Lichen Responses to Disturbance: Clues for Biomonitoring Land-use Effects on Riparian Andean Ecosystems

Abstract

The transformation of natural ecosystems due to anthropogenic land use is considered one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. Lichens, due to their poikilohydric nature, are very sensitive to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Therefore, lichen communities have been widely used as bioindicators of climatic and environmental changes. In this study, we evaluated how the species richness and community composition of epiphytic lichens respond to land-use intensity in riparian ecosystems of the Andes in southern Ecuador. Additionally, we evaluate how the richness of six functional traits (photobiont type, growth form, and reproductive strategy) changed across the different land-use intensity. We selected 10 trees in twelve sites for a total de 120 trees, equally divided into four riparian land-use intensities (forest, forest-pasture, pasture and urban). We recorded a total of 140 lichen species. Species richness was highest in the forest sites and decreased towards more anthropogenic land uses. Lichen community composition responded to land-use intensity, and was explained by microclimate variables (e.g., precipitation, percentage forested area) and distance to the forest. Richness of functional traits of lichens also differed significantly among the four land-use intensity and decreased from forests to urban land-use. Taxonomic diversity and functional traits can be effectively applied as bioindicators to assess and monitor the effects of land-use changes in the riparian ecosystems of tropical montane regions.

Disrupting the Biodiversity–Ecosystem Function Relationship: Response of Shredders and Leaf Breakdown to Urbanization in Andean Streams

“…Therefore, we selected 12 independent streams along such an urbanization gradient, having three replicated streams at urban (Ur), pasture (Pa), forest mixed with pasture (FP), and forest (Fo) sites, respectively (Figure 1). Also, this urbanization gradient has been demonstrated to be environmentally contrasting among sites and has negatively affected biota (Chuquimarca et al, 2019). All studied streams are similar in size (2nd order) and geology.…”

Key Roles of Dipterocarpaceae, Bark Type Diversity and Tree Size in Lowland Rainforests of Northeast Borneo—Using Functional Traits of Lichens to Distinguish Plots of Old Growth and Regenerating Logged Forests

“…We follow the common distinction between crustose, squamulose, foliose and filamentous growth types [ 5 , 10 , 11 ], although the distinction between the first three are not clear cut and can differ even for individuals of the same species (e.g., in our study area the thalli of Catarraphia are usually crustose but under ideal conditions become squamulose eventually). The frequency of specific growth forms has been shown to be linked to different disturbance levels in tropical and temperate forests alike [ 9 , 13 , 25 , 46 , 47 ].…”

Actualización nomenclatural y taxonómica del Catálogo de Líquenes de Colombia

“…Zahlbr. ha sido usado en varios trabajos sobre líquenes del Neotrópico (Imshaug, et al, 1956, Dix, 1957, Marcano, et al, 1996, Sipman, 1997, Sipman & Wolf, 1998, Benítez, et al, 2012, Coca, et al, 2012, Chuquimarca, et al, 2019, sin notar que esta combinación es ilegítima, ya que tiene prioridad el nombre primeramente establecido por Wilson (1889) para una especie no relacionada de Australia, la cual ahora se considera un sinónimo de Collema subconveniens Nyl.. Por lo tanto, se propone un nombre de reemplazo. Zahlbruckner (1932) propuso la sinonimia de Leptogium foveolatum Nyl.…”