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The Balkan Vegetation Database (BVD; GIVD ID: EU-00-019) is a regional database, which was established in 2014. It comprises phytosociological relevés covering various vegetation types from nine countries of the Balkan Peninsula (Albania – 153 relevés, Bosnia and Herzegovina – 1715, Bulgaria – 12,282, Greece – 465, Croatia – 69, Kosovo – 493, Montenegro – 440, North Macedonia – 13 and Serbia – 2677). Currently, it contains 18,306 relevés (compared to 9.580 in 2016), and most of them (82.8%) are geo-referenced. The database includes both digitized relevés from the literature (65.6%) and unpublished data (34.5%). Plot size is available for 84.7% of all relevés. During the last four years some “header data information” was improved e.g. elevation (now available for 83.4% of all relevés), aspect (67.7%), slope (66%), total cover of vegetation (54.3%), cover of tree, shrub, herb, bryophyte and lichen layers (27.1%, 20.1%, 40.2%, 11.5% and 2.1%), respectively. Data access is either semi-restricted (65.6%) or restricted (34.4%). Most relevés (84.6%) are classified to syntaxa of different levels. The database has been used for numerous studies with various objectives from floristic, vegetation and habitat-related topics, to macroecological studies at the local, regional, national, continental and global levels. During the last four years, BVD data were requested from 111 different projects via the EVA and sPlot databases.

Shivarov, V. V., Varga, N., Lőkos, L., Brackel, W. v., Ganeva, A., Natcheva, R. & Farkas, E. 2021. Contributions to the Bulgarian lichenicolous mycota – an annotated checklist and new records. – Herzogia 34: 142–153.An annotated checklist of 45 taxa of lichenicolous fungi from Bulgaria is presented. Arthonia parietinaria, Athelia arachnoidea, Cercidospora caudata, C. epipolytropa, Didymocyrtis cladoniicola, Endococcus verrucosus, Illosporiopsis christiansenii, Lichenoconium erodens, L. lecanorae, Pronectria subimperspicua, Pyrenochaeta xanthoriae and Stigmidium tabacinae are reported for the first time from Bulgaria. To assess the expected diversity of lichenicolous fungi in Bulgaria, we applied a Lichenicolous Index (LI) to compare with other regions with better knowledge about lichenicolous mycota. At the current stage of the known number of lichens in Bulgaria we expect between 225 and 315 lichenicolous fungi for the country.

Guttova, A., Valachovic, M., Tzonev, R., Ganeva, A., Shivarov, V. V. & Fackovcova, Z. 2020. Lichens recorded in chasmophytic communities associated with relict and endemic plant species in Bulgaria. – Herzogia 33: 407– 419.The mid-altitudes of Bulgaria comprise a wide range of sparsely vegetated ecosystems, including rock cliffs and outcrops. They host chasmophytic communities supporting different range-restricted or rare plants. Sampling vegetation releves, we recorded the present lichen biota. Here we report on the occurrence of 143 lichen species. Out of them, we shortly comment on noteworthy species, specifically those which have not been reported from Bulgaria so far – Acarospora moenium, A. oligospora, Agonimia globulifera, A. opuntiella, Anema tumidulum, Fuscopannaria mediterranea, Lempholemma chalazanum, Leptogium brebissonii agg., Lichinella cribellifera, Psora vallesiaca, Pyrenopsis grumulifera, Scytinium aragonii, S. schraderi, Thelopsis lojkana, and Thalloidima tauricum.

Temperature preferences and small-scale distribution patterns of fourDermatocarpontaxa in the catchment areas of two Bulgarian rivers were analyzed. Taxa with an overall alpine or arctic-alpine distribution were restricted to microhabitats with the lowest water and rock surface temperatures. A trend for increasingDermatocarpon rivulorumthallus diameter and colony size (aggregates of thalli) with decreasing temperature was identified. Data on pH and conductivity of the water for the study sites are provided for all taxa.Dermatocarpon arnoldianumis reported for the first time from Bulgaria, confirmed by ITS sequence data, and its known range extends to South-East Europe. All previous records ofD. rivulorumfrom Bulgaria were based on misidentified specimens ofD. arnoldianum. Freshwater taxa ofDermatocarponare proposed as a tool for monitoring the biological effects of temperature changes due to global climate change. Thallus and colony size are recommended as additional features for monitoring populations of threatenedDermatocarponspecies.

The Balkan Vegetation Database (BVD; GIVD ID: EU-00-019; http://www.givd.info/ID/EU-00- 019) is a regional database that consists of phytosociological relevés from different vegetation types from six countries on the Balkan Peninsula (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia). Currently, it contains 9,580 relevés, and most of them (78%) are geo-referenced. The database includes digitized relevés from the literature (79%) and unpublished data (21%). Herein we present descriptive statistics about attributive relevé information. We developed rules that regulate governance of the database, data provision, types of data availability regimes, data requests and terms of use, authorships and relationships with other databases. The database offers an extensive overview about studies on the local, regional and SE European levels including information about flora, vegetation and habitats.

Shivarov, V. V. 2019. Clypeococcum hemiamyloideum (Polycoccaceae, Ascomycota), a novel lichenicolous fungus on Verrucaria latebrosa. - Herzogia 32: 438–443.Clypeococcum hemiamyloideum is described as a novel lichenicolous fungus on Verrucaria latebrosa from the Malyovitsa River, Bulgaria. It is characterized by two types of hymenial gels: lower gel predominant, hemiamyloid (1+ red), upper gel only in the ostiolar region, euamyloid (1+ blue), a variable spore number in the mature asci (1–8), pseudothecia 100–175 µm diam., black, and ascospores 17.8–20.3 x 6.6–7.6 µm, brown, thick-walled, warted, 1-sep-tate. The reactions of the hymenial gels in C. hemiamyloideum and V. latebrosa were tested with different concentrations of IKI in order to identify their types and thresholds.

Five lichenized fungi in Verrucariaceae, Hydropunctaria rheitrophila, Th elidium fontigenum, T. zwackhii, Verrucaria aquatilis, and V. elaeina, are reported for the fi rst time from Bulgaria. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, and comments are provided.