Ecology Of Lichens Research Articles

The ecology of lichenicolous lichens: a case-study in Italy

The ecology of lichenicolous lichens: a case-study in Italy

Fungal community inside lichen: a curious case of sparse diversity and high modularity

BackgroundLichens represent not only the mutualism of fungal and photosynthetic partners but also are composed of microbial consortium harboring diverse fungi known as endolichenic fungi. While endolichenic fungi are known to exert a remarkable influence on lichen ecology through their crucial roles in nutrient cycling, bioprospecting and biodiversity, the enigmatic community structures of these fungal inhabitants remain shrouded in mystery, awaiting further exploration and discovery. To address knowledge gap, we conducted metabarcoding on two lichens using 18S gene amplification, Dirinara applanta and Parmotrema tinctorum, and compared their microbial communities to those found in the pine bark to which the lichens were attached. Our hypothesis was that the endolichenic communities would exhibit distinct diversity patterns, community structures, network structures, and specialist composition compared to the surrounding epiphytic community.ResultsOur investigation has shed light on the clear demarcation between the endolichenic and epiphytic fungal communities, as they exhibit markedly different characteristics that set them apart from each other. This research demonstrated that the endolichenic communities are less diverse as compared to the epiphytic communities. Through community similarity analysis, we observed that two endolichenic communities are more similar to each other in terms of community composition than with the adjacent epiphytic communities. Moreover, we unveiled a striking contrast in the network structures between the endolichenic and epiphytic communities, as the former displayed a more modular and less nested features that is evocative of a potent host-filtration mechanism.ConclusionsThrough our investigation, we have discovered that lichens harbor less intricate and interconnected fungal communities compared to the neighboring epiphytic environment. These observations provide valuable insights into the metagenomic architecture of lichens and offer a tantalizing glimpse into the unique mycobiome.

Roccellinastrum, Cenozosia and Heterodermia: Ecology and phylogeny of fog lichens and their photobionts from the coastal Atacama Desert.

Some deserts on Earth such as the Namib or the Atacama are influenced by fog which can lead to the formation of local fog oases - unique environments hosting a great diversity of specialized plants and lichens. Lichens of the genera Ramalina, Niebla or Heterodermia have taxonomically been investigated from fog oases around the globe but not from the Atacama Desert, one of the oldest and driest deserts. Conditioned by its topography and the presence of orographic fog, the National Park Pan de Azúcar in the Atacama Desert is considered to be such a lichen hotspot. Applying multi-gen loci involving phylogenetic analyses combined with intense morphological and chemical characterization, we determined the taxonomic position of five of the most abundant epiphytic lichens of this area. We evaluated Roccellinastrumspongoideum and Heterodermiafollmannii which were both described from the area but also finally showed that the genus Cenozosia is the endemic sister genus to Ramalina, Vermilacinia, Namibialina and Niebla. As a result, we have described the species Heterodermiaadunca, C.cava and C.excorticata as new lichen species. This work provides a comprehensive dataset for common fog lichen genera of the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert that can be used as a baseline for monitoring programs and environmental health assessments.

Carbon-concentrating mechanisms are a key trait in lichen ecology and distribution.

Carbon-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) are a widespread phenomenon in photosynthetic organisms. In vascular plants, the evolution of CCMs ([C44-carbon compound] and crassulacean acid metabolism [CAM]) is associated with significant shifts, most often to hot, dry and bright, or aquatic environments. If and how CCMs drive distributions of other terrestrial photosynthetic organisms, remains little studied. Lichens are ecologically important obligate symbioses between fungi and photosynthetic organisms. The primary photosynthetic partner in these symbioses can include CCM-presenting cyanobacteria (as carboxysomes), CCM-presenting green algae (as pyrenoids) or green algae lacking any CCM. We use an extensive dataset of lichen communities from eastern North America, spanning a wide climatic range, to test the importance of CCMs as predictors of lichen ecology and distribution. We show that the presence or absence of CCMs leads to opposite responses to temperature and precipitation in green algal lichens, and different responses in cyanobacterial lichens. These responses contrast with our understanding of lichen physiology, whereby CCMs mitigate carbon limitation by water saturation at the cost of efficient use of vapor hydration. This study demonstrates that CCM status is a key functional trait in obligate lichen symbioses, equivalent in importance to its role in vascular plants, and central for studying present and future climate responses.

Regionally Varying Habitat Relationships in Lichens: The Concept and Evidence with an Emphasis on North-Temperate Ecosystems.

Habitat ecology of lichens (lichen-forming fungi) involves diverse adaptations to stressful environments where lichens use specific habitat conditions. Field observations confirm that such habitat 'preferences' can vary significantly across species' distribution ranges, sometimes revealing abrupt changes over short distances. We critically review and generalize such empirical evidence as broad ecological patterns, link these with the likely physiological mechanisms and evolutionary processes involved, and outline the implications for lichen conservation. Non-replicated correlative studies remain only suggestive because the data are frequently compromised by sampling bias and pervasive random errors; further noise is related to unrecognized cryptic species. Replicated evidence exists for three macroecological patterns: (a) regional limiting factors excluding a species from a part of its microhabitat range in suboptimal areas; (b) microhabitat shifts to buffer regionally adverse macroclimates; (c) substrate suitability changed by the chemical environment, notably air pollution. All these appear to be primarily buffering physiological challenges of the adverse conditions at the macrohabitat scale or, in favorable environments, coping with competition or predation. The roles of plasticity, adaptation, dispersal, and population-level stochasticity remain to be studied. Although lichens can inhabit various novel microhabitats, there is no evidence for a related adaptive change. A precautionary approach to lichen conservation is to maintain long-term structural heterogeneity in lichen habitats, and consider lichen ecotypes as potential evolutionarily significant units and a bet-hedging strategy for addressing the climate change-related challenges to biodiversity.

The influences of lichens on soil physico-chemical properties, enzymes and microbes are species specific: Insights from South Mediterranean arid ecosystem

Despite recent advances in the ecology of lichens from a community perspective, much remains unknown at the species level particularly in arid regions. In this context, the current study investigated the differential effects of five lichen species dominating South Mediterranean arid ecosystem (Diploschistes diacapsis (Ach.) Lumbsch, Squamarina cartilaginea (With.) P. James, Fulgensia bracteata (Hoffm.) Räsenen, Psora decipiens (Hedw.) Hoffm and Endocarpon pusillum Hedw.) on soil properties as well as the importance of lichen coverage in driving these changes. Our findings revealed that thalli composition is species-specific and positively correlated to the lichen coverage. Furthermore, the influence of lichens on soil properties and its magnitude was found to be species dependent. S. cartilaginea, D. diacapsis and F. bracteata significantly reduced soil pH and increased soil water and nutrients content compared to P. decipiens and E. pusillum. All the investigated lichen species were found to increase microbial enzyme activity. In addition, our results showed that the species S. cartilaginea, D. diacapsis and F. bracteata sharply decreased the abundance of soil microbes as determined by qPCR (16S and 18S rRNA gene copy numbers). Overall, lichen coverage was found to be the key trait to drive changes in soil physico-chemical properties (soil pH, moisture, carbon and nitrogen contents) which in turn affected microbial community and activity. This research paper emphasizes the important role of lichens in arid soils and predicts that reduction of lichens coverage with climate change and land use will negatively affect soil fertility and quality.

Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen Lobaria pulmonaria.

Microclimatic conditions are important in determining lichen distribution at small scale, and may determine whether the species persist when the surrounding environmental conditions have drastically changed. This is the case with forest management, since a sudden variation of microclimatic conditions (increase of solar radiation, temperature, wind and a reduction of humidity) may occur after logging. In this study, the combined effect of forest logging and microclimatic conditions on the growth probabilities and growth rates of the model species Lobaria pulmonaria was assessed in mixed oak stands. To this purpose, 800 fragments of L. pulmonaria (<1 cm) were transplanted in logged and unlogged stands for two years. Young and adult fragments were positioned on Turkey oak boles according to distance from the ground (100 and 50 cm) and aspect (north and south). The results, evaluated by generalized linear mixed models on a yearly basis, highlighted differences in growth—particularly on isolated trees in the logged stand. South-exposed samples in the logged stand showed a low probability of growth, while samples transplanted north in the unlogged stand showed higher growth probabilities. However, the highest annual growth coefficients corresponded to south-exposed samples 50 cm from the ground in the unlogged stand. In general, higher growth rates were observed in young thallus fragments when compared with adult ones. Beyond confirming the importance of microclimate for lichen ecology, these results could be implemented in conservation actions to preserve L. pulmonaria populations in logged forests.

Alpine lichen diversity in an isolated sky island in the Colorado Plateau, USA-Insight from an integrative biodiversity inventory.

Lichens are major components of high altitude/latitude ecosystems. However, accurately characterizing their biodiversity is challenging because these regions and habitats are often underexplored, there are numerous poorly known taxonomic groups, and morphological variation in extreme environments can yield conflicting interpretations. Using an iterative taxonomic approach based on over 800 specimens and incorporating both traditional morphology‐based identifications and information from the standard fungal DNA barcoding marker, we compiled a voucher‐based inventory of biodiversity of lichen‐forming fungi in a geographically limited and vulnerable alpine community in an isolated sky island in the Colorado Plateau, USA—the La Sal Mountains. We used the newly proposed Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP) approach to empirically delimit candidate species‐level lineages from family‐level multiple sequence alignments. Specimens comprising DNA‐based candidate species were evaluated using traditional taxonomically diagnostic phenotypic characters to identify specimens to integrative species hypotheses and link these, where possible, to currently described species. Despite the limited alpine habitat (ca. 3,250 ha), we document the most diverse alpine lichen community known to date from the southern Rocky Mountains, with up to 240 candidate species/species‐level lineages of lichen‐forming fungi. 139 species were inferred using integrative taxonomy, plus an additional 52 candidate species within 29 different putative species complexes. Over 68% of sequences could not be assigned to species‐level rank with statistical confidence, corroborating the limited utility of current sequence repositories for species‐level DNA barcoding of lichen‐forming fungi. By integrating vouchered specimens, DNA sequence data, and photographic documentation, we provide an important baseline of lichen‐forming fungal diversity for the limited alpine habitat in the Colorado Plateau. These data provide an important resource for subsequent research in the ecology and evolution of lichens alpine habitats, including DNA barcodes for most putative species/species‐level lineages occurring in the La Sal Mountains, and vouchered collections representing any potentially undescribed species that can be used for future taxonomic studies.

Complex Interaction Networks Among Cyanolichens of a Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot.

Interactions within lichen communities include, in addition to close mutualistic associations between the main partners of specific lichen symbioses, also more elusive relationships between members of a wider symbiotic community. Here, we analyze association patterns of cyanolichen symbionts in the tropical montane forests of Taita Hills, southern Kenya, which is part of the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot. The cyanolichen specimens analyzed represent 74 mycobiont taxa within the order Peltigerales (Ascomycota), associating with 115 different variants of the photobionts genus Nostoc (Cyanobacteria). Our analysis demonstrates wide sharing of photobionts and reveals the presence of several photobiont-mediated lichen guilds. Over half of all mycobionts share photobionts with other fungal species, often from different genera or even families, while some others are strict specialists and exclusively associate with a single photobiont variant. The most extensive symbiont network involves 24 different fungal species from five genera associating with 38 Nostoc photobionts. The Nostoc photobionts belong to two main groups, the Nephroma-type Nostoc and the Collema/Peltigera-type Nostoc, and nearly all mycobionts associate only with variants of one group. Among the mycobionts, species that produce cephalodia and those without symbiotic propagules tend to be most promiscuous in photobiont choice. The extent of photobiont sharing and the structure of interaction networks differ dramatically between the two major photobiont-mediated guilds, being both more prevalent and nested among Nephroma guild fungi and more compartmentalized among Peltigera guild fungi. This presumably reflects differences in the ecological characteristics and/or requirements of the two main groups of photobionts. The same two groups of Nostoc have previously been identified from many lichens in various lichen-rich ecosystems in different parts of the world, indicating that photobiont sharing between fungal species is an integral part of lichen ecology globally. In many cases, symbiotically dispersing lichens can facilitate the dispersal of sexually reproducing species, promoting establishment and adaptation into new and marginal habitats and thus driving evolutionary diversification.

Functional Traits in Lichen Ecology: A Review of Challenge and Opportunity.

Community ecology has experienced a major transition, from a focus on patterns in taxonomic composition, to revealing the processes underlying community assembly through the analysis of species functional traits. The power of the functional trait approach is its generality, predictive capacity such as with respect to environmental change, and, through linkage of response and effect traits, the synthesis of community assembly with ecosystem function and services. Lichens are a potentially rich source of information about how traits govern community structure and function, thereby creating opportunity to better integrate lichens into ‘mainstream’ ecological studies, while lichen ecology and conservation can also benefit from using the trait approach as an investigative tool. This paper brings together a range of author perspectives to review the use of traits in lichenology, particularly with respect to European ecosystems from the Mediterranean to the Arctic-Alpine. It emphasizes the types of traits that lichenologists have used in their studies, both response and effect, the bundling of traits towards the evolution of life-history strategies, and the critical importance of scale (both spatial and temporal) in functional trait ecology.

Taxonomy and Ecology of the Lichens of the Ohaliksai River Basin

The article presents information about the taxonomy and ecology of lichens in the Ohaliksai River basin. According to the conducted studies, 11 families of the Lecanoromycetes class (Parmeliaceae, Lecanoraceae, Ramalinaceae, Megasporaceae, Physciaceae, Teloschistaceae, Peltigeraceae, Collemataceae, Candelariaceae, Umbilicariaceae, Physciaceae), 1 family of the Eurotiomycetes class (Verrucariaceae) and 1 family Lichinaceae of the class Lichinomycetes were identified, 18 groups and 23 species were noted as widespread. The taxonomic analysis and ecological characteristics of the identified species are presented.

Biodiversity and ecology of lichens of Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

We inventoried lichens in Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska, USA We assembled the known information on occurrence and ecology of lichens in this park by combining field, herbarium, and literature studies. Our results provide baseline data on lichen occurrence that may be used in resource condition assessments, vulnerability assessments, long-term ecological monitoring, and resource management. We report a total of 616 taxa of lichenized fungi from the Park, plus an additional five subspecies and three varieties, all of which are new additions to the National Park Service database for this park unit. An additional five species of nonlichenized lichenicolous fungi are reported here. Eight non-lichenized fungi that are traditionally treated with lichens are also included, most of these associated with bark of particular host species. Four taxa new to North America are reported here (Arctomia delicatula var. acutior, Aspicilia dudinensis, Myriospora myochroa, and Ochrolechia bahusiensis), along with 44 species new to Alaska. Numerous species have been confirmed using ITS barcoding sequences. Also several records assigned to the genus level are reported, many of those are likely new species.

Ecology and Distribution of Collemiform Lichens in the Southern Part of the Russian Far East

Environmentally related patterns of the occurrence of 14 collemiform lichen species (Collema s. l. sensu Degel.: C. (Rostania) callibotrys var. callibotrys Tuck., C. complanatum Hue, С. (Enchylium) conglomeratum var. conglomeratum Hoffm., C. (Arctomia) fasciculare var. fasciculare (L.) Weber ex F. H. Wigg., C. japonicum (Mull. Arg.) Hue, C. leptaleum var. leptaleum Tuck., С. (Enchylium) ligerinum (Hy) Harm., C. nepalense Degel., C. pulcellum var. pulcelllum Ach., С. (Enchylium) pycnocarpum Nyl. (=C. conglomeratum var. crassiusculum (Malme) Degel.), C. shiroumanum var. shiroumanum Rasanen, C. subconveniens Nyl., C. subflaccidum Degel., and C. substipitatum var. substipitatum Zahlbr.) on the trunks of various tree species in different forest types have been analyzed, as has their distribution in the southern part of the Russian Far East. The maximum species diversity of collemiform lichens is observed on the oak (Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb.) and linden (Tilia mandshurica Rupr. et Maxim., T. amerensis Rupr.) trees (10 and 9 species, respectively), while the minimum diversity is observed on broadleaved trees with a smooth and thin bark. The oak–broadleaved and coniferous–broadleaved (with Pinus koraiensis Siebold et Zucc.) forests meet the ecological requirements of collemiform lichens in the best way; in these forests, 8 and 11 lichen species have been registered, respectively. The three most thermophilic oceanic species, C. complanatum, C. japonicum, and C. subconveniens, have been found only on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the narrow zone of the direct monsoon influence.

The macroevolutionary dynamics of symbiotic and phenotypic diversification in lichens

Symbioses are evolutionarily pervasive and play fundamental roles in structuring ecosystems, yet our understanding of their macroevolutionary origins, persistence, and consequences is incomplete. We traced the macroevolutionary history of symbiotic and phenotypic diversification in an iconic symbiosis, lichens. By inferring the most comprehensive time-scaled phylogeny of lichen-forming fungi (LFF) to date (over 3,300 species), we identified shifts among symbiont classes that broadly coincided with the convergent evolution of phylogenetically or functionally similar associations in diverse lineages (plants, fungi, bacteria). While a relatively recent loss of lichenization in Lecanoromycetes was previously identified, our work instead suggests lichenization was abandoned far earlier, interrupting what had previously been considered a direct switch between trebouxiophycean and trentepohlialean algal symbionts. Consequently, some of the most diverse clades of LFF are instead derived from nonlichenized ancestors and re-evolved lichenization with Trentepohliales algae, a clade that also facilitated lichenization in unrelated lineages of LFF. Furthermore, while symbiont identity and symbiotic phenotype influence the ecology and physiology of lichens, they are not correlated with rates of lineage birth and death, suggesting more complex dynamics underly lichen diversification. Finally, diversification patterns of LFF differed from those of wood-rotting and ectomycorrhizal taxa, likely reflecting contrasts in their fundamental biological properties. Together, our work provides a timeline for the ecological contributions of lichens, and reshapes our understanding of symbiotic persistence in a classic model of symbiosis.

The First Finding of the Lichen Solorina saccata at an Algific Talus Slope in Korea

An algific talus slope is composed of broken rocks with vents connected to an ice cave, releasing cool air in summer and relatively warmer air in winter to maintain a more stable microclimate all year round. Such geological features create a very unusual and delicate ecosystem. Although there are around 25 major algific talus slopes in Korea, lichen ecology of these areas had not been investigated to date. In this study, we report the first exploration of lichen diversity and ecology at an algific talus slope, Jangyeol-ri, in Korea. A total of 37 specimens were collected over 2017–2018. Morphological and sequencing analysis revealed 27 species belonging to 18 genera present in the area. Of particular interest among these species was Solorina saccata, as it has previously not been reported in Korea and most members of genus Solorina are known to inhabit alpine regions of the Northern Hemisphere. We provide here a taxonomic key for S. saccata alongside molecular phylogenetic analyses and prediction of potential habitats in South Korea. Furthermore, regions in South Korea potentially suitable for Solorina spp. were predicted based on climatic features of known habitats around the globe. Our results showed that the suitable areas are mostly at high altitudes in mountainous areas where the annual temperature range does not exceed 26.6 °C. Further survey of other environmental conditions determining the suitability of Solorina spp. should lead to a more precise prediction of suitable habitats and trace the origin of Solorina spp. in Korea.

Deciduous trees as lichen phorophytes: biodiversity and colonization patterns under common garden conditions

AbstractCommon gardens are experimental plantations for comparing the performance of tree species while eliminating many of the variables that prevail in natural tree stands. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biodiversity of corticolous lichens on Danish tree species (Acer pseudoplatanus, Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, Fagus sylvatica, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus robur and Tilia cordata) under common garden conditions and to examine the height distribution of particular lichen species. Observations were recorded through regular sampling of at least 36 lichen species on the main stems (from the base of the stem to the treetops) of 44-year-old trees at four common garden sites. Acer pseudoplatanus and Fraxinus excelsior had the greatest lichen species richness and Shannon diversity values while these measures were significantly lower for Betula pendula and Fagus sylvatica. The distribution of lichen species appeared biased among tree species. The general lichen distribution and relative sample height were weakly related (nonmetric multidimensional scaling). However, single lichen species showed a clear differential distribution along the tree stem (P &lt; 0.001, non-parametric multiplicative regression and logistic log-binomial regression). Lepraria incana, Pseudosagedia aenea and Arthonia atra were mainly found at the stem base while Lecanora carpinea, L. chlarotera, Lecidella elaeochroma, Physcia tenella and Xanthoria parietina, were most abundant at around 70% of the total tree height. The differential distribution of single lichen species presumably reflects different specific requirements during spore germination and thallus growth. By isolating the unique effect of key variables (tree species and height), this study contributes to the knowledge base of corticolous lichen ecology.

Ecology and distribution of rare lichens of the Chuvash Prisurye

The paper contains data about 20 new and rare lichens of the Chuvash Prisurye. 10 lichens are new for the Chuvash Republic, 5 species are new for the Privolzhskaya Upland. The identified lichen species are indicators of old-growth, undisturbed and intact forests that have been preserved in specially protected natural areas. There are 18 species in the National Park Chuvash varmane and 8 species in the State Nature Reserve Prisursky. Geographical coordinates, distribution features in neighboring regions, ecological-substrate and phytocenotic confinement and age status are indicated for each species. The information on the ecology and distribution of rare lichen species is updated. 18 species of lichens (Bryoria nadvornikiana, Br. trichodes, Cetrelia olivetorum, Cresponea chloroconia, Evernia divaricata, Heterodermia speciosa, Leptogium cyanescens, L. saturninum, Nephroma parile, Scytinium subtile, Sc. teretiusculum, Sc. tenuissimum, Usnea dasopoga, Us. florida, Us. subfloridana, Ramalina thrausta, R. sinensis, Xanthomendoza ulophyllodes) are proposed in the new edition of the Red book of the Chuvash Republic with the Status III - rare species. 2 lichen species (Cetraria ericetorum, Lobaria pulmonaria) are classified as category II-vulnerable species, declining in number.

The ecology and distribution of collemiform lichens in the south of the Russian Far East

The ecology and distribution of collemiform lichens in the south of the Russian Far East

Ecology and functional traits of lichens in the archaeological areas of Latium

Ecology and functional traits of lichens in the archaeological areas of Latium

Ecophysiology and phylogeny of new terricolous and epiphytic chlorolichens in a fog oasis of the Atacama Desert.

The Atacama Desert is one of the driest and probably oldest deserts on Earth where only a few extremophile organisms are able to survive. This study investigated two terricolous and two epiphytic lichens from the fog oasis “Las Lomitas” within the National Park Pan de Azúcar which represents a refugium for a few vascular desert plants and many lichens that can thrive on fog and dew alone. Ecophysiological measurements and climate records were combined with molecular data of the mycobiont, their green algal photobionts and lichenicolous fungi to gain information about the ecology of lichens within the fog oasis. Phylogenetic and morphological investigations led to the identification and description of the new lichen species Acarospora conafii sp. nov. as well as the lichenicolous fungi that accompanied them and revealed the trebouxioid character of all lichen photobionts. Their photosynthetic responses were compared during natural scenarios such as reactivation by high air humidity and in situ fog events to elucidate the activation strategies of this lichen community. Epiphytic lichens showed photosynthetic activity that was rapidly induced by fog and high relative air humidity whereas terricolous lichens were only activated by fog.