (see http://www.biodiversa.org/79), we launched a project on European BSCs to answer these questions. We established an international research project along a 20° latitudinal and a 2,300 m altitudinal gradient, extending from the Gynge Alvaret at Öland, Sweden through the xerothermic steppe vegetation at Gössenheim, Germany, up to the Hochtor at 2,600 m in the Großglockner Massif of the Alps, Austria, and to the southernmost locality, the Tabernas badlands north of Almeria, Spain (Figs. 1a, b, 2a–d). Fig. 1 a Map of investigation sites (red circles) in Western Europe (© USGS). b Latitudinal and altitudinal gradient of the investigation sites with basic data Fig.