The results of studying the lichen flora of one of five clusters of the Orenburg steppe reserve, “Preduralskaya (Pre-Urals) steppe”, are presented. According to preliminary data, 43 species of lichens are reported.Five species, Aspicilia maculata (H. Magn.) Oxner, A. verrucigera Hue, Placynthiella icmalea (Ach.) Coppins et P. James, Scytinium imbricatum (P. M. Jørg.) Otálora, P. M. Jørg. et Wedin, Protoparmeliopsis garovaglii (Kӧrb.) Arup, Zhao Xin et Lumbsch, are new to the Reserve. All of them, with the exception of the latter, are new to the flora of the Orenburg Region. The variety of cyanobiont lichens is scarce: only 5 species have been recorded. Lichinella stipatulaNyl.(Lichinaceae)has been found on siliceous stones and rocks (on conglomerates). Blennothallia crispa (Huds.) Otálora, P. M. Jørg. et Wedin, Enchylium coccophorum (Tuck.) Otálora, P. M. Jørg. et Wedin, E. tenax (Sw.) Gray s. l., Scytinium imbricatum (Collemataceae) are calcephilous, and since there are no outcrops of carbonate rocks on the territory, these lichens are rare. They occur only in steppes on bare places (where there is no developed grassy tier): on the gravelly carbonate soil on hills and on clay carbonate soil along the edges of solonetz phytocenoses. The major part of cluster territory (plain steppes) is extremely scarce in terms of the lichen presence, but there are certain ecotopes which are inhabited by lichen species of varied ecology.

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