Studying the specific structure of lichens in the Republic of Khakassia (the example of the Shirinsky area)
On the basis of the material collected by the author, the specific structure of steppe and forest plant communities of the Shirinsky area, consisting of 166 species, 52 genera and 24 families, is studied. The identification of the collected material was carried with the help of the Handbook of the lichens of the USSR and Russia. The volumes of families and genera of lichens suggested generally correspond to the work of O. E. Eriksson, D. L. Hawksworth taking into account R. Santesson et al. Biomorphological, ecological and geographical analyses are carried out. As a result of studying of lichens in different types of steppe plant communities the greatest species diversity was found in petrophytic short-turfy steppes and the smallest one - in tall-turfy steppes, which can be explained by low competitive ability of lichens in comparison with rhizomatous grass, sedges and herbaceous steppe vegetation. The specific variety of lichens is richer in light-coniferous larch forest, as compares to small-leaved birch forest. Crustaceous lichens prevail in the studies area. Among the crustaceous lichens in steppe plant communities, those with a life form of areolated and dimorphic thallus resistant to drought and supercooling prevail.