Vertika Shukla, D. K. Upreti and RaJesh Bajpai: Lichens to Biomonitor the environment

Lichens are a classic example of symbiosis, being an association between a fungus and a photosynthetic partner that can be either an alga or a cyanobacterium or both. A lot is now known about the physiological interactions between the two and about the composite thallus which makes this group of organisms especially valuable as biological monitors. Several books* have also dealt with this topic; however they have focused on temperate regions of the world. The Indian subcontinent, and other warmer regions of Asia, have a rich lichen flora but at the same time pollution levels in many areas are high and have increased dramatically in recent decades. Hence a book to instruct scientists and others about lichens and encourage their use for monitoring changes in diversity and the environment is most welcome. Unfortunately, this book is like the curate's egg, good in parts. It reviews a lot of material, is attractively produced with illustrations in colour, and it has a good bibliography. How ...