Lichens in Slovakia

Central geographical position of Slovakia in Europe is particular, which is
reflected in structure of biota, including lichens. The territory is a meeting
point of different influences (e.g., Mediterranean, Pannonian, Atlantic, Continental)
and it is a crossroad of migration routes – another prerequisite of high biodiversity.
Landscape diversity is high too, due to geology and relief. Most of the area is
covered by the Western Carpathians – where the Carpathians reach their greatest
elevations, partly also by the Eastern Carpathians and in the south by Pannonian Basin.

Lichens have been explored in the territory of Slovakia since the time of S. Lumnitzer (1791).
Several important researchers/lichenologists were born here, e.g. V. Greschik,
F. Hazslinszky, O. Szatala, or A. Zahlbruckner, or collected material here in the past,
e.g., Z. Černohorský, F. Fóriss, V. Gyelnik, Kalchbrenner, G. W. Körber, K. H. Lojka,
A. H. Magnusson, Nádvorník, E. J. Nyárady, J. Poelt, J. A. Scopoli, J. Suza, G. Timkó,
F. Veselsky, A. Vězda, G. Wahlenberg.

A nestor and a founder of Slovak lichenological school is Ivan Pišút. Recently, besides
our team, important contribution to the knowledge of lichens in the territory of Slovakia
brought E. Lisická, V. Slezáková, Z . Kyselová, and our colleagues from the Czech
Republic Z. Palice, J. P. Halda, J. Liška, and J. Vondrák.