Abstract
Lichens are valuable bio-indicators for evaluating the consequences of human activities that are increasingly changing the earth’s ecosystems. Since a major objective of national parks is the preservation of biodiversity, our aim is to analyse how natural resource management, the availability of lichen substrates and environmental parameters influence lichen diversity in Rodnei Mountains National Park situated in the Eastern Carpathians. Three main types of managed vegetation were investigated: the transhumance systems in alpine meadows, timber exploitation in mixed and pure spruce forests, and the corresponding conserved sites. The data were sampled following a replicated design. For the analysis, we considered not only all lichen species, but also species groups from different substrates such as soil, trees and deadwood. The lichen diversity was described according to species richness, red-list status and substrate-specialist species richness. The variation in species composition was related to the environmental variables. Habitat management was found to negatively influence species richness and alter the lichen community composition, particularly for threatened and substrate-specialist species. It reduced the mean level of threatened species richness by 59%, when all lichen species were considered, and by 81%, when only epiphytic lichens were considered. Management-induced disturbance significantly decreased lichen species richness in forest landscapes with long stand continuity. The diversity patterns of the lichens indicate a loss of species richness and change in species composition in areas where natural resources are still exploited inside the borders of the national park. It is thus imperative for protected areas, in particular old-growth forests and alpine meadows, to receive more protection than they have received in the past to ensure populations of the characteristic species remain viable in the future.
Highlights
The loss of taxonomic, phylogenetic, genetic, and functional diversity in ecosystems worldwide is currently taking place very rapidly due to human activities [1]
We found a total of 240 lichen species and one form
The Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) model of all lichen species showed that the management and vegetation type significantly influenced species richness
Summary
The loss of taxonomic, phylogenetic, genetic, and functional diversity in ecosystems worldwide is currently taking place very rapidly due to human activities [1]. To slow down the rate of loss, effective protection measures are essential. Today more than 100 000 sites are protected, covering over 12.7% of the world’s terrestrial area according to the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). The size of these areas provides, little information on how effective they are for biodiversity conservation [2]. 72% of the exploitations of old-growth forests are taking place in protected areas [4]
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