Petersburg, Russia Gilbert, O. 2000. The New Naturalist Library. Available from HarperCollins Publisher. This book has a different focus than common textbooks on lichens. Only the first 4 of 13 chapters are devoted to the general topics such as morphology, historic uses, the role in ecosystems and the use as bioindicators.
All further chapters describe the lichen diversity in British habitats.
Acid rocks, heaths and moors, chalk and limestone, mountains, rivers, lakes, the coast, man-made substrates are treated in detail and particular localities in Britain are highlighted. It is probably not a text for the novice in lichenology, and some knowledge about the diversity of species is necessary, but it is a comprehensive book on habitat ecology of lichens. The book is well illustrated with 16 color plates, numerous photographs, and many informative line drawings. I wondered a bit why conservation is only discussed in connection with church-yards. Anyway, the book fits perfectly in the New Naturalist series aiming to interest the reader in the wildlife of Britain.