Xanthoria calcicola is found in the southern temperate region of Europe, with its distribution range stretching from southern Scandinavia south to the Mediterranean Basin. Its presence extends eastward from Great Britain, reaching as far as Ukraine and various regions in the Middle East. The lichen grows primarily on stone, but is also frequently found growing on bark. A study conducted in Sweden found that X. calcicola typically does not prefer trees as habitats and only colonises them when they are in close proximity to an existing population on a wall.[5]
A 2016 study investigated the metal and metalloid content in Xanthoria calcicola collected from the Syracusan petrochemical complex in Sicily, revealing high concentrations of elements like arsenic, chromium, nickel, and vanadium, indicative of environmental stress in the area. The use of multi-element statistical analysis and enrichment factors in the study demonstrated the effectiveness of Xanthoria calcicola as a bioindicator in highly industrialized environments, suggesting its potential application as a bioindicator in other industrial contexts.[7]
^Oxner, A.N. (1937). Viznachvik lishainikiv URSR (Forteckning over ukrainska sovjetrepublikens lavar) [Identifier of Lichens of the Ukrainian SSR] (in Russian). Kiev: Akademija Nauk Ukrainskoi RSR Institut Botaniki. p. 302.
