Lichen as a Novel Bioresource in Korea

摘要

A project on lichen floristic survey and collection has been conducted in South Korea as a part of bioresource preservation program, funded by the Korean Ministry of Sciences and Technology since 2003. As a result of the project, over 7,000 lichen specimens have been collected and lichen-derived bioresources including app. 400 isolates (150 species) of lichen-forming fungi have been obtained. The first checklist of Korean lichens was also published during the project. Recently, a new project has been launched for the purpose of maintaining and distributing them. In this paper, introduction of lichen bioresources and recent progress in their application are presented with emphasis on their potential for novel bioresources.