Patterns of bryophyte and lichen diversity in bogs and <em>Tepualia stipularis</em> forests of Northern Patagonia (Chile): evidence of a novel ecosystem in southern South America

Abstract

Bryophytes and lichens are an important component of biodiversity. Nevertheless, these cryptogamic groups are rarely included in floristic and ecological studies in southern South America. We present the first comparison of patterns of alpha and beta diversity of bryophytes and macrolichens in peatlands and Tepualia stipularis forests (TF) on Isla Grande de Chiloé, Chile. Two kinds of Sphagnum peatlands were studied, which were defined according to their origin and their vegetation, natural peatlands (GP) and anthropogenic peatlands (AP). A total of 86 species were found: 42 liverworts, 29 mosses and 14 lichens. The most species-rich sites were AP with a total of 52 species, followed by TF with 45 species, and GP with 21 species. The total bryo-lichenic diversity reported in this study was considerably higher than that reported in other studies for Patagonian peatlands. The three types of studied habitats showed significant differences in species richness and diversity indices. We found clear distinctions between the three habitat types, with significant differences in the floristic composition of GP, AP, and TP. Moreover, AP presented a species composition that has not been previously documented in TF or GP. They are the result of human action, but do not depend on continued human intervention for their maintenance. Therefore, here we propose to denominate AP as a novel ecosystem.

Update of recent rates of carbon accumulation in bogs of Northern Patagonia-Chile

“…These results could be explained in part by the youth and dynamics of this type of ecosystem. Anthropogenic peatlands have been considered as novel ecosystems; they have a new species composition that has deeply changed the landscape and ecosystem services (León et al, 2016). Our results provide evidence of the importance of these unique ecosystems, and…”

Towards an Integrative, Eco-Evolutionary Understanding of Ecological Novelty: Studying and Communicating Interlinked Effects of Global Change

“…The novelty of a site or of a species’ environment can be assessed using either pre-set criteria describing a continuous gradient (e.g., dissimilarity of community-composition patterns or interaction networks) or pre-defined thresholds (e.g., Goring et al 2016, Leon et al 2016). In the concept of novel ecosystems as presented by Hobbs et al (2013b), specific thresholds separate novel ecosystems from hybrid and historic ones (see box 2).…”

“…A straightforward approach for quantifying novelty in many settings is to use established statistical measures for (dis-)similarity or ecological distance (e.g., Bray-Curtis index, standardized Euclidean distance). In the site-specific approach, these indices allow classification of areas as novel or historic, referring to historic species compositions or abiotic conditions (Goring et al 2016, Leon et al 2016). They can also be used to quantify a gradient of novelty based on abiotic conditions (Williams et al 2007) or related proxies (e.g., human population density; Radeloff et al 2015, Prospere et al 2016), as well as based on the structure or diversity of communities (Trueman et al 2014, Prospere et al 2016).…”