# Ingvar Kärnefelt

Jan Eric Ingvar Kärnefelt (born 1944) is a Swedish lichenologist.

## Early life and education

Kärnefelt was born in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1944. His initial goal in his higher-level studies at University of Cologne in 1966–1967 was to become a dentist. He changed courses in 1968, turning instead to biology at the University of Gothenburg in 1968. Gunnar Degelius, his first teacher during undergraduate studies in botany in 1968, inspired him and others. After Degelius' retirement in 1969, Ingvar continued his studies at Lund University, where Hans Runemark held a position in systematic botany. In 1971 he met Ove Almborn, who became his supervisor. In 1979, he defended his thesis titled "The brown fruticose species of Cetraria". The thesis was later awarded a prize for the best doctoral dissertation in botany at Lund University during a 5-year period by the Royal Physiographic Society in Lund.

## Career

Kärnefelt became associate professor at the Department of Systematic Botany at the University of Lund, where he mentored several PhD students.
Kärnefelt's research interests include the Parmeliaceae and the Teloschistaceae, both families in which he described several taxa new to science. In 1987 he started a project regarding the status of threatened lichens in southern Sweden. This project, which was extended until 1995, provided funding for his PhD students and resulted in the publication of a highly cited book in 1997. Kärnefelt became director of the Botanical Museum in 1994, and Professor in 2000. Following a reorganization in the Faculty of Science he also became director of the Biological Museum in 2001. He was able to secure funding from the Swedish Species Information Centre [sv] to support digitization and curation of collections in Swedish biological museums.
Kärnefelt was the president of the International Association for Lichenology from 1992–1996, and later elected Honorary President of this association for life. In the period 1997–2005 he was the editor-in-chief for the journal of the Nordic Lichen Society, Graphis Scripta, and has been on the editorial board of the Nordic Journal of Botany since 2001.

## Recognition

He had an entire issue of The Lichenologist (volume 41, issue 5, 2009) dedicated to him, with articles written by former students. He is a member of Royal Physiographic Society in Lund.

### Eponymy

Four genera and several species have been named to honour Kärnefelt. These include: Ikaeria S.Y.Kondr., Upreti & Hur (2017); Ingvariella Guderley & Lumbsch (1997); Kaernefeltia A.Thell & Goward (1996); Kaernefia S.Y.Kondr., Elix, A.Thell & Hur (2013); Caloplaca kaernefeltii S.Y.Kondr., Elix & A.Thell (2009), Catapyrenium kaernefeltii Breuss (1993); Hypotrachyna kaernefeltii Divakar, A.Crespo, Sipman, Elix & Lumbsch (2013); Placomaronea kaernefeltii M.Westb., Frödén & Wedin (2009); and Xanthoria kaernefeltii S.Y.Kondr., D.J.Galloway & Goward (2010).

## Publications

Close to 300 in Lund University publications, including scientific publications, popular publications, reviews, biographies and newspaper articles.

### Selected publications

Kärnefelt, I. 1979. The brown fruticose species of Cetraria. Opera Botanica 46: 1-150.
Kärnefelt, I. 1986. The genera Bryocaulon, Coelocaulon and Cornicularia and formerly associated taxa. Opera Botanica 86: 1-90.
Kärnefelt, I. 1989. Morphology and phylogeny in the Teloschistales. Cryptogamic Botany 1: 147-203.
Kärnefelt, I., Mattsson, J.-E. & Thell, A. 1992. Evolution and phylogeny of cetrarioid lichens. Plant Systematic and Evolution 183: 113-160.
Wang, T., Bengtsson, G., Kärnefelt, I. & Björn, L. O. 2001. Provitamins and vitamins D2 and D3 in Cladina spp. Over a latitudinal gradient: possible correlation with UV levels. Journal of Photochemistry and photobiology 62: 118-122.
Thell, A. Feuerer, T., Kärnefelt, I., Myllys, L. & Stenroos, S. 2004. Monophyletic groups within the Parmeliaceae identified by ITS rDNA, betatubulin and GAPDH sequences. Mycological Progress 3: 297-314.
Thell, A., Westberg, M. & Kärnefelt, I. 2004. Biogeography of the lichen family Parmeliaceae in the Nordic countries with taxonomic remarks. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Symbolae Botanicae Upsalienses 34: 429-452.
Kärnefelt, I. & Thell, A. 2007. Erik Acharius and his times. In: Kärnefelt, I. & Thell, A (eds): Lichenological Contributions in Honour of David Galloway. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 95. J. Cramer, Berlin & Stuttgart, pp. 63-74.
Kärnefelt, I. & Thell, A. 2007. International Association for Lichenology: the early years. In: Kärnefelt, I. & Thell, A (eds): Lichenological Contributions in Honour of David Galloway. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 95. J. Cramer, Berlin & Stuttgart, pp. 75-100.
Kondratyuk, S. Y., Kärnefelt, I., Elix, J. A. & Thell, A. 2009. Contributions to the Teloschistaceae with particular reference to the Southern Hemisphere. In: Thell, A., Seaward, M. R. D. & Feuerer, T. (eds). Diversity of Lichenology - anniversary volume. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 100. J. Cramer, Berlin & Stuttgart, pp. 211-290.
Kärnefelt, I. 2009. Fifty influential lichenologists. In: Thell, A., Seaward, M. R. D. & Feuerer, T. (eds). Diversity of Lichenology - anniversary volume. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 100. J. Cramer, Berlin & Stuttgart, pp. 291-380.
Kärnefelt, I. 2009. Charles Darwin - äventyr, dramatik, framgång, liv och död. Fauna & Flora 104: 2-14.
Kärnefelt, I., Scholz, P., Seaward, M. R. D. & Thell, A. 2012. Lichenology in Germany: past, present and future. In Schlechtendalia 23. p.1-90.
Kärnefelt, I.; Seaward, M. R. D. & Thell, A. 2012. Systematics, biodiversity and ecology of Lichens. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 108, J. Cramer, Berlin & Stuttgart, 290 pp.
Thell, A., Crespo, A., Divakar, P. K., Kärnefelt, I., Leavitt, S. D., Lumbsch, H. T. & Seaward, M. R. D. 2012. A review of the lichen family Parmeliaceae - history, phylogeny and current taxonomy. Nordic Journal of Botany. 30, 6, s. 641-664.
Kondratyuk, S., Tuija, A., Kärnefelt, I., & Thell, A. 2023. Lichenicolous fungi of southern Scandinavia with particular reference to those associated with Xanthoria calcicola s. lat. In Folia Cryptogamica Estonica 60, pp. 129-136.

### Books

Kärnefelt, I. & Thell, A. (eds). 2007. Lichenological Contributions in Honour of David Galloway. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 95. J. Cramer, Gebrüder Borntraeger, Berlin & Stuttgart, 603 pp.
Hafellner, J., Kärnefelt, I. & Wirth, V. (eds) 2010. Diversity and ecology of lichens in polar and mountain ecosystems. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 104. J. Cramer, Gebrüder Borntraeger, Stuttgart, 389 pp.
Kärnefelt, I.; Seaward, M. R. D. & Thell, A. (eds) 2012. Systematics, biodiversity and ecology of Lichens. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 108, J. Cramer, Berlin & Stuttgart, 290 pp.
Björn, L O. , Shevela, D. & Kärnefelt, I. 2020. Växtvärldens uppkomst och utveckling. Lunds Botaniska Förening, Mixi Print, Olofström, 196 sidor.