Contact: D. Ertz
1. Phylogeny and taxonomy of Arthoniales
With Paul Diederich (Luxembourg, Luxembourg), François Lutzoni (Duke, USA), Jolanta Miadlikowska (Duke, USA) and others.
The Arthoniales are one of the main lichenized groups of the Pezizomycotina including c. 55 genera and c. 1200 species. The order is a major component of the lichen flora of many forest types, especially in the tropics where many corticolous and foliicolous species occur. It is also well represented in saxicolous habitats, especially in subtropical coastal habitats with a Mediterranean or desert type climate. Recent research in the Garden focus on a taxonomic revision of the genus Opegrapha and on a broad and exhaustive molecular phylogenetic study of the order.
Key Publications
Ertz D. & Diederich P. (2007) Revision of the Opegrapha species with muriform ascospores (previously Dictyographa) (lichenized Roccellaceae). Lichenologist 39: 143-151.
Ertz D., Christnach C., Wedin M. & Diederich P. (2005) A world monograph of the genus Plectocarpon (Roccellaceae, Arthoniales). Bibliotheca Lichenologica 91: 1-155.
Ertz D., Diederich P. & Miadlikowska J. (2004) The lichenicolous Opegrapha species (Roccellaceae, Ascomycota) with 3-septate ascospores on Pertusaria and Ochrolechia. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 144: 235-241.
Ertz D. & Diederich P. (2006) The first lichenicolous species of Schismatomma (Roccellaceae), S. physconiicola sp. nov., from Mexico. The Bryologist 109: 415-420.
Ertz D. & Egea J.M. (2008) The genus Opegrapha. In Thomas H. Nash III, Bruce D. Ryan, Corinna Gries & Frank Bungartz (eds.). Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Volume III . Lichens Unlimited, Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona: accepted for publication.
2. Phylogeny and taxonomy of lichenicolous fungi
With Paul Diederich (Luxembourg, Luxembourg), James D. Lawrey (George Mason Univ., USA) and others
The lichenicolous habit represents a major evolutionary theme and arose in several lineages within the Fungi. We focus on these lichen-inhabiting fungi as they represent a key factor to our understanding of the evolution of the fungi. The discovery of many new taxa is expected.
Key Publications
Ertz D. & Diederich P. (2006) Gelatinopsis leptogii (Helotiales, Ascomycota), a new lichenicolous fungus on Leptogium byssinum from Belgium and Germany. Lichenologist 38(6): 515-518.
Lawrey J.D., Binder M., Diederich P., Carmen Molina M., Sikaroodi M. & Ertz D. (2007) Phylogenetic diversity of lichen-associated homobasidiomycetes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 44: 778-789.
Ertz D., Zhurbenko M., Diederich P. & Miadlikowska J. (2003) A new species of Plectocarpon (Lichenicolous Roccellaceae, Ascomycota) on Peltigera. The Bryologist 106: 465-467.
Ertz D. & Diederich P. (2003) Opegrapha cladoniicola, a new lichenicolous fungus from Hawaii. Lichenologist 35: 147-149.
3. Lichens from tropical Africa
With Emmanuël Sérusiaux, Eberhard Fischer, Dorothee Killmann and others
The lichen flora of tropical Africa is poorly known. Research in the Garden will focus on this flora in the future, especially for the Arthoniales. Recent collecting trips were made in Bénin, Gabon, La Réunion, Rwanda and Zambia.
Key Publication
Fischer E., Ertz D., Killmann D. & Sérusiaux E. (2007) Two new species of Multiclavula (lichenized basidiomycetes) from savanna soils in Rwanda (East Africa). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 155: 457-465.
4. Lichens and lichenicolous fungi from Belgium, Luxembourg and northern France
With Paul Diederich (Luxembourg, Luxembourg), Emmanuël Sérusiaux (Liège, Belgium), Jean-Pierre Duvivier and others.
Despite the recent publication of a lichen checklist for Belgium and Luxembourg (Diederich & Sérusiaux 2000), this lichen flora is still poorly known. Several floristic studies are performed to improve the checklist, the floristic database and the atlas of distribution maps (http://www.lichenology.info).
Key publications
Ertz D. & Duvivier J.-P. (2006) Les lichens du bassin hydrographique de l’Hermeton: caractérisation de la flore et orientations conservatoires. Bull. Soc. Nat. Lux. 107 : 39-62.
Sérusiaux E., Diederich P., Ertz D., Brand M. & van den Boom P. (2006) New or interesting lichens and lichenicolous fungi from Belgium, Luxembourg and Northern France. X. Bull. Soc. Nat. Lux. 107: 63-74.
Ertz D. & Duvivier J.-P. (2004) Flore et végétation lichéniques de la vallée de l’Eau d’Heure (Belgique). Lejeunia 176 : 30pp., 7 fig.
Ertz D. (2003) Les lichens et les champignons lichénicoles des affleurements rocheux calcaires du bassin mosan belge. Etude floristique et importance pour la conservation du patrimoine naturel. Lejeunia 172 : 1-57 p.
Sérusiaux E., Diederich P., Ertz D. & van den Boom P. (2003) New or interesting lichens and lichenicolous fungi from Belgium, Luxembourg and northern France. IX. Lejeunia 173 : 1-48 p.
5. Collaboration with the AFToL (Assembling the Fungal Tree of Life) project
D. Ertz visited the François’ Lutzoni lab (Duke University) as part of the AFToL project dedicated to significantly enhancing our understanding of the evolution of the fungi based on molecular data. He generated sequence data for this collaborative project and received training in phylogenetic methods and molecular techniques during his visit. Collaboration with the AFToL project continues.
Key Publications
Miadlikowska J., Kauff F., Hofstetter V., Fraker E., Grube M., Hafellner J., Reeb V., Hodkinson B.P., Kukwa M., Lücking R., Hestmark G., Garcia-Otalora M., Rauhut A., Büdel B., Scheidegger C., Timdal E., Stenroos S., Brodo I., Perlmutter G. B., Ertz D., Diederich P., Lendemer J. C., Tripp E., Yahr R., May P., Gueidan C., Spatafora J. W., Schoch C., Arnold A. E., Robertson C., Lutzoni F. (2006) New insights into classification and evolution of the Lecanoromycetes (Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota) from phylogenetic analyses of three ribosomal RNA- and two protein-coding genes. Mycologia 98: 1088-1103.
Lutzoni F., Kauff F., Cox C. J., McLaughlin D., Celio G., Dentinger B., Padamsee M., Hibbett D., James T.Y., Baloch E., Grube M., Reeb V., Hofstetter V., Schoch C., Arnold E., Miadlikowska J., Spatafora J., Johnson D., Hambleton S., Crockett M., Shoemaker R., Sung G., Lücking R., Lumbsch T., O’Donnell K., Binder M., Diederich P., Ertz D., Gueidan C., Hall B., Hansen K., Harris R. C., Hosaka K., Lim Y.-W., Liu Y., Matheny B., Nishida H., Pfister D., Rogers J., Rossman A., Schmitt I., Sipman H., Stone J., Sugiyama J., Yahr R. and Vilgalys R. (2004) Where are we in assembling the fungal tree of life, classifying the fungi, and understanding the evolution of their subcellular traits? American Journal of Botany 91 (10): 1446-1480.
6. Studies on the Antarctic and Subantarctic areas
With Bart Van de Vijver and others.
Research on the Antarctic biodiversity has been recently developed in the Garden. During the BELARE expedition of 2007, D. Ertz collected samples to do a detailed biological survey covering all aspects of flora and fauna, including micro-organisms and bacteria, near the Belgian Antarctic Research Station in the Sør Rondane mountains (Antarctic continent); this in collaboration with different belgian universities and with the support of the Belgian Science Policy Office (Belspo). Research in the Garden will focus on the lichen diversity. A study of the lichen flora of Amsterdam and St-Paul islands (TAAF) started recently based on material collected by B. Van de Vijver in 2007.
(http://www.belspo.be/belspo/BePoles/index_en.stm)
Key Publications
Taton A., Grubisic S., Ertz D., Hodgson D.A., Piccardi R., Biondi N., Tredici M.R., Mainini M., Losi D., Marinelli F. & Wilmotte A. (2006) Polyphasic study of Antarctic cyanobacterial strains. Journal of Phycology 42(6): 1257-1270.
Ertz D. & Diederich P. (2004) Revision of Trimmatothele (Verrucariaceae), and description of Oevstedalia for Trimmatothelopsis antarctica, a new lichen genus with true ascoconidia. Mycological Progress 3(3): 229-236.
