Siliceous Outcrops Host New Records of Biodiversity Interest for Arctic–Alpine Lichens in the Southern Apennines: An Assessment Based on Field Surveys and Herbarium Data

The Calabrian–Lucanian Apennines are a lichenologically insufficiently explored area. The purpose of the study was to improve the knowledge of its lichen flora in the wider context of ecology and biogeography and with regard to conservation perspectives. A total of 102 species have been identified. Placidium subrufescens is recorded for the first time in Italy, 7 species are new records in southern Italy and 13 in the Basilicata Region. The majority of rare and infrequent lichen species appear to be glacial relics at the southern limit of their range. These southern populations are highly fragmented and localized, vulnerable to environmental changes and likely to suffer from climate change.