Changes in the abundance of Lobaria pulmonaria in southeastern

In a follow-up study on the epiphytic lichen Lobaria pulmonaria in the province of Östergötland in south-eastern Sweden, 26 local populations were investigated in an attempt to assess and quantify changes in the local abundance and distribution of the lichen. Descriptive data on the lichen and substrate trees collected in 2007 were compared to corresponding data from 1994. There was a clear increase in the number of trees with L. pulmonaria and an indication of an increase in total amount (dm2) of the lichen. A surprisingly high turnover was indicated based on permanently marked L. pulmonaria. The species seems to be increasing in the region.