Lichen Conservation Research Articles

Recent Literature on Lichens—210

Aguirre-C., J. & J. O. Rangel-Ch. 2007. Amenazas a la conservacion de las especies de musgos y liquenes en Colombia—una aproximacion inicial. Threats to conservation of mosses and lichens from Colombia—a preliminary approach. Caldasia 29(2): 235–262. [Detailed look at hundreds of spp. and their occurrence in Colombia using IUCN methodology. ‘‘There are 841 species in 201 genera and 64 families with threatened species in almost all natural regions and also in the mountainous system.’’ Authors tally 432 spp. as Critically Endangered (CR) and 180 as Endangered (EN). In Spanish with English abstract.] Ahti, T. 2005. Problems in taxonomy of boreal and Arctic reindeer lichens (Cladonia group Cladina). Pages 44–47. In Fungi in Natural and Anthropogenic Ecosystems. Proceedings of the International Conference Dedicated to the Centenary of the Beginning by Professor A. B. Bondartsev his Research at the V. L. Komarov Botanical Institute, RAS, 24–28 April, 2005, St. Petersburg. Volume 1. Russian Academy of Sciences, V. L. Komarov Botanical Institute, St. Petersburg. [General discussion of distribution, chemical strains and current literature concepts.] ———. 2006. The role of foreign collectors for the floristic studies of lichens in Russia. Pages 37–40. In Lichen Flora of Russia: State and Perspective of Exploration. Proceedings of the International Conference Dedicated to the 120 Anniversary of V. P. Savicz, St. Petersburg, October 24–27, 2006. Russian Academy of Sciences, Komarov Botanical Institute, St. Petersburg. [General outline of various collectors and their activities and collections.] ———. 2007. Kalevi Matias Takala, 4 October 1929–29 March 2005. International Lichenological Newsletter 40(1): 14. [Short note on his career and collections.] Akdemir, B., G. Cobanoglu & D. Gezginci. 2008. Gol ve nehir likenleri. Lake and river lichens. Turk Liken Toplulugu Bulteni 5–6: 11–14. [Short review with 6 color photographs.] Amtoft, A., F. Lutzoni & J. Miadlikowska. 2008. Dermatocarpon (Verrucariaceae) in the Ozark Highlands, North America. The Bryologist 111(1): 1–40. [Based on morphological, ecological and molecular studies, the authors recognize 8 taxa; key. New: D. arenosaxi Amtoft sp. nov., D. dolomiticum Amtoft sp. nov., D. luridum var. xerophilum Amtoft var. nov. & D. multifolium Amtoft sp. nov.] Aptroot, A. 2008. Additional lichen records from Australia 65. Pyrenulaceae from Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Australasian Lichenology 62: 6–8. [New for Norfolk Island (14) and Lord Howe Island (11).] ——— & F. Bungartz. 2007. The lichen genus Ramalina on the Galapagos. Lichenologist 36(6): 519–542. [15 spp. with many new distribution records; key. New: R. darwiniana sp. nov., R. darwiniana var. curvida Aptroot var. nov., R. fragilis sp. nov., R. furcellangulida Aptroot sp. nov. & R. polyforma Aptroot sp. nov. The new spp. are considered endemic to the Galapagos Islands.] ———, R. Lucking, H. J. M. Sipman, L. Umana & J. L. Chaves. 2008. Pyrenocarpous lichens with bitunicate asci: a first assessment of the lichen biodiversity inventory in Costa Rica. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 97: 1–162. [181 spp., many new to Costa Rica, and a key to the genera and species. Many new synonyms are proposed. New: Celotheliaceae Lucking, Aptroot & Sipman fam. nov., Trypetheliales Lucking, Aptroot & Spiman ord. nov., Architrypethelium hyalinum Aptroot sp. nov., A. nitens (Fee) Aptroot comb. nov., Aspidothelium glabrum Lucking, Aptroot & Sipman sp. nov., Astrothelium crassum (Fee) Aptroot comb. nov., A. intermedium Aptroot & Lucking sp. nov., Bathelium feei * The cumulative database for this series is available in searchable form on the World Wide Web at http://www.nhm.uio.no/botanisk/bot-mus/ lav/sok_rll.htm. I owe special thanks to Bill Buck for providing copies of papers by other authors, which were otherwise unavailable to me, and to the cooperating authors who send reprints or electronic versions of their works to me for inclusion in this series.

Epiphytic lichens in a riparian Natural Reserve of northern Italy: Species richness, composition and conservation

In Italy several natural reserves include riparian habitats, whose role in lichen conservation is still poorly known. This work aims at evaluating the importance for lichen conservation of a riparian natural reserve in NE Italy surrounded by a highly disturbed landscape, and at exploring the relations between lichen composition and different forest types. Epiphytic lichens were surveyed by a standard assessment protocol in: (1) alluvial Salix alba forests, (2) Alnus sp.pl. and Populus sp.pl. riparian forests, and (3) lowland Carpinus betulus and Quercus sp.pl. forests. One-way ANOVA was used to test differences between forest types. Species composition was explored by means of Redundancy Analysis. The overall lichen flora is relatively poor and rather homogeneous due to a group of disturbance-tolerant lichens, which are frequent in all forest types. This suggests a strong influence of the landscape context on species richness and composition, independently of the local habitat quality. However, the three forest types have rather different lichen floras, the least interesting for conservation being the riparian Alnus stands, while the alluvial Salix stands host a more sensitive flora and are worthy of lichen conservation. In spite of the disturbance and of its small extension, the reserve is still able to host several rare lichens.

Lichen diversity on stumps in relation to wood decay in subalpine forests of Northern Italy

Although several studies demonstrated the importance of dead wood for lichen conservation in N-Europe and N-America, the lichen biota on dead wood was poorly studied in the Alps, where stumps represent one of the main available dead wood type. This work aims at evaluating species richness and composition of lichens in relation to the decay of stumps in subalpine forests of the Italian Alps. Differences in species richness between three decay stages were tested using a one-way ANOVA, while the pattern of species composition was evaluated with non-metric multidimensional scaling and an Indicator Species Analysis. Overall, 69 species were found and wood decay proved to be an important factor influencing lichen communities on stumps in our subalpine forests. Despite the fact that the mean number of species per stump did not differ between the three decay stages and lichen communities broadly overlapped, a main pattern of species turnover was identified across wood decay process as well as some indicator species for each decay stage. During the decay process, lichen communities change functional and ecological composition as an adaptive response to the continuous change of substrate. Since stumps host several nationally rare species, which are related to different stages of decay, they could have a relevant role in lichen conservation in managed forests where other types of dead wood are normally absent.

Conservation of the rare British lichen Vulpicida pinastri: changing climate, habitat loss and strategies for mitigation

Abstract:Autecological information targeted towards rare and threatened lichen species is severely lacking. This study adopts the rare British lichen Vulpicida pinastri as a case study species and examines its ecological response to emerging threats: climate change and the recurrent loss of its primary habitat (juniper scrub). We used predictive niche modelling to examine the response of V. pinastri to a range of present-day climatic variables. A successful model was projected for a period during the 2050s based on IPCC climate change scenarios (UKCIP02 data), and threat was estimated as the proportional change in bioclimatic space. To estimate the potential range now and during the 2050s, projected bioclimatic space was masked by a habitat map equivalent to (i) the present-day distribution of juniper and (ii) theoretical juniper distribution based on existing rates of decline. Our results point to potential range loss of V. pinastri with climate warming, exacerbated by the recurrent decline in juniper habitat. This predictive modelling approach was complemented by an assessment of local stand-scale effects. At four sites in north-east Scotland we examined the occurrence and abundance of V. pinastri thalli, in response to juniper spatial distribution, and the life-stage and structure of individual shrubs. Vulpicida pinastri appeared to be dispersal limited at small-scales, and was significantly more abundant on old and degenerate juniper shrubs. Our results evidence a close relationship between management for habitat quality and effective lichen conservation. Effective conservation of V. pinastri must ensure cohorts of older and degenerate juniper shrubs are maintained at sites where the species is expected to be most resistant to long-term climate warming, i.e. in the uplands of north-east Scotland.

Influence of forest management on epiphytic lichens in a temperate beech forest of northern Italy

The influence of forest management on species richness and composition of epiphytic macrolichens was studied on beech stems in two differently managed stands in northern Italy: (1) mixed-multilayered stand with silver fir, spruce and beech, managed by selective-cutting and (2) pure beech stand, intensively managed by shelterwood-cutting. Macrolichens and easily identifiable crustose lichens were surveyed on 150 randomly selected beech trees in 10 management units. Trees of the two stands significantly differed in lichen composition, but not in species richness. However, most of the rare species were exclusive of the sites managed by selective-cutting. The lichen flora of mixed stands mainly included suboceanic species-sensitive to forest management and habitat modification; that of pure stands was dominated by generalist species common in disturbed habitats. Lobaria pulmonaria is suggested as a signal species for rapidly assessing the conservation importance of forests. Some practical suggestions are given to enhance lichen conservation in intensively managed stands.

Conservation of epiphytic lichens: Significance of remnant aspen ( Populus tremula) trees in clear-cuts

In the boreal forest landscape, aspen has been effectively selected against in favour of conifers. The decrease in aspen is of particular concern since it has more host-specific species associated with it than any other boreal tree species. Recently forest management systems have begun to include green-tree retention in order to maintain structural diversity. We initiated this study in order to investigate whether retained aspen trees provide suitable habitats for epiphytic lichens and, if so, whether this varies according to species characteristics, such as morphology and photobiont. We chose to investigate the abundance and vitality of five species: three foliose cyanobacterial lichens ( Collema curtisporum, Collema furfuraceum and Leptogium saturninum) and two crustose green-algal lichens ( Biatora epixanthoides and Mycobilimbia carneoalbida). These lichens were examined on aspen within forest stands and on remnant aspen in clear-cuts at eight localities, in northern Sweden. Our results show that the response to exposure following clear-felling differs between species according to their morphology. The two crustose lichens were more abundant in the forest stands compared to the clear-cuts. In the clear-cuts, they mainly occurred on the northern sides of the trunks. Even 24 years after cutting, the three cyanolichens were equally or even more abundant on trees in the clear-cuts than in the forest stands. However, they were mainly found on the northern sides of the remnant aspen. We suggest that remnant aspen trees may function as suitable substrate and as stepping stones for colonisation of new stands, at least for the cyanolichens studied here.

Importance of Forest Act habitats for epiphytic lichens in Finnish managed forests

Habitats of particular importance, as defined in the recent Forest Act of Finland, provide a new means to conserve forest biodiversity in managed forest landscapes. These “Forest Act habitats” should by definition contain populations of rare and red-listed species, but their species composition has not been studied. In this work, indicator and red-listed lichens were studied in private forests of southern Finland in three Forest Act habitat types (brookside forests, herb-rich forests, cliff-forests). Threatened species were found only in 9%, red-listed species in 29% and indicator species in 50% of the study sites. Populations of the target species were mainly very small, half of them on no more than one tree, and thus prone to extinction. Picea abies, Populus tremula and Sorbus aucuparia were the most important host tree species for indicator lichens. The Forest Act habitats appear to make only a limited contribution to the conservation of indicator and red-listed lichens. This is because delimited Forest Act habitats are small-sized sites and rarely harbour old forest stands. Moreover, even selective logging and felling of individual trees, which are generally permitted in Forest Act habitats, can decrease the persistence of epiphytic lichens. Thus, the biodiversity goals integrated in the Forest Act appear to be incompletely realized in current forestry practices.

Progress and Problems in the Conservation of Tasmanian Lichens

Progress and Problems in the Conservation of Tasmanian Lichens

RDNA ITS and β-tubulin gene sequence analyses reveal two monophyletic groups within the cosmopolitan lichen Parmelia saxatilis

A considerable number of species of lichen-forming fungi have wide geographical distributions, but studies of their genetic variability are minimal. ITS rDNA sequences of 32 populations of Parmelia saxatilis from five continents revealed two monophyletic groups. β-tublin gene sequences from a subset of nine collections supported these conclusions. While the number of collections sequenced is limited, one monophyletic group (the Atlantic Population. AtP) was recognized as occurring in Arctic and Antarctic regions and also included collections from more atlantic sites. Samples from more mesic environments in the Mediterranean region belonged to a second monophyletic group (the Mediterranean Population, MeP). In addition, four subgroups were distinguishable within the Atlantic Population. Norstictic and protocetraric acids are reported from the species for the first time, the norstictic acid only being found in the Atlantic Population. Living thalli from the Atlantic Population were provenance-tested; specimens transported from the UK to central Spain where the Mediterranean Population occurs showed adverse symptoms after six months. These results demonstrate that there can be substantial large-scale genotypic variability within widespread lichen phenospecies, something which has implications for comparative ecological, physiological, and air pollution sensitivity studies as well as for lichen conservation.

Reflections on lichenology: achievements over the last 40 years and challenges for the future

In June 2000, at the joint meeting of the Canadian Botanical Association and the Canadian Society of Plant Physiologists, the author of this review was presented with the George Lawson Medal for lifelong contributions to botany and was invited to prepare a special contribution for the Canadian Journal of Botany. Subsequently, an invitation was received to give the Swinscow Lecture to the British Lichen Society and the Linnean Society in London. This commentary is a written version of that January 2001 lecture and presents a personalized view of developments in those areas of lichenology studied by the author during a career in Canada and other parts of the world. Aspects touched upon include lichen identification, spore dispersal, nutrient transfer between the symbionts, water relations, and lichen strategies in particular climatic regions. The value of lichens for monitoring pollutants is noted, and the developing problem of lichen conservation is discussed. Finally, a plea is made regarding the value of field teaching and field excursions with respect to recruiting the next generation of lichenologists.Key words: lichens, asci, carbohydrate transfer, ecophysiology, pollution, old-growth forests, lichen societies.

Aspect-dependent high-irradiance damage in two transplanted foliose forest lichens,Lobaria pulmonariaandParmelia sulcata

High-irradiance damage in two epiphytic lichens was recorded as reduction in predawn photosystem II quantum yield (Fv/Fm) measured at the end of a night with full hydration. Measurements were repeated during a 29-day transplantation in early summer at defined aspects (north, east, south, west, perpendicular to the sun at noon, and shade) in an open site at 60°N. These treatments included the contrasts that remaining lichens adjacent to clear-cut areas could experience subsequent to logging. The Fv/Fmvalues declined linearly with the mean irradiance during the previous day, with the old-forest epiphyte Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. being consistently more severely photoinhibited than the ubiquitous Parmelia sulcata Taylor. Both irradiance levels and predawn Fv/Fmvalues decreased in the following direction: shaded controls > transplants facing north > south, east, west > transplants perpendicular to the sun. Since the transplantation period happened to be very rainy with favorable conditions for recovery, all transplants survived. Nevertheless, photoinhibition was sustained from one day to the other, especially in the old-forest species L. pulmonaria, implying a long-lasting strain, which could affect long-term performance and survival of thalli. The results are discussed in a wider context including confounding effects of irradiance in forests, with implications to facilitate lichen conservation in managed forests.

Effectiveness of using vascular plants to select reserves for bryophytes and lichens

There is strong interest in finding surrogates for taxa that are difficult to identify, primarily because of wide-ranging implications for management and conservation. We examined the effectiveness of using vascular plant diversity as a basis for choosing reserves to capture bryophyte and lichen diversity. We surveyed 35, 20×50 m sites for bryophytes, lichens and vascular plants in a forest management district of eastern Australia. Despite being based on a relatively few sites, these results are informative because datasets in which all three taxa are identified to species level are uncommon. We found that a set of sites that reserved 90% of vascular plant species captured 65% of bryophyte species and 87% of lichen species. Also, the sites that were ‘irreplaceable’ for overstorey species in a minimum reserve set captured 88 and 89% of bryophyte and lichen species, respectively. Vascular plant communities defined using clustering predicted highly significant variation in both bryophyte and lichen species composition. However, both vascular plant species richness and genus richness were poor predictors of bryophyte and lichen species diversity. The results indicate that, on a local scale, reserves selected for vascular plants can capture large percentages of bryophytes and lichens, however individual sites important for bryophyte and lichen conservation may not be important for vascular plant conservation.

Distribution of epiphytic macrolichens in relation to remnant trees in a multiple-age Douglas-fir forest

Alternatives to clear-cutting are being implemented to increase biodiversity of managed forests in the Pacific Northwest. Lichens are an integral component of old growth, but lichen biomass develops slowly in forests. We evaluated the long-term potential of live tree retention for lichen conservation in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) forests. We sampled lichen litterfall in a 2-ha stand that contained 200- to 600-year-old remnant trees scattered in a forest composed mostly of 100-year-old trees that established following fire. We used association, principal components, and regression analyses to relate lichen litterfall biomass to the proximity of remnant trees. Two epiphytic lichens were strongly associated with remnant trees: the foliose cyanolichen Lobaria oregana (Tuck.) Müll. Arg. and the fruticose green algal lichen Sphaerophorus globosus (Hudson) Vainio. Biomass of both species was highest near remnant trees, and biomass was slightly higher within groves of remnant trees than it was at the edges of these groves or near isolated trees. Lichens appear to have persisted on remnant trees through the last fire and are slowly recolonizing younger trees from this source of propagules. Retention of live trees, maintenance of hardwoods, and longer rotation periods have great potential to maintain old-growth-associated lichens in at least some managed forests.

Comparison of rRNA genotype frequencies ofParmelia sulcata from long established and recolonizing sites following sulphur dioxide amelioration

The variable internally transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the rRNA gene cluster, and the termini of the large and small subunit genes, were amplified from 231 specimens of the lichen-forming fungusParmelia sulcata from the UK and Spain. Amplification products comprised three distinct size groups of 580, 622 and 835 base pairs (bp). Analyses of the collections from England, Wales and central Spain established the 622 bp genotype as the most widespread, and the 835 bp genotype as the next most frequent. The size difference was due to a group I intron at the 3′ end of the small subunit. The relative frequencies of the three genotypes were consistent between long established sites in Spain and the UK. The frequencies of the different size classes were examined in the vegetatively reproducing populations recolonizing following the amelioration of sulphur dioxide air pollution. Populations ofP. sulcata from long established sites where sulphur dioxide levels are known to have risen and then fallen contained two genotypes. Populations from recolonising sites whereP. sulcata had previously been lost consisted of a single genotype (622bp). This technology provides a powerful tool for testing hypotheses relating to the individuality and population structure of lichens, and has implications for lichen conservation.

The wildlife of parklands

SUMMARY Every parkland provides habitats for wildlife. Wildlife is frequently recognised as a recreational asset. A few ancient parks are of outstanding national or regional importance for the conservation of invertebrates and epiphytic lichens associated with old trees and dead wood. The perpetuation of suitable habitat is essential if this conservation interest is to be maintained.