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Dr Holger Thus

  • Curator - Lichens
  • Life Sciences department
  • LS Genomics and Microbial Biodiversity Division
Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London
SW7 5BD

Biography

Employment history

Lichen Curator, The Natural History Museum, since Sept. 2008.

Scientific Collaborator (Curation), Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Germany 2008.

Postdoc at the Technical University Kaiserslautern, Germany, 2003-2008.

Scientific Collaborator (Curation), Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt/M., Germany 2002.

Environmental Consultant, 1992-2008.

Qualifications

Phd, Botany, University Frankfurt/M., Germany, 2001

Diplom, Biology, University of Mainz, Germany, 1997.

Curation

Collections

Lichenised and lichenicolous Fungi

Myxomycetes

Special projects

Improving access to Backlogs of unincorporated collections.

Research

Interests

My research interests are focussed on the ecology and evolution of amphibious lichens, bioindication and the conservation of crytpogamic plants.

Projects

Photobionts and their role for the evolution of amphibious taxa in the lichen genus Verrucaria s.l. (Verrucariales/Ascomycota).

Collaborators: Cecile Gueidan (NHM), Juliet Brodie (NHM), Rhinaixa Duque-Thüs (NHM), Markus Hauck (Göttingen), Sascha-Rene Jürgens (Göttingen),  Burkhard Büdel, Dieter Sültemeyer, Hans Reichenberger (Kaiserslautern), Sergio Perez-Ortega (Madrid).

Verrucaria is a species rich polyphyletic genus of morphologically simple crustose lichens with more than 300 species, which is unique in its diversity of associated photobionts, a factor which may have contributed to an extraordinary range of ecological niches occupied by different Verrucaria lineages. Identification of photobionts, studying their systematic position among non lichenised alga, their ecophysiology and assessing the specifity and selectivity of selected Verrucaria-lineages for these strains will help to understand constrains in the evolution of ecologically specialised lineages within the lichen genus Verrucaria.

 

Evolution and taxonomy of amphibious lichens within selected groups of the genera Verrucaria s.l., Staurothele and Thelidium (Verrucariales/Ascomycota).

Collaborators: Juri Nascimbene Christina Ruperti, Fiona LoSchiavo (Padua), Starri Heidmarsson (Akureyri), Alan Orange (Cardiff), Cecile Gueidan (NHM), Sanja Savic (Uppsala), Matthias Schultz (Hamburg).

Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that the genera Verrucaria, Thelidium and Staurothele are polyphyletic genera and amphibious lineages have evolved several times independently in these crustose lichens. The aim of this project is to study within selected species groups, what distinguishes closely related taxa from amphibious and terrestrial habitats, with a focus on morphological and ecophysiological traits with the by-product of revisions for these taxonomically problematic species groups.

What makes the difference? Identifying Hot Spots of freshwater lichen biodiversity on different spatial scales.

Collaborators: Juri Nascimbene (Padua), Matthias Schultz (Hamburg), Roman Türk (Salzburg), Franz Berger (Kopfing), Yelitza Leon-Vargas (Merida).

By analysing existing and gathering new data from inventories of freshwater lichens in Central Europe and worldwide a catalogue of criteria will be achieved which will help to understand diversity patterns of Freshwater lichens and identify priority areas for conservation. Focus areas are Central Europe (Alps) and the Venezuelan Andes.

Patterns of change – is there evidence for species turnover in Central European watercourses during the last 100 years?

By revisions of historical herbarium specimens, development of a database for distribution data from several European Herbaria and comparison of reconstructed and revised historic inventories with results from recent and future fieldwork an estimation of the rate of change in different localities and regions of Central Europe is aimed and compared with existing assumptions on the species loss and conservation needs for amphibious lichens.

 

Responses of functional groups of cryptogams and flowering plants in vegetation plots on dolomite outcrops to atmospheric change and a ban on rock climbing activities.

There is a lively controversy on the role of rock climbing activities on cliffs at low elevations for the decline of relict populations of epilithic plants in areas which are also effected by high inputs of nitrogen and recent trends to climatically mild conditions. Long term observatories in Germany provide data for the analysis of the responses of selected taxa (representing different functional groups of cryptogamic and phanerogamic plants) to effects resulting from a ban on rock climbing activities.

Publications

Books

Thüs, H. & Schultz, M. (2008): Freshwater Flora of Central Europe, Vol. 21/1: Fungi, Part1: Lichens. Spektrum, Heidelberg. 229 pp.

Leistikow, K.U. & Thüs, H. (2007): R.B. Hough: The Wood Book. (Second revised edition) – Taschen. Köln, 800 pp.

Thüs, H. (2002): Taxonomie, Verbreitung und Ökologie silicoler Süßwasserflechten im außeralpinen Mitteleuropa. – Bibliotheca Lichenologica 85: 1-214.

Thüs, H.(1990): Flechten und Bioindikation - Flechtenatlas der Stadt Ratingen und immissionsökologischer Methodenvergleich. – ratinger protokolle, Schriften 2: 212 pp. Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) Landesverband NW e.v. (Hrsg.). Ratingen.

 

Journal Articles

Thüs, H. Muggia, L., Pérez-Ortega, S., Favero-Longo, S.E., Joneson,S., O’Brien,H., Nelsen, M.P., Duque-Thüs,R. Grube, M., Friedl, T., Brodie, J., Andrew, C.J., Lücking,R., Lutzoni, F., Gueidan, C. 2011 (accepted). Revisiting photobiont diversity in the lichen family Verrucariaceae (Ascomycota). – European Journal of Phycology.

Gueidan, C., Thüs, H. & Perez-Ortega, S. 2011 (accepted). Phylogenetic position of the brown algae-associated lichenized fungus Verrucaria tavaresiae (Verrucariaceae). – The Bryologist.

Lumbsch, H.T. (…)Thüs, H. (...) [101 co-authors]. 2011. One hundred new species of lichenized fungi: a signature of undiscovered global diversity. – Phytotaxa 18: 1–127

Nascimbene, J., Spitale, D. Thüs, H. & Cantonati, M. 2010. Congruencies between photoautotrophic groups in springs of the Italian Alps: implications for conservation strategies. – Journal of Limnology 70 Suppl.: 3-8. DOI: 10.3274/JL11-70-S1-01

Joshi, Y.,  Thüs, H., Hur, J.R. (2010): Caloplaca aequata is a synonym of C. cinnabarina (Teloschistaceae). – Lichenologist 43 (2): 141-146.

Nascimbene, J., Thüs, H., Marini, L., Nimis, P.L. (2009): Early colonization of stone by freshwater lichens of restored habitats: a case study in northern Italy. – Science of the Total Environment 407 (18): 5001-5006.

Thüs, H. & Wirth., V. (2009): Verrucaria madida in Zentraleuropa. – Herzogia 22: 71-77.

Hauck, M., DeBruyn, U., Wirth, V., Sparrius, L., Thüs, H. & Preussing, M. (2009): New or interesting records of lichen forming fungi from Lower Saxony, Germany. – Herzogia 22: 109-116.

Gueidan, C., Savic, S., Thüs, H., Roux, C., Keller, C., Tibell, L., Prieto, M., Heidmarsson, S., Breuss, O., Orange, A., Fröberg, L., Amtoft Wynns, A., Navarro-Rosinés, P., Kristinsson, H., Krzewicka, B., Pykälä, J., Lutzoni, F. (2009): The main genera of Verrucariaceae (Ascomycota) as supported by recent morphological and molecular studies. – Taxon 58 (1):184-208.

Thüs, H. & Nascimbene, J. (2008): Contributions toward a new taxonomy of Central European freshwater species of the lichen genus Thelidium (Verrucariales / Ascomycota) – Lichenologist 40 (6): 499-521.

Nascimbene, J., Thüs, H., Nimis, P.L. (2007): Freshwater lichens in springs of the eastern Italian Alps: floristics, ecology and potential for bioindication. – Annales de Limnologie - International Journal of Limnology 43(4): 285-292.

Thüs, H. (2006): Neufunde und Bemerkungen zur Gefährdung amphibischer Flechten aus dem Saarland und Rheinland-Pfalz. – Delattinia 32: 127-140.

Thüs, H. & Licht, W. (2006): Oceanic and hygrophytic lichens from the Gargano-Peninsula (Puglia / South-Eastern-Italy). – Herzogia 19: 149-153.

Aptroot, A., Czarnota, P., Jüriado, I., KocourKova, J., Kukwa, M., Lomuhs, P., Palice, Z., Randlane, T., Saag, L., Serusiaux, E., Sipman, H., Sparrius, L., Suija, A., Thüs, H. (2004): New or interesting lichens and lichenicolous fungi found during the 5th IAL Symposium in Estonia. – Folia Cryptogamica Estonica 41: 13-22.

Thüs, H. & Dornes, P. (2003): Neu- und Wiederfunde von Flechten in Hessen. – Hessische Floristische Briefe 52 (2/3): 62-67.

Thüs, H. (2003): Flechten und die Stadtbiotopkartierung von Mainz. – Mainzer Naturwissenschaftliches Archiv, Beihefte 22: 218-236.

Thüs, H. (2003): Zikaden (Homoptera/Auchenorrhyncha) im Mainzer Stadtgebiet. – Mainzer Naturwissenschaftliches Archiv, Beihefte 22: 272-278.

Cezanne, R., Eichler, M.,&  Thüs, H. (2002): Nachträge zur ”Roten Liste der Flechten Hessens”. Erste Folge. – Botanik und Naturschutz in Hessen 15: 107-142.

Thüs, H.& Schöller, H. (2002): Floristische und ökologische Untersuchungen an Kleinstandorten hygrophytischer Flechten auf Obstbäumen im Mainzer Trockengebiet (Rheinland-Pfalz, Deutschland). – Herzogia 15: 147-158.

Thüs, H. (2001): Die Flechtenflora des NSG Kalkberg in Lüneburg. – Jahrbuch des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins im Fürstentum Lüneburg 42: 189-204.

Thüs, H.& Schöller, H.(1999): Zur Bedeutung von Obstbäumen für gefährdete Flechten im nördlichen Rheinhessen. – Fauna Flora Rheinland-Pfalz 9: 303-327.

Schöller, H., Thüs, H. & Böttner, M. (1999): Flechten (Lichenes) als Indikatoren zur Bewertung von Ökosystemen und ihre Bedeutung für den Naturschutz. – Kleine Senckenbergreihe 32: 121-134. Frankfurt/M.

Thüs, H.(1996): Zikaden der Weiden um Balingen-Zillhausen (Schwäbische Alb). – Naturkundliche Beiträge des DJN 31: 36 - 51.

Thüs, H. (1996): Epiphytische Flechten um Balingen-Zillhausen (Schwäbische Alb). – Naturkundliche Beiträge des DJN 31: 52 - 67.

Kirschbaum, U., Windisch, U., Heitmann, B., Kaesler, C., Kluthe, R., Kömig, R., Kohlhass, D., Luschtinetz, R., Martin, O., Mayer, B., Meinunger, L., Oepen, S., Rechimann, C., Sendke, P., Siegmuind, I., Stahlberg, M., Teuber, D., Thüs, H., & Tiller. K. (1995): Beurteilung der lufthygienischen Situation Hessens mittels epiphytischer Flechten. – Umweltplanung, Arbeits- und Umweltschutz 171: 150 S. Wiesbaden.

Thüs, H. (1993): Limnologische Untersuchungen am Wittwichsbach. – Naturkundliche Beiträge des DJN 27: 9 - 19. Hamburg.

Thüs, H. (1993): Flechten der Kreuzwertheimer Umgebung. – Naturkundliche Beiträge des DJN 27: 41 - 49.

Amithai, N., Benmda, J., Blankenhagenm P., Heitz, S., Heubel, V. & Thüs, H. (1992): Limnologische Gewässergütebestimmung nach verschiedenen Methoden. – Naturkundliche Beiträge des DJN 26: 10 - 36.

Thüs, H. (1992): Immissionsökologische Untersuchungen an einer Mülldeponie. – Naturkundliche Beiträge des DJN 25: 13 - 26.

Thüs, H. (1991): Flechtenfunde im Nordschwarzwald. – Naturkundliche Beiträge des DJN 23: 37 -48.

 

 

 

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