Slowest to fastest: Extreme range in lichen growth rates supports their use as an indicator of climate change in Antarctica

Sancho, Leopoldo G.; Green, T.G. Allan; Pintado, Ana

doi:10.1016/j.flora.2007.05.005

Cited by 100 publications

(86 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(41 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The use of lichens in dating rock surfaces is well known (see below) and is based on temporal changes in lichen surface areas in response to climate and environment. Present trends of climate warming will have major consequences for lichens, with the known geographical ranges of both individual taxa and lichen communities either increasing or declining (see, e.g., Nash & Olafsen 1995;Insarov et al 1999;Lange & Green 2005;Aptroot & van Herk 2007;Ellis & Coppins 2007;Sancho et al 2007;Binder & Ellis 2008).…”

Section: Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Austral lichenology: 1690–2008

Galloway¹

2008

New Zealand Journal of Botany

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This review summarises lichen work in the temperate Southern Hemisphere. A brief historical overview of austral lichenology is presented from the earliest European voyages of discovery up to the present day. Current knowledge is outlined for Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, southern South America, the Southern Subpolar islands, and Antarctica. Biogeographical patterns, and the importance of lichens in nutrient cycling, habitat restoration, and monitoring of global change, are also discussed from an austral perspective.

show abstract

Section: Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Austral lichenology: 1690–2008

Galloway¹

2008

New Zealand Journal of Botany

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The bryoflora is likely to be the most sensitive vegetation component to target for this purpose, as growth rates (mean 0.6-1.3 mm y -1 ; Clarke et al 2012) are greater than that of lichens (<0.1 mm y -1 ; Sancho et al 2007), which are impractically slow. Whilst previous investigations of vegetation distributions in the Windmill Islands, have examined broadscale patterns (over meters to kilometres; e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bryophyte species composition over moisture gradients in the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica: development of a baseline for monitoring climate change impacts

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

M. (2012). Bryophyte species composition over moisture gradients in the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica: development of a baseline for monitoring climate change impacts. Biodiversity,, 257-264. Bryophyte species composition over moisture gradients in the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica: development of a baseline for monitoring climate change impacts AbstractExtreme environmental conditions prevail on the Antarctic continent and limit plant diversity to cryptogamic communities, dominated by bryophytes and lichens. Even small abiotic shifts, associated with climate change, are likely to have pronounced impacts on these communities that currently exist at their physiological limit of survival. Changes to moisture availability, due to precipitation shifts or alterations to permanent snow reserves, will most likely cause greatest impact. In order to establish a baseline for determining the effect of climate change on continental Antarctic terrestrial communities and to better understand bryophyte species distributions in relation to moisture in a floristically important Antarctic region, this study surveyed finescale bryophyte patterns and turf water and nutrient contents along community gradients in the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica. The survey found that the Antarctic endemic, Schistidium antarctici, dominated the wettest habitats, Bryum pseudotriquetrum distribution spanned the gradient, whilst Ceratodon purpureus and Cephaloziella varians were restricted to the driest habitats. These patterns, along with knowledge of these species relative physiology, suggest the endemic Schistidium antarctici will be negatively impacted under a drying trend. This study provides a model for quantitative finescale analysis of bryophyte distributions in cryptogamic communities and forms an important reference site for monitoring impacts of climate change in Antarctica. AbstractExtreme environmental conditions prevail on the Antarctic continent and limit plant diversity to cryptogamic communities, dominated by bryophytes and lichens. Even small abiotic shifts, associated with climate change, are likely to have pronounced impacts on these communities that currently exist at their physiological limit of survival. Changes to moisture availability, due to precipitation shifts or alterations to permanent snow reserves will most likely cause greatest impact. In order to establish a baseline for determining the effect of climate change on continental Antarctic terrestrial communities and to better understand bryophyte species distributions in relation to moisture in a floristically important Antarctic region, this study surveyed finescale bryophyte patterns and turf water and nutrient contents along community gradients in the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica. The survey found that the Antarctic endemic, Schistidium antarctici, dominated the wettest habitats, Bryum pseudotriquetrum distribution spanned the gradient, whilst Ceratodon purpureus and Cephaloziella varians were restricted to driest habitats. These patterns, along ...

show abstract

“…ese ndings can be related with the human impacts in the area, to decreasing diversity along the two summer seasons (Victoria & Pereira, 2007). For Sancho et al (2007) these changes can be a climate change indicator, because that lichen species found in the studied region are susceptible to extreme temperature variation, increasing or decreasing their growth (Sancho et al, 2007), but the fast development and death of the foliose muscicolous lichen cannot be discarded, as certain types of foliose lichens are among the fastest-growing species which have the ability to grow up to one centimeter per year, and this growth rate is unusual in most lichen species (Bednarik, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%