Epiphytic Lichen Diversity Research Articles

Epiphytic lichen diversity along elevational gradients: biological traits reveal a complex response to water and energy

AbstractAimPatterns of epiphytic lichen diversity along elevational gradients covering the range of Norway spruce forests were analysed. The roles of water and energy variables in shaping the observed species–elevation relationship were tested, as well as how growth form and photobiont type distribution varied along the gradient.LocationSouth Tyrol, northern Italy.MethodsEight sites were selected spanning the elevational range of spruce forests (900–1900 m a.s.l.) and the regional rainfall gradient. At each site, a pair of forest stands (one mature even‐aged and one multilayered) was selected at three elevation steps. Epiphytic lichens were surveyed according to European guidelines for lichen diversity monitoring. Explanatory variables indicative of both forest structure and climate were included in the models.ResultsA positive relationship was found between number of species and elevation. This reflected the physiological response of epiphytic lichens to the main climatic factors, trait selection being the mechanism that determined the response at community level. Nonlinear species–temperature and trait–temperature relationships predicted that major changes may be expected in the intermediate part of the gradient. Lichens with a Trentepohlia algal partner were more frequent at lower elevations and proved to be sensitive to environmental factors indicative of forest structure. Lichen growth forms had contrasting patterns related to temperature, crustose species richness being enhanced by increasing values, and alectorioid and foliose lichens by decreasing values. Alectorioid lichens were also negatively influenced by rainfall.Main conclusionsIn a climate change scenario, lichen diversity in alpine regions will probably not benefit from an increase in air temperature in the same way as flowering plants. Monitoring variations in the proportions of growth form and photobiont type may represent a tool for detecting the effects of climate change on lichen species.

The effect of agriculture management and fire on epiphytic lichens on holm oak trees in the eastern Iberian Peninsula

AbstractFor a long time, agriculture and recurrent fires have been the main factors promoting diversity changes in Mediterranean areas. We examined the effect of irrigated and non-irrigated crops and fires on the epiphytic lichen diversity of holm oak trees in the Vall d'Albaida region (Valencia, Spain). Lichen diversity was studied by calculating the LDV (Lichen Diversity Value) and the proportion of functional groups. No significant differences were observed between areas located near irrigated or non-irrigated crops. Fire-affected areas tended to harbour lower LDV and species richness than those influenced by agriculture. By using lichen functional groups, it has been shown that eutrophication tolerance, substratum pH affinity and, to some extent, thallus growth form are the main factors driving epiphytic lichen diversity in this rural area.

Epiphytic lichens onJuniperus communis– an unexplored component of biodiversity in threatened alvar grassland

Semi‐natural grasslands, among them thin‐soil calcareous grasslands (alvars), have great conservation value but have become increasingly rare in Europe. The main threat to alvar grasslands is the encroachment by juniperJuniperus communisand therefore it is usually removed during the restoration practice. Juniper can also be a host plant for many epiphytic lichens, but its role as a phorophyte is poorly known. We studied epiphytic lichen diversity on 126 junipers in 17 sites in western Estonia and found 140 lichenized taxa including several rare and red‐listed species. Using indirect and direct multivariate analyses (DCA, pCCA) and general linear models we revealed that both habitat and phorophyte properties affect lichen assemblies on juniper. Lichen species richness per site showed a unimodal relationship with compound factors of site productivity and juniper characteristics (stem circumference and juniper width). Lichen species richness per phorophyte was increasing with its size and with the proportion of dead branches, and was twice higher in plate alvars than in ryhk alvars. Also, the species composition in plate alvars differed from ryhk alvars by having 42 characteristic lichen species in plate alvars vs three indicators of ryhk alvars. The composition of lichens was significantly influenced by encroachment of alvars, e.g. by high juniper cover and shrub layer height, as well as by the proportion of dead branches and stem circumference of juniper. We conclude that the epiphytic lichen assemblies on junipers are threatened by grassland encroachment similarly to ground layer lichen assemblies. We suggest that some old and scencent junipers should be preserved during the restoration of alvar grasslands.

Air Pollution Influences Epiphytic Lichen Diversity in the Northeast of Thailand

This work aimed to investigate epiphytic lichens on mango trees (Mangifera indica L.) in the municipality habitats of the Northeast of Thailand based on the Verein Deutscher Ingenieure protocol and define the factors that influence their diversity. Ninety-one taxa were observed, 21 of them are macrolichens, 87 species found outside municipality and 70 species found inside municipality. The factors that most affected epiphytic lichen diversity were tree circumference, days of rainfall, bark pH, area surrounding and annual rainfall and negatively affected by population size, temperature, and distance from road. This work concluded that traffic density and human population size reduce air quality and influenced epiphytic diversity in the municipal habitats in the Northeast of Thailand, and lichens are bioindicators of air pollution in this region.

Epiphytic lichen conservation in the Italian Alps: the role of forest type

Epiphytic lichens are a functionally important and species-rich component of Alpine forests, including several species of conservation concern. Their dependence on specific host trees predicts that forests with different tree species composition host different lichen communities, enhancing lichen diversity in forest landscapes. In this study, we tested for the first time the effect of forest type on patterns of epiphytic lichen diversity, in the Italian Alps. We sampled the main forest types of the South Tyrol, a typical Alpine region of Italy. We also assessed the influence of factors related to forest structure and climatic conditions. Our results demonstrate that different forest types host statistically different lichen communities, suggesting that the conservation of lichen diversity is entrusted to the maintenance of forest landscape heterogeneity, including forest types of minor economic value and rural habitats. The highest number of species was found in grazed larch forests and in high-elevation spruce forests, while the poorest pool was found in low-elevation spruce forests, beech forests and Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris ) forests. High-elevation spruce forests also had the highest number of red-listed lichens, as the non-intensive management of these forest type allows the establishment of a rich lichen biota. Our results also emphasize the role for lichen conservation of some forest types that are of minor economic importance, such as oak ( Quercus pubescens ), riparian, and silver-fir ( Abies alba ) forests. This can also apply to grazed larch ( Larix decidua ) forests that are maintained by traditional farming, which shape one of the most pleasing aspects of the Italian Alpine landscapes. • Does forest type predict epiphytic lichen diversity in the Italian Alps? • We studied epiphytic lichen communities in the main forest types of the Italian Alps. • Significant differences in species composition and richness were found among forest types. • Conservation of lichen diversity is linked to the maintenance of forest landscape heterogeneity. • Forest with low-economic value highlighted also a key role on lichen conservation.

The importance of old deciduous trees and wooden fences for lichen diversity - an example from the Teichalm area (Eastern Alps).

BILOVITZ, P. O. 2014. The importance of old deciduous trees and wooden fences for lichen diversity - an example from the Teichalm area (Eastern Alps). - Herzogia 27: 199 -204. The investigation of the epiphytic lichen diversity on four neighbouring old, isolated deciduous trees and a wooden fence in the Teichalm area yielded 74 lichen taxa and 4 lichenicolous fungi. Anaptychia ciliaris, Cyphelium notarisii, Ramalina fastigiata and R. fraxinea are remarkable records. The usually sterile lichen Thelomma ocellatum was rich in fertile thalli. The known lichen diversity of the Teichalm-Sommeralm region increases from 87 to 122 taxa.

Towards the adoption of an international standard for biomonitoring with lichens—Consistency of assessment performed by experts from six European countries

Simultaneous assessment of epiphytic lichen diversity by teams from six European countries, following the procedures defined in the recently adopted European standard, revealed several sources of error (e.g. location of plot, selection of trees, identification of taxa). Routine training and further improvement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are suggested to boost the harmonization process of the European guidelines, which promises to be an effective tool for standardizing the assessment of lichen diversity.

Topographic and forest-stand variables determining epiphytic lichen diversity in the primeval beech forest in the Ukrainian Carpathians

The Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh area of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve is considered the largest and the most valuable primeval beech forest in Europe for biodiversity conservation. To study the impact of different topographic and forest-stand variables on epiphytic lichen diversity a total of 294 systematically distributed sampling plots were surveyed and 198 epiphytic lichen species recorded in this forest landscape, which has an uneven-aged structure. The obtained data were analysed using a non-metric multidimensional ordination and a generalized linear model. The epiphytic lichen species density at the plot level was mainly influenced by altitude and forest-stand variables. These variables are related to both the light availability i.e. canopy closure, and the habitat diversity, i.e. the developmental stage of the forest stands and the mean stem diameter. We found that lichen species density on plots with a relatively open canopy was significantly higher than on plots with a fairly loose or closed canopy structure. The late developmental stage of forest stands, which is characterized by a large number of old trees with rough and creviced bark, had a strong positive effect on lichen species density. In the Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh primeval forest the mean stem diameter of beech trees significantly correlated with lichen species density per plot. Similar trends in the species diversity of nationally red-listed lichens were revealed. Epiphytic lichens with a high conservation value nationally and internationally were found to be rather abundant in the Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh area, which shows its international importance for the conservation of forest-bound lichens.

Monitoring temporal trends of air pollution in an urban area using mosses and lichens as biomonitors

Monitoring air quality by using living organisms as biomonitors has received increasing attention in recent years. However, rather few studies were based on the concomitant use of passive biomonitoring (based on the different sensitivity of living organisms to air pollution) and active biomonitoring (based on their capacity to accumulate pollutants in the tissues). We carried out a repeated survey of an urban area in Northern Italy, with the objective of comparing temporal trends of different kinds of air pollutants with bioindication (passive biomonitoring) and bioaccumulation (active biomonitoring) techniques. During a five-year interval, temporal patterns of moss metal concentrations underwent significant changes probably due to intercurring variations in the importance of different pollution sources. Nitrogen (N) concentration in moss tissues also decreased and was paralleled by increasing diversity of epiphytic lichens. Increasing δ15N in moss tissues suggested a higher contribution of oxidized N species compared with reduced N species.

Variation of the epiphytic lichen diversity in a gradient of atmospheric pollution: Do taxonomic, genetic, and functional distances between species add any information?

Studying the influence of reduced biological diversity on functioning and stability of ecosystems is one ofthe priorities of modern ecology [1]. Numerousapproaches to quantitative estimation of diversity havebeen developed [2], which even used to be a hindranceto the progress of ecology for some time. Recently,however, researchers succeeded in presenting all of thediversity metrics as special cases of several generalizingrelationships [3–5]. This enabled them to focus on theessential issues, rather than to compare mechanicallythe indices with one another. The paradigm shift goingon in quantitative ecology is related to the rejection ofthe biodiversity concept that takes into account onlythe number of species and the ratio of their abundances. Biodiversity is considered more broadly whenthe taxonomic, genetic, morphological, and functional differences between species are also analyzed.Each of these aspects is believed to add some newinformation that implies not only traditional speciesdiversity [6, 7]. It has been proposed, therefore, to differentiate between

Edge effects on epiphytic lichen diversity in the forest-steppe of the Kazakh Altai

Background: Forests in forest-steppe ecotones are usually highly fragmented and much of the forested area is exposed to climate and land-use-related edge effects.Aim: To test the hypothesis that the epiphytic lichen diversity at the forest edges was reduced compared with that in the forest interior, and to analyse lichen diversity in comparison with the more highly elevated and more continental Mongolian Altai.Methods: Six plots each in the interior and the edge with a total of 240 Larix sibirica trees were studied in the Katon-Karagai National Park, East Kazakhstan.Results: Species richness and evenness at the tree level were higher in the interior than at the edge. The epiphytic lichen diversity in the forest interior was similar in the Kazakh and Mongolian Altai, whereas that at the forest edge was lower in the Mongolian Altai.Conclusions: Strong degradation of the forest edges in the Kazakh Altai is the probable cause of the reduced epiphytic lichen diversity compared with the interior. The similar species richness in the forest interiors of the Kazakh and Mongolian Altai suggests that the differences at the forest edge are probably, at least partly, due to different land-use regimes and not to differences in macroclimate.

Lichens of the Virgin Forest Reserve Žofínský Prales (Czech Republic) and Surrounding Woodlands

Abstract Malicek, J. & Palice, Z. 2013. Lichens of the virgin forest reserve Žofinský prales (Czech Republic) and surrounding woodlands. — Herzogia 26: 253–292. Žofin virgin forest in the Novohradske hory Mts is one of the most valuable woodland localities in the Czech Republic. This old reserve covering 102 ha is dominated by beeches, spruces, and silver firs. We have explored the nature reserve (its virgin forest including the protection zone) as well as managed forests and avenues in the surrounding area. Žofinský prales nature reserve is currently the area with the highest diversity of epiphytic and epixylic lichens in the Czech Republic. In total, 312 lichenized, 14 lichen-allied and 11 lichenicolous fungi species were recorded in a broad area of Zofin woodland region. 267 species altogether were recorded from the reserve, including three recently published taxa not confirmed by us. Fifteen lichenized fungi (Arthonia excipienda, Biatora ligni-mollis, Candelariella xanthostigmoides, Cliostomum leprosu...

Genetic diversity of terricolous Peltigera cyanolichen communities in different conservation states of native forest from southern Chile.

Decreasing quality of forest habitats is among the major factors leading to a loss of epiphytic lichen diversity. However, there is little information about how this factor influences the diversity of terricolous lichens, which do not grow over living trees and could be less susceptible to such disturbances. In this work we describe the genetic diversity of Peltigera terricolous cyanolichens and their cyanobiont (Nostoc) from three habitats at the Karukinka Natural Park (Tierra del Fuego, southern Chile), which represent different conservation states: native mature-forest (low disturbance intensity), native young-forest (medium disturbance intensity) and grassland (high disturbance intensity). In both forest contexts, a higher diversity and a higher number of unique OTUs (operational taxonomic units) were found. In contrast, in the grassland, the diversity was lower and the Peltigera species were mostly cosmopolitan. The presence of unique OTUs and the higher diversity of lichens in native forest areas highlight the importance of their preservation, indicating that decreasing forest quality also has a negative impact on terricolous lichens diversity.

Forest edge-interior differentiation in the epiphytic lichen diversity of the forest steppe in the Khangai Mountains, Mongolia

The effects of traditional land use by mobile livestock keepers on biodiversity in forest steppe ecotones are insufficiently studied. Epiphytes are an important part of forest plant diversity. Here we analyze differences in the diversity and composition of the epiphytic lichen vegetation between the edge and the interior of Siberian larch forests in the Khangai Mountains, western Mongolia, which are highly subdivided into patches. We asked whether the epiphytic lichen vegetation at the forest edge differs significantly from that in the interior, whether the edge is inhabited by more nitrophilous species than the interior and whether the density of nomad camps around the forest affects epiphytic lichen diversity. Cover percentages of epiphytic lichen species were recorded from 20 trees per plot on 6 plots in the interior and 6 plots at the edge of Larix sibirica forests. The position of nomad summer camps was surveyed using Global Positioning System. Data were analyzed with pairwise significance tests, analysis of similarities, nonmetric multidimensional scaling and canonical correspondence analysis. The composition of the epiphytic lichen vegetation clearly differed between the two habitats, with more species being more frequent at the edge than in the interior. However, there was no difference in species richness (α-diversity). The epiphyte vegetation at the edge was more uniform and characterized by lower variation of tree-level α-diversity and lower β-diversity than in the interior. At the edge, only nitrophytic lichens were dominant, whereas in the interior, nitrophytes and acidophytes were among the dominant species. This pattern is probably attributable to the spatial heterogeneity of the intensity of forest grazing and was shown to be influenced by the density of nomad summer camps in the vicinity of the forests. Tree-level α-diversity increased with stem diameter, but high-diameter trees were rare. The results suggest that the present level of forest patchiness and the effect of forest grazing increases the diversity of epiphytic lichens on the landscape level, while logging of high-diameter trees reduces lichen diversity.

Significant decrease in epiphytic lichen diversity in a remote area in the European Alps, Austria

We present long-term (1993–2010) monitoring results of lichens from a remote site in Austria. Whereas gaseous pollution is negligible in this area, levels of long-range air pollution of S and N via rain and fog are high. Lichen cover on tree trunks have decreased significantly. Accordingly, we found that the population of all species had declined. The analyses demonstrated significant changes in lichen community composition. The lichen flora suffered a significant decrease in diversity. Our hypothesis is that the breakdown of epiphytic lichens is mainly due to eutrophication through long-term N deposition, and more particularly to ammonia in precipitation and in fog. Since many areas in the European Alps receive high wet deposition loads, a decrease in the abundance and diversity of epiphytic lichens is most probably a widespread phenomenon.

Mediterranean old-growth forests: the role of forest type in the conservation of epiphytic lichens

The present study investigated the effect of forest type on epiphytic lichen communities and selected indicator species, useful for long-term monitoring programs in Mediterranean forests. The results showed that only few species are common to many plots while others are locally rare. Epiphytic lichen diversity and communities were significantly influenced by forest type: Quercus cerris-dominated forests hosted a richer lichen flora, Fagus sylvatica-dominated forests showed the majority of rare species, while mixed forests, though poorly represented in the study area, hosted the majority of indicator species, revealing the presence of important and exclusive habitats. In particular, old established forests are characterized by both standand treecontinuity, while mixed forests offer a higher diversity of tree substrates. Our findings highlight the role of tree substrate variability for lichen colonisation. The presence of non-dominant tree species contributes to the variability of habitats and ecological niches. This allows the development of well preserved lichen communities compared to those of structurally less complex or even monospecific forests.

Diversity of epiphytic lichens and their role in sequestration of atmospheric metals

Diversity and abundance of five species of epiphytic lichens were assessed in Kolkata, India. Signifi- cant correlation between abundance of lichen species and volume of vehicular traffic suggests atmospheric pollution load in urban region. Parmelia caperata (L.) Ach. and Graphis scripta (L.) Ach. exhibited higher abundance among the five species studied indicating their higher level of tolerance to air pollution. Significant correlations (p 0.05) between levels of heavy traffic and both diver- sity and abundance of all lichen species were also observed. These findings indicate a potential threat to the survival of the lichen communities in Kolkata. Study fur- ther deals with quantifying the effectiveness of lichen species in accumulating metallic elements like Pb, Zn, and Cu. This was achieved by analyzing the most abundant lichen species (Parmelia caperata) collected from nine different sites in winter, summer, and monsoon seasons. Metal content in lichen thalli, as analyzed by AAS, shows their elevated levels with the order Pb ( Zn ( Cu. Rela- tionship between metal content and volume of vehicular traffic suggests that co-associated, metallic elements are emitted as vehicle-derived pollutants as well as diffuse industrial emissions. Accumulation of these metals is higher in winter which is proportionate with the higher degree of metabolism due to higher humidity in this sea- son. Study also demonstrates the dynamics of metal uptake by the lichen at different sites influenced with different degree of vehicular traffic. Overall results confirm suit- ability of lichen with their potential role in sequestration of atmospheric metal contamination.

Epiphytic lichens as indicators of grazing pressure in the Mongolian forest-steppe

The ecological impact of the traditional land use by pastoral nomads on forest ecosystems is little studied. We analyzed the influence of livestock density on epiphytic lichen diversity in larch forests of the Mongolian forest-steppe, which we selected as a case example because pastoral nomadism is here most widespread within Central Asia. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that the epiphytic lichen vegetation was strongly influenced by the livestock density within a radius of 1km around the sampled forests. Goats together with horses were most significant at shaping lichen vegetation in the forest edges as were horses alone in the forest interiors. This result matches with the results of interviews with 169 herder families and own field observations, which substantiate that goats preferably graze at the edges, whereas horses often browse the interiors. The livestock impact is thought to be primarily exerted through fertilization by the animals and mechanical abrasion. Based on an indicator species analyses, we propose to use epiphytic lichens as indicators of the grazing impact at different livestock densities in the Mongolian forest-steppe. The proposed indication system can be used as a tool for the rapid assessment of the livestock grazing impact. It has the advantage that it is thought to average the livestock impact of several years, which is important with regard to the nomadic style of livestock husbandry. The use of lichens as indicator species can at least partly substitute the time-consuming interviewing of the herder families to assess livestock densities and their impact on forest biodiversity. The proposed indicator system could thus be used as a planning tool for purposes of nature conservation.

Assessing biodiversity profile through FDA

The past few years have highlighted the need to protect diversity in its broader concept and, in particular, with reference to the ecological context for environmental protection. In this context, the problem of the definition and the measurement of diversity becomes fundamental. This paper provides a general picture of the main biodiversity indices proposed in literature and shows their limits in favor of diversity profiles. Since the diversity profile is a curve which expresses the diversity as a function of the relative abundance vector, it may be studied through the functional approach. In particular,we point out the advantages of the parametric FDA which, under suitable assumptions, allow us to obtain summary statistics of the same functional form of the observed data. Diversity profiles and parametric FDA approach have been applied to evaluate the diversity of epiphytic lichens in the province of Florence, providing an alternative way of understanding the biological diversity.

Bole epiphytic lichens as potential indicators of environmental change in subtropical forest ecosystems in southwest China

Lichen epiphytes are applied as excellent environmental indicators worldwide. However, very little is known about epiphytic lichen communities and their response to forest dynamics in subtropical China. This paper proposes the applications of the cover, diversity, and functional traits of epiphytic lichens to assess environmental changes associated with succession in subtropical forests of southwest China. Bole lichens were sampled from 120 plots of eight representative forest types in the Ailao Mountains. Total cover, species richness, diversity and community structure of bole lichens differed significantly among forest types, and the highest cover and diversity occurred in the Populus bonatii secondary forest (PBSF). Sixty-one indicator species were associated with particular forest types and more than 50% occurred in the PBSF. Both cover and diversity of most lichen functional groups varied regularly during forest succession. Lichen pioneer species were not displaced by competitively superior species as succession proceeds and cyanolichens were more prevalent in secondary forests. The results also highlight the importance of habitat variables such as canopy openness, host diversity, forest age, tree size, the size of the largest tree, tree density, and basal area on the lichen community. Consequently, our findings support the notion that epiphytic lichens, in terms of cover, diversity, species composition and functional traits can be used as effective indicators for large-scale and long-term forest monitoring. More importantly, the narrowly lobed foliose group was the best candidate indicator of environmental conditions in this region. The combined application of lichen indicator species and functional groups seemed to be a more reliable and more powerful method for monitoring forest dynamics in subtropical montane ecosystems.