Lichen Succession on Leaves of the Rainforest Shrub, Capparis arborea (Capparaceae)

Abstract

The lichen flora on leaves of Capparis arborea (F. Muell.) Maiden growing in undisturbed rainforest at Mt Glorious, Queensland, Australia was examined. The sequence of colonisation on leaves of increasing age on twigs (a chronosequence) was determined, and, although involving the same lichen species, was found not to be the same as that reported on Wilkiea macrophylla in the same forest. Analysis of variance demonstrated that total lichen cover and the cover of the common species Porina epiphylla on the leaves was significantly related to both leaf position in a chronosequence and to leaf area, with a significant interaction between the two. The relationship between the cover of lichen species on a leaf and the size and age of the leaf is apparently complex. Frequency of four species was related to position in the chronosequence, and of six species to size of the leaf. Lichen succession is not a simple time-dependent sequence on this host plant species.