BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN COLOMBIAN CARIBBEAN DRY FOREST REMNANTS IN ATLÁNTICO: LICHEN COMMUNITIES IN THE DISTRITO REGIONAL DE MANEJO INTEGRADO LURIZA AND THE RESERVA FORESTAL PROTECTORA EL PALOMAR

We present a first study of the diversity and community composition of lichens in seasonally dry tropical forest (DTF) remnants in the Atlantico department, Colombia. Lichens were sampled in two of the three protected areas of the department: Distrito de Manejo Integrado (DMI) Luriza and Reserva Forestal Protectora (RFP) El Palomar. The inventory revealed 61 species, including four new to science: Fissurina linoana Lucking, Moncada & G. Rodr. sp. nov., Graphis lurizana Lucking, Moncada & Celis sp. nov., G. mokanarum Lucking, Moncada & M.C. Martinez sp. nov., and Phaeographis galeanoae Lucking, Moncada & B. Salgado-N. sp. nov. Arthonia erupta and Coenogonium saepincola are new to South America, whereas thirteen species are recorded for Colombia for the first time. Further 37 species are new records for Atlantico, raising the total of species known from the department from 27 to 84. With 42 species at Luriza and 31 at El Palomar, species richness was comparable to that of other DTF sites in the Neotropics. Overlap in species composition between the two sites was remarkably low, with only twelve shared species (20 %), indicating a high level of heterogeneity. Biogeographical affinities lie with Central American DTF, which is in line with those of woody plants. These results underline the importance of the remaining fragments of DTF in Colombia in conserving partially unknown biodiversity and the necessity for their continuing conservation.