Urban greenery in Brno: is it sufficient for the growth of epiphytic fruticose lichens?

Epiphytic fruticose lichens are not typical organisms for cities. They are sensitive to air pollution, which is higher in urban areas. Lichens are therefore used as bioindicators. Each lichen has different requirements for living, so it would be good to find out how many species of epiphytic fruticose lichens occur in the given city and which environmental variables influence them most, apart from air pollution. Therefore, these issues became the main objectives of this study. Brno was chosen for several reasons, but mainly because there is currently insufficient data on the occurrence of these lichens. A total of 30 sites were studied in Brno, which were divided into three categories (forests, parks, and orchards). The results show acceptable conditions for the growth of six species ( Evernia prunastri , Pseudevernia furfuracea , Ramalina farinacea , Usnea dasopoga , Usnea hirta , Usnea subfloridana ) in Brno. These species were most commonly found on fruit trees. Canopy openness and the amount of dead wood in the locality had a statistically significant effect on their growth.