Epilitic lichens and mineralogical and petrographic investigation of Devil’s Rocks (Lviv region)

Abstract

The results of special lichenological researches and mineralogical and petrographic investigations of “Chortovi Skeli” (Devil’s Rocks) in Lviv region wildlife sanctuary are given in this article. Lichenological researches of the epilitic lichens species diversity of rocks were conducted during 2007–2017 years and special mineralogical and petrographic investigations were conducted in 2017. The results of mineralogical and petrographic investigations showed that Devil’s Rocks are composed of medium-coarse-grained quartz sandstone with carbonate cement, the contents of the last is uneven. The main rock in the upper part contains up to 20 % of the cement, by a quantitative ratio – it is cement filling pores. In the lower part of the main rock, as well as the surrounding rocky exits formed by quartz sandstones with pronounced macro- and microscopic layers, in which, the places described above alternate with plots, where cement is up to 50 % and basal type of cementation. 37 species of the lichens were collected. Among them 9 species: Acrocordia conoidea, Circinaria calcarea, Flavoplaca dichroa, Lecidella stigmatea, Opegrapha lithyrga, Polyblastia dermatodes, P. cf. verrucosa, Porina chlorotica and Sarcogyne privigna var. calcicola, are new for lichen biota of the Ukrainian Roztochya. Other collected species are already known for the region according to previously published data. Among the determined species 8 epilitic ones are widespread and they covered vast areas of the studied rocks, other 29 species are scarce.

Keywords

• Lviv neighborhood
• forest near Vynnyky
• lichens
• species diversity
• mine­ralogical and petrographic composition
• environmental conditions