Composition Of Lichens Research Articles

Changes in the epiphytic lichen biota in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stands affected by a colony of grey heron (Ardea cinerea): a case study from northern Poland

AbstractBird colonies affect all elements of inhabited ecosystems, such as the soil, floristic composition and phytocoenosis structure, including the lichen biota. To date, the few papers focusing on changes in the composition of lichen vegetation caused by bird colonies are concerned with saxicolous ornithocoprophilous communities. The aim of this study was to define the impact of the grey heron in two breeding colonies on epiphytic lichens on Scots pines presently inhabited by birds, as well as those recently abandoned. Analysis of the lichen biota showed that the species composition and number of lichens were significantly modified in the functioning colony and the post-colony areas when compared with the control plots never inhabited by grey heron. Within the functioning and post-colony areas, mainly species with a wide ecological amplitude and those characteristic of fertile habitats dominated, while acidophilous and ubiquitous taxa occurred in the control plots. Multivariate analyses (for species abundance and ecological characteristics) showed that lichens growing within the functioning colony and post-colony areas differed significantly from those in the control area in their habitat requirements, as they demanded nutrient-rich, low or moderately moist and deacidified bark. Within the control plots, lichens preferring a relatively acidic and slightly nitrified substratum occurred. The direct impact of bird excrement and the fertilized bark could cause significant modifications in qualitative and quantitative species composition compared to the epiphytic lichen biota usually occurring on Scots pines.

Patterns and drivers of species composition of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens in managed temperate forests

Epiphytic bryophytes and lichens are an important component of the endangered forest biota in temperate forests, their diversity and composition patterns being regulated by tree, stand and landscape scale factors. The aim of this study is to improve ecological understanding of such factors in managed coniferous–deciduous mixed forests of Hungary in the context of forest management. In particular, this study investigate the effect of tree species composition, stand structure (tree size distribution, shrub layer and dead wood), microclimate (light, temperature and air humidity), landscape and historical factors on the stand level and tree level composition of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens. The relationships were explored by multivariate methods (redundancy analysis, canonical correspondence analysis and variation partitioning) and indicator species analysis. Tree species is among the most important driver of species composition in both organism groups. For bryophytes, the continuity of forest microclimate and the presence of shrub layer are also important, while lichen assemblages are influenced by light availability. Landscape and historical variables were less influential than stand scale factors. On the basis of our results, the main strategy of management focusing on epiphyte diversity conservation should include: (1) the maintenance of tree species diversity in mixed stands; (2) increasing the proportion of deciduous trees (mainly oaks and hornbeam); (3) the maintenance of large trees within the stands; (4) the presence of shrub and regeneration layer; (5) the creation of heterogeneous light conditions.

Geochemistry of terricolous lichens in the White Sea catchment area

This paper presents new data on the multielemental composition of terricolous lichens in the White Sea catchment area. The content of 51 chemical elements was determined in 31 samples using modern analytical methods. It was shown that the chemical composition of terricolous lichens varies widely and depends on many factors. The lithogenic dust plays the main role in accumulation of Ti, Cr, Co, Ga, Fe, Zr, Nb, Ga, Th, U, and REE. Long-range transport from remote pollution sources is important for Pb, Zn, Cd, Bi, Hg, and Se. The Kostomuksha ore dressing mill provides the local enrichment of the lichens in Fe, whereas the Monchegorsk copper-nickel enterprise affects large distances and additionally enriches the lichens in Cu, Ni, Co, Pb, and Cd in comparison with the background regions. The marine impact is reflected in elevated contents and enrichment factors in Na, Mg, and the Na/K ratio.

The impact of forest management on changes in composition of terricolous lichens in dry acidophilous Scots pine forests

AbstractThis study focuses on dry acidophilous Scots pine forests, well known for their high biodiversity of cryptogams. We hypothesized that dense forests and heavy management were responsible for changes in species diversity, decreasing trends in lichen cover and increasing moss cover. This hypothesis was tested in three types of Scots pine forests maintained under three different management regimes: 1) managed forests (forest plantations regenerated by planting), 2) semi-natural forests (forest plantations regenerated naturally), both located in the Borská nížina lowland in SW Slovakia, and 3) natural forests (primordial vegetation without visible management actions from the associationCladonio-PinetumJuraszek 1928), located in the Bory Tucholskie National Park, NW Poland.We observed that the cover of the canopy tree layer had the most significant influence on the diversity of lichens. Managed forests are planted and maintained to achieve denser tree stocking, and although the environmental conditions created appear optimal for moss species, they are less suitable for terricolous lichens.

Contrasting responses of epiphytic and dead wood-dwelling lichen diversity to forest management abandonment in silver fir mature woodlands

In the Alps, many forests are under abandonment because of direct protection or the unprofitability of timber production. The objective of this study was to analyse the effect of silviculture abandonment on the species richness and composition of epiphytic and dead wood-dwelling lichens in silver fir woodlands. An abandoned and a currently non-intensively managed forest watershed of the eastern Italian Alps that were matched for topography, stand structure, plant community and history of use were selected and randomly sampled for the lichen diversity of their silver fir mature stands. Generalised linear mixed models were used for the analyses of the species richness, whereas the species composition patterns were explored by redundancy analysis. The diversity of both of the lichen guilds were explained by the microhabitat conditions related to the contrasting management regimes, but they had opposite responses to the abandonment of the silvicultural activities. The epiphytic lichen communities were richer in species in the managed than in the abandoned silver fir woodlands. However, the effect of a 50year management cessation on the epiphytic lichens may change in the long term when natural disturbances create gaps and increase the attributes of old-growth forests. The dead wood-dwelling lichen species richness was higher in the abandoned forest because an increased availability of types of dead wood is usually rare in managed forests. The dead wood-dwelling lichen communities of the managed forests were a subset of a more diverse community that was developing in the abandoned forest. Our results indicated that, in non-intensively managed silver fir mature stands, lichen diversity may benefit from the retention of logs and snags, which provide habitat features typical of old-growth forests.

Tree and stand-scale factors affecting richness and composition of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens in deciduous woodland key habitats

Conservation and sustainable forestry are essential in a multi-functional landscape. In this respect, ecological studies on epiphytes are needed to determine abiotic and biotic factors associated with high diversity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate relative sensitivity of conservation targets (epiphytic bryophytes and lichens) in relation to contrasting environmental variables (tree species, tree diameter at breast height, bark crevice depth, pH, tree inclination, pH, forest stand age, area and type) in boreo-nemoral forests. The study was conducted in Latvian 34 woodland key habitat (WKH) boreo-nemoral forest stands. Generalized linear mixed models and canonical correspondence analysis showed that tree species and tree bark pH were the most important variables explaining epiphytic bryophyte and lichen composition and richness (total, Red-listed, WKH indicator species). Forest stand level factors, such as stand size and habitat type, had only minor influence on epiphytic species composition and richness. The results of the present study indicate a need to maintain the diversity of tree species and large trees, particularly Acer platanoides, Carpinus betulus, Fraxinus excelsior, Populus tremula, Tilia cordata, Ulmus glabra and Ulmus laevis in conservation of epiphytic bryophyte and lichen communities in the future.

Mature non-native black-locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) forest does not regain the lichen diversity of the natural forest

The responses of lichens to habitat changes caused by invasive trees are poorly understood. Invasive forest trees may impact epiphytic lichens by altering both substrate and stand conditions.Previous research has demonstrated that black locust invasion, associated with intensive exploitation of native oak forests, led to dramatic shifts in lichen composition. However, it is not clear if, along with stand aging, black locust formations regain forest species. The main aim of this study was to test whether the succession of black locust stands promotes a lichen succession leading to assemblages in mature black locust stands which are similar to those of native forests. To test the influence of macro-environmental conditions, we performed the study in two bioclimatically different areas of Italy. The epiphytic lichen biota of native oak and chestnut stands was compared with that of black locust stands of different successional stages. In both regions we did not find a lichen succession in black locust stands of different age, and mature black-locust stands did not recover the diversity of epiphytic species, which are lost by the replacement of the native forests by black locust. The absence of this pattern may be caused by factors related to the management of black locust stands, and to bark features. The different bioclimatic conditions between the two study areas may explain differences in the lichen biota of native forests, while that of black locust stands tend to be similar between regions, suggesting that forest habitat changes associated with the spread of black locust could decrease lichen diversity among bioclimatically different regions.

Baseline element composition of foliose and fruticose lichens along the steep climatic gradient of SW Patagonia (Aisén Region, Chile)

Samples of foliose (Nephroma antarcticum) and fruticose (Usnea sp.) lichens were collected across a steep climatic and vegetation gradient in a remote, almost pristine region of SW Chilean Patagonia. Concentrations of major and trace elements in lichens from the rainforest were among the lowest ever reported worldwide for foliose and fruticose lichens and can be considered background levels for the region. The two lichen growth forms showed different elemental compositions mainly due to the greater capacity of foliose thalli to intercept elements from windborne and canopy-leached particles. The patterns of spatial variation in the chemical composition of lichens were effectively explained by statistical methods and reflected the different availability of wet and dry deposition along the steep climatic gradient. Baseline values established for N. antarcticum samples growing in temperate Nothofagus forests were therefore distinct from those of samples growing in more open, drier habitats. The fruticose Usnea sp. showed a higher affinity for atmophile Hg, low concentrations of lithophilic elements, and the same baseline composition whether from temperate forests or from dry, barren environments. The provided background and baseline values against which variations can be measured will be useful in the early detection of local or regional climatic and environmental change, especially in view of the planned construction of hydropower dams under the recently approved HidroAysén Project.

A Study of Epiphytic Lichen Communities in Urban and Rural Environments in Southwestern Pennsylvania

ABSTRACTCommunity analyses of epiphytic lichens were used to study the controlling factors of lichen abundance and diversity in urban and rural environments of Pittsburgh in southwestern Pennsylvania. Two urban sites included Schenley and Frick Parks in metropolitan Pittsburgh and two rural sites at Mingo Creek County Park in Washington County and Roaring Runs Natural Area in Westmoreland County. Community composition of lichens was measured at six intensive monitoring plots per site and site-wide species diversity surveys. The lichen diversity value, a statistical estimator of the environmental conditions at a site, was greater at the rural sites (20.8 ± 3.0) compared to the urban sites (11.3 ± 3.5) (± standard error), suggesting a less disturbed lichen community at Mingo and Roaring Runs. In the intensive monitoring plots, species richness was greater at Mingo and Roaring Runs compared to Schenley and Frick, averaging 5.2 ± 0.3, 4.7 ± 0.4, 3.7 ± 0.8 and 2.0 ± 0.4, respectively. The dominant lichens across all sites were Lepraria lobificans, an unidentified sterile crustose lichen and Cladonia ochrochlora. The dominance of nitrophilous and sulfur dioxide–tolerant lichens at all sites suggests that the lichen community within the larger geographical region is influenced by nitrogen and sulfur dioxide air pollutants. The differences between sampling sites are most likely driven by lichens responding to changes in urbanization, which include humidity and habitat fragmentation.

Current state of forage resources and feeding of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and musk oxen (Ovibos moschatus) in the arctic tundras of Wrangel Island

The species composition and aboveground biomass of plant and lichens and the composition of reindeer and musk ox diet in the arctic tundra of Wrangel Island were studied in 2004 to 2007. The above-ground phytomass in different areas of the island varied from 1105 to 2100 kg/ha. The composition of plants consumed by reindeer and musk oxen and their proportions in the diet were determined by standard micro-histological analysis of plant remains in their feces. The results showed that, either in winter or in summer, both species obviously preferred feeding on willows (Salicaceae), which comprised almost half of their diet. Moreover, their feeding was highly selective, especially with respect to sedges and rushes (Cyperaceae + Juncaceae) and legumes (Fabaceae). Although the contributions of these plant groups to the total aboveground phytomass were very small (less than 4 and 8%), their proportions in the diet reached 27 and 24%, respectively. Mosses were not a preferred forage: their proportion in the aboveground phytomass reached 40%, but that in the diets of both species was below 10% in summer and increased to 20% only in the winter diet of reindeer. At a high abundance of lichens (up to 20% of the aboveground phytomass), neither of the animals consumed them during the study period.

IR spectroscopic study of the chemical composition of epiphytic lichens

Changes in the chemical composition of lichens exposed to pollutants are investigated by means of FTIR spectroscopy. According to model experiments, alkyl nitrates, ammonium salts, amines, and sulfones develop in the lichen thallus through the action of ammonia and nitric and sulfuric acids. Spectroscopic data of modeling experiments enabled nitrogen- and sulfur-containing substances to be identified as the main air pollutants in the vicinity of a pig-breeding complex and information to be obtained on the content of the pollutants and their impact on the lichens.

Spatiotemporal Pattern of Primary Succession in Relation to Meso-topographic Gradients on Recently Deglaciated Terrains in the Patagonian Andes

Vegetation in primary succession is influenced by multiple stochastic and environmental factors at different spatial and temporal scales. In this study we analyze the effect of meso-topographic heterogeneity on vegetation development following the retreat of Glaciar Seco in the southern Patagonian Andes. Composition and cover of algae, lichens, mosses, and vascular plants were recorded in 580 plots located in different topographic positions within a chronosequence of eight consecutive moraines. Sample plots were characterized by topographical and surface features. Spatiotemporal patterns in vegetation composition and their relationships to environmental factors were assessed by classification and ordination. We recognized eight communities that correspond to four major successional stages. The successional sequence is characterized by a physiognomic development from pioneer saxicolous lichens (first stage) to secondary colonizer lichens (second stage), followed by shrub colonization (third stage) and the development of Nothofagus spp. forests (fourth stage). Alternative successional trajectories on different topographic positions vary in the sequence of these four major successional stages, with the trajectories on the moraine ridge-top and base not going through some of the stages. A variance partition procedure shows that time since deglaciation and topographic position on the moraines account for comparable amounts of vegetation variance, emphasizing the importance of spatiotemporal analysis of vegetation development on heterogeneous landscapes. Broad trends in vegetation development follow environmental gradients. However, emergence and persistence of vegetation patterns can also be attributed to dynamic geomorphic processes such as moraine slope degradation affecting boulder distribution along the moraine foreslope. At the landscape scale, successional trajectories converge to a Nothofagus-dominated state, but significant variability remains in the understory due to the differential distribution of cryptogams along the moraine topographic gradient. Convergence is mostly related to the expansion of communities from more favorable sites towards the harsher moraine crest, but it is not a process of gradual deterministic changes along the different successional pathways.

Distribution of forest floor lichen communities in the mountainous area of southern Urumqi, Xinjiang, China

Forest floor lichens are sensitive to variations in habitat conditions. To understand the distribu- tional patterns of forest floor lichen communities and how habitat factors relate to dominant lichen species composition and diversity, we sampled 240 plots (50 cm×50 cm) in the mountainous area of southern Urumqi, Xinjiang, China. We detected 17 species in total, belonging to 10 genera and 5 families. Cluster analysis and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) showed that plots clustered into four groups: (1) a Cladonia pyxidata + Cladonia cariosa + Cladonia chlorophaea community, including seven species with a total coverage of 19.7%; (2) a Solorina bispora + Cladonia cariosa + Cladonia scabriuscula community, in- cluding 11 species with a total coverage of 21.1%; (3) a Cetraria nivalis + Cladonia pyxidata community, in- cluding three species with a total coverage of 8.1%; and (4) a Peltigera rufescens + P. polydactyla commu- nity, including seven species with the total coverage of 23.83%. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that the species composition and diversity of floor lichens were most strongly influenced by altitude, then forest canopy density and humidity; the distribution patterns of lichen communities were apparently influenced by human disturbance. Variation in lichen communities among different elevations

Declining—but Persistent—Atmospheric Contamination in Central California from the Resuspension of Historic Leaded Gasoline Emissions As Recorded in the Lace Lichen (Ramalina menziesii Taylor) from 1892 to 2006

Analyses of lead concentration and isotopic composition of recent and archived samples of the lace lichen (Ramalina menziesii) chronicle more than a century of atmospheric lead contamination in central California. The contamination extends back to our oldest sample from 1892, when lead levels in lichen from the northern reach of the San Francisco Bay estuary were 9-12 microg/g and their isotopic composition corresponded to those of high lead emissions from the Selby smelter (e.g., (206)Pb/(207)Pb = 1.165) that were killing horses in adjacent fields at that time. By the mid-1950s lead isotopic compositions of lichens shifted to the more radiogenic leaded gasoline emissions (e.g., (206)Pb/(207)Pb = 1.18-1.22). Lead concentrations in the lichen peaked at 880 microg/g in 1976, corresponding with the maximum of leaded gasoline emissions in California in the 1970s. After that, lead concentrations in lichen declined to current levels, ranging from 0.2 to 4.7 microg/g. However, isotopic compositions of contemporary samples still correspond to those of previous leaded gasoline emissions in California. This correspondence is consistent with other observations that attest to the persistence of environmental lead contamination from historic industrial emissions in central California.

Species diversity of ground lichens in the raised bog vegetationof the Irtysh left-bank terraces

В статье представлены первые результаты изучения флоры лишайников верховых олиготрофных болот в районе международного полевого стационара «Мухрино», расположенного на левобережной террасе Иртыша в 30 км к юго-западу от г. Ханты-Мансийска (60º53' с.ш., 68º42' в.д.). При изучении растительности выявлен видовой состав напочвенных лишайников сосново-кустарничково-сфагновых сообществ верховых болот района, который насчитывает 19 видов и подвидов рода Cladonia, два вида рода Cetraria и одного представителя накипных лишайников - Icmadophila ericetorum. Наиболее распространены на верховых сфагновых болотах ключевого участка такие виды как Cladonia stygia, C. stellaris, C. sulphurina, C. cornuta, C. cenotea, C. chlorophaea. Обсуждается важность тщательного изучения флоры лишайников верховых болот как возможных биоиндикаторов глобальных изменений климата. В этой связи была сделана попытка сравнения видового состава напочвенных лишайников однотипных сосново-кустарничково-сфагновых сообществ ассоциации Milio anomala-Sphagnetum fusci в разных биоклиматических зонах (подтайге, южной тайге и средней тайге) Западной Сибири. Установлено, что такие виды как Cladonia deformis, C. fimbriata, в меньшей степени C. portentosa при всей широте их географического ареала фитоценотически более активны в условиях более теплого климата юга лесной зоны, в то время как частота встречаемости Cladonia stygia, C. arbuscula, C. sulphurina, C. crispata заметно возрастает в направлении с юга на север.

Gastropod grazing shapes the vertical distribution of epiphytic lichens in forest canopies

Summary 1. Species composition and biomass of epiphytic lichens varies along a complex environmental gradient from the ground to the top of the forest canopy. It is not known if this gradient, considered to be shaped by succession (age of bark surface) and climatic factors, is also influenced by invertebrate grazing. 2. To investigate the grazing hypothesis, the natural height ranges of four old‐forest Lobaria species on tree trunks were quantified. These large foliose epiphytes with different secondary chemistry were transplanted onto Fraxinus excelsior trunks 0.5, 3 and 6 m above‐ground in five broad‐leaved deciduous forests in southern Norway. After 4.5 months of exposure to natural climbing gastropods, grazing was quantified. 3. Grazing pressure strongly increased with increasing proximity to the ground. At all heights, gastropods clearly preferred Lobaria scrobiculata followed by L. amplissima. Lobaria pulmonaria, highest in carbon‐based secondary compounds (CBSCs), and L. virens, nearly deficient in CBSCs, were both much less grazed. Therefore, CBSCs cannot explain the preferences. According to existing literature the stictic acid complex, present in L. pulmonaria and L. scrobiculata, represents a herbivore defence when occurring in quantities as high as those in L. pulmonaria. The identity of the strong defence in the CBSC‐deficient L. virens is unknown. 4. Gastropods’ preference for these epiphytes mirrors the distribution of the lichens in nature. The highly palatable L. scrobiculata occurs mainly in localities with low gastropod abundance such as boreal forests and on bark with slightly lower pH. Lobaria amplissima occurs in gastropod‐rich localities, but above the lower parts of the trunk. Lobaria pulmonaria and L. virens frequently grow down to a level of < 1 m above the ground. 5. Synthesis. Our results suggest that climbing gastropods play a role in determining the lower distribution limit of epiphytic lichens along a vertical canopy gradient and influence the spatial pattern of susceptible lichen species. By grazing lichens in a species‐specific way, gastropods can shape epiphytic communities in broad‐leaved deciduous forests.

Interacting effects of tree characteristics on the occurrence of rare epiphytes in a Swedish beech forest area

Many epiphytes in Swedish beech forests are associated with old and damaged trees. In this study we examined the impact of bark, soil and stemflow pH, water-holding capacity and bark structures on this association. We also analyzed whether the influence of these factors differed between species of conservation concern (red-listed and indicator species of woodland key habitats) and species not of conservation concern. One hundred and one age-determined living beech trees (range 58-277 yrs) in 13 beech-dominated stands were surveyed in a forest landscape in southern Sweden. We recorded 119 species in total (76 lichens, 43 bryophytes) of which 21 were red-listed and 17 indicator species (26 lichens, 12 bryophytes). NMS ordination showed that the species composition of lichens changed primarily with tree age and along the gradient of smooth bark versus moss cover. Bark pH and tree vitality were the most important gradients for bryophyte composition. The combination of old damaged beech trees and high bark pH resulted in the highest mean number of species of conservation concern for both lichens and bryophytes. The link between these factors is partly explained by a positive effect of tree age on the stemflow pH. Species number of bryophytes not of conservation concern increased with bark pH, whereas the corresponding group of lichens was favored primarily by increased light availability. Neither the water-holding capacity of bark nor soil pH affected patterns of species number. The results from this study show that old beech trees infected by fungi, with a higher bark pH, are the most valuable trees for epiphytes of conservation concern.

Soil physico-chemical properties affecting the distribution of biological soil crusts along an environmental transect at Zapotitlán drylands, Mexico

The composition of cyanobacteria, mosses, and lichens of biological soil crusts were correlated with soil characteristics and sun exposure along an environmental transect. The study was conducted in Zapotitlán drylands, a locality within the Tehuacán–Cuicatlán Valley, central Mexico, where a great variety of environments for crust development exist due to landscape fragmentation. Data were analyzed with redundancy and Sorensen analysis. Soil crusts consisted of different combinations of cyanobacteria (7 species), mosses (19 species), and lichens (8 species). The relative frequencies of these groups were positively correlated with soil apparent density and lichens were also positively correlated with soil pH. However, there were no significant correlations with sun exposure.

Aspen succession and nitrogen loading: a case for epiphytic lichens as bioindicators in the Rocky Mountains, USA

AbstractQuestion: Can lichen communities be used to assess short‐ and long‐term factors affecting seral quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) communities at the landscape scale?Location: Bear River Range, within the Rocky Mountains, in northern Utah and southern Idaho, USA.Method: Forty‐seven randomly selected mid‐elevation aspen stands were sampled for lichens and stand conditions. Plots were characterized according to tree species cover, basal area, stand age, bole scarring, tree damage, and presence of lichen species. We also recorded ammonia emissions with passive sensors at 25 urban and agricultural sites throughout an adjacent populated valley upwind of the forest stands. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) ordination was used to evaluate an array of 20 variables suspected to influence lichen communities.Results: In NMS, forest succession explained most variance in lichen composition and abundance, although atmospheric nitrogen from local agricultural and urban sources also significantly influenced the lichen communities. Abundance of nitrophilous lichen species decreased with distance from peak ammonia sources and the urban center in all aspen succession classes. One lichen, Phaeophyscia nigricans, was found to be an effective bioindicator of nitrogen loading.Conclusions: Lichen communities in this landscape assessment of aspen forests showed clear responses to long‐term (stand succession) and short‐term (nitrogen deposition) influences. At the same time, several environmental factors (e.g. tree damage and scarring, distance to valley, topography, and stand age) had little influence on these same lichen communities. We recommend further use of epiphytic lichens as bioindicators of dynamic forest conditions.

Towards an ecologically-sustainable forestry in the Atlantic Forest

Since pristine Atlantic Forest remnants are vanishing, and biological reserves are in short, conservation of biodiversity will largely depend on proper management of the anthropogenic matrix. Here, we test (1) the effectiveness of ecologically-managed tree monocultures in maintaining Araucaria Forest biodiversity, (2) how this effectiveness change among taxa, and (3) we discuss management principles that can be used by the forestry industry in order to contribute positively to biodiversity conservation. The study was conducted in the São Francisco de Paula National Forest, southern Brazil, an environmental mosaic composed mostly of patches of Araucaria Forest and ecologically-managed monocultures of Araucaria, Pinus and Eucalyptus. Using standardized sampling methods in these four main habitats, we have recorded the richness and species composition of small mammals, birds, leaf-litter frogs, butterflies, galling insects, spiders, opiliones, flatworms, woody plants, epiphytic angiosperms, epiphytic ferns, lichens, and fruit-body producing fungi. Overall, we recorded 506 species in Araucaria Forest, 181 (36%) of which were exclusive of this habitat while 325 (64%) could be found in at least one monoculture. Distribution patterns of species richness and number of records across taxonomic groups showed that a large biodiversity can be found inside ecologically-managed plantations of Araucaria, Pinus, and Eucalyptus. For all studied taxa, except for epiphytic angiosperms and fruit-body producing fungi, more than half of the Araucaria Forest species could be found living on monocultures. We discuss how the actual management practices of the forest industry can be improved to contribute positively to the conservation of the Atlantic Forest biodiversity.