Species richness of lichen functional groups in relation to land use intensity

Abstract

Changing land use has a major impact on lichen diversity. This study attempts to identify patterns or trends of lichen functional groups along a land use gradient, ranging from natural forests to open agricultural landscape. In eight countries, covering six main European biogeographic regions, lichen vegetation was assessed according to a standardized scheme. Data on reproductive, vegetative and ecological traits was compiled and relative species richness for all classes of all traits calculated. Relationships between the land use gradient and relative species richness of trait classes were analysed. Open and intensively managed landscapes harbour more fertile species while sterile species are relatively more important in forests. This finding is also supported by analyses of different classes of dispersal propagules. The importance of species with the principal photobiont Trebouxia s.l. increases linearly with intensification of land use. A converse pattern is revealed by species with Trentepohlia. Concerning substratum specialization only generalists show an effect along the land use intensity gradient. Their relative species richness decreases from landscapes dominated by forests to open agricultural landscape. A considerable decline in the rare lichen species richness as a result of land intensification is predicted.

Evaluating macrolichens and environmental variables as predictors of the diversity of epiphytic microlichens

“…Land-use intensity is another variable which may affect macro-and microlichens differently (Stofer et al 2006 et al 2007). In contrast to the climatic variables, the field variables performed much better.…”

Critical loads of nitrogen deposition and critical levels of atmospheric ammonia for semi-natural Mediterranean evergreen woodlands

“…However, unlike these previous works done in Mediterranean ecosystems, we monitored [NH 3 ] atm for a full year, allowing us to fully account for Mediterranean climate seasonality and variability in [NH 3 ] atm . Moreover, other environmental factors that could influence lichens, such as industrial pollutants or regional climate (Giordani and Incerti, 2008;Pinho et al, 2008a), dust (Loppi and Pirintsos, 2000;Pinho et al, 2008b) or land-use intensity (Pinho et al, 2008;Stofer et al, 2006) were constant throughout our study site. Thus we were able to provide more accurate estimates of CLEs and CLOs for semi-natural areas for the first time for European Mediterranean ecosystems.…”

Reproductive strategy and the compositional dynamics of crustose lichen communities on aspen (Populus tremula L.) in Scotland

“…gross morphology, photobiont type, reproductive strategy) may advantageously define a species' response to the environment, including the net result of diffuse inter-specific interactions (McGill et al 2006). Such trait-based studies might productively focus on systematic change in communities along environmental gradients (McGill et al 2006), including the effect of land-use on lichen communities (Stofer et al 2006). Based on McCune's 'similar gradient hypothesis' (McCune 1993), Ellis & Coppins (2006) described a generalized pattern in which the epiphyte communities on aspen in Scotland are structured by trade-offs between groups of functionally similar species, attributed to establishment and growth limits in contrasting environments.…”