The weight of the crust: Biomass of crustose lichens in tropical dry forest represents more than half of foliar biomass

Miranda‐González, Ricardo; McCune, Bruce

doi:10.1111/btp.12837

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…These groups are less showy than the larger bodied macrolichens, and have often been overlooked in studies of ecosystem roles of epiphytes due to their small size. However, some studies of crustose lichen communities have found that they can represent comparable biomass to macrolichens (Miranda-González and McCune, 2020). Although the total estimated biomass of crustose lichens at our sites was far less than reported for tropical dry forests by Miranda-González and McCune (2020), it is nonetheless indicative of an under-valued component of canopy communities.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 64%

“…In such ecosystems, the dominant epiphytes may be small bryophytes (e.g., Frullania, Orthotrichum, and Pylaisia), microfoliose lichens (e.g., Physcia, Physconia, and associated genera), and crustose lichens. These taxa have drawn less attention from hydrologists due to their small size and therefore individually limited water-holding capacity, such that their impact is poorly quantified but a recent study of crustose lichens in dry forests found comparable biomasses to larger-bodied lichens (Miranda-González and McCune, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stand-Level Variation Drives Canopy Water Storage by Non-vascular Epiphytes Across a Temperate-Boreal Ecotone

Hembre¹,

Meyer²,

Route³

et al. 2021

Front. For. Glob. Change

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Epiphytes, including bryophytes and lichens, can significantly change the water interception and storage capacities of forest canopies. However, despite some understanding of this role, empirical evaluations of canopy and bole community water storage capacity by epiphytes are still quite limited. Epiphyte communities are shaped by both microclimate and host plant identity, and so the canopy and bole community storage capacity might also be expected to vary across similar spatial scales. We estimated canopy and bole community cover and biomass of bryophytes and lichens from ground-based surveys across a temperate-boreal ecotone in continental North America (Minnesota). Multiple forest types were studied at each site, to separate stand level and latitudinal effects. Biomass was converted into potential canopy and bole community storage on the basis of water-holding capacity measurements of dominant taxa. Bole biomass and potential water storage was a much larger contributor than outer canopy. Biomass and water storage capacity varied greatly, ranging from 9 to >900kg ha–1 and 0.003 to 0.38 mm, respectively. These values are lower than most reported results for temperate forests, which have emphasized coastal and old-growth forests. Variation was greatest within sites and appeared to reflect the strong effects of host tree identity on epiphyte communities, with conifer-dominated plots hosting more lichen-dominated epiphyte communities with lower potential water storage capacity. These results point to the challenges of estimating and incorporating epiphyte contributions to canopy hydrology from stand metrics. Further work is also needed to improve estimates of canopy epiphytes, including crustose lichens.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 64%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stand-Level Variation Drives Canopy Water Storage by Non-vascular Epiphytes Across a Temperate-Boreal Ecotone

Hembre¹,

Meyer²,

Route³

et al. 2021

Front. For. Glob. Change

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“…Lichen symbioses are found in nearly all terrestrial ecosystems on earth, from tropical rainforests to polar environments. In many regions they contribute a considerable proportion of the overall biomass (Miranda‐González & McCune, 2020) and can sustain herds of grazing mammals such as caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ). Most individual lichen symbioses are specialists for specific environmental conditions and have gained widespread use as biological indicators (Nimis et al ., 2002).…”

Section: Diversity and Ecology Of Lichen Symbiosesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary biology of lichen symbioses

et al. 2022

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Lichens are the symbiotic outcomes of open, interspecies relationships, central to which are a fungus and a phototroph, typically an alga and/or cyanobacterium. The evolutionary processes that led to the global success of lichens are poorly understood. In this review, we explore the goods and services exchange between fungus and phototroph and how this propelled the success of both symbiont and symbiosis. Lichen fungal symbionts count among the only filamentous fungi that expose most of their mycelium to an aerial environment. Phototrophs export carbohydrates to the fungus, which converts them to specific polyols. Experimental evidence suggests that polyols are not only growth and respiratory substrates but also play a role in anhydrobiosis, the capacity to survive desiccation. We propose that this dual functionality is pivotal to the evolution of fungal symbionts, enabling persistence in environments otherwise hostile to fungi while simultaneously imposing costs on growth. Phototrophs, in turn, benefit from fungal protection from herbivory and light stress, while appearing to exert leverage over fungal sex and morphogenesis. Combined with the recently recognized habit of symbionts to occur in multiple symbioses, this creates the conditions for a multiplayer marketplace of rewards and penalties that could drive symbiont selection and lichen diversification.

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“…This is a critical gap because these low‐latitude ecosystems are of global ecological and biogeochemical importance and the lichens in the tropics can differ greatly phylogenetically and physiologically from the best‐studied temperate taxa (Lange et al, 2000; Rivas Plata, Lücking and Lumbsch, 2008; Pardow et al, 2010; Dal‐Forno et al, 2013). Even the common assertion that lichens are most ecologically important at high latitudes is questionable, with Miranda‐González, McCune (2020) estimating that the biomass of lichens in a Mexican tropical dry forest is equivalent to ~50% of leaf mass. In this review, we aim to highlight gaps in understanding arising from these historical biases, as well as recent work, which leads toward a more universal comprehension of lichen ecophysiology.…”

Section: Setting the Scenementioning

confidence: 99%

Lichen ecophysiology in a changing climate

Stanton

Ormond

Koch

et al. 2023

American J of Botany

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Lichens are one of the most iconic and ubiquitous symbioses known, widely valued as indicators of environmental quality and, more recently, climate change. Our understanding of lichen responses to climate has greatly expanded in recent decades, but some biases and constraints have shaped our present knowledge. In this review we focus on lichen ecophysiology as a key to predicting responses to present and future climates, highlighting recent advances and remaining challenges. Lichen ecophysiology is best understood through complementary whole-thallus and within-thallus scales. Water content and form (vapor or liquid) are central to whole-thallus perspectives, making vapor pressure differential (VPD) a particularly informative environmental driver. Responses to water content are further modulated by photobiont physiology and wholethallus phenotype, providing clear links to a functional trait framework. However, this thallus-level perspective is incomplete without also considering within-thallus dynamics, such as changing proportions or even identities of symbionts in response to climate, nutrients, and other stressors. These changes provide pathways for acclimation, but their understanding is currently limited by large gaps in our understanding of carbon allocation and symbiont turnover in lichens. Lastly, the study of lichen physiology has mainly prioritized larger lichens at high latitudes, producing valuable insights but underrepresenting the range of lichenized lineages and ecologies. Key areas for future work include improving geographic and phylogenetic coverage, greater emphasis on VPD as a climatic factor, advances in the study of carbon allocation and symbiont turnover, and the incorporation of physiological theory and functional traits in our predictive models.

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The weight of the crust: Biomass of crustose lichens in tropical dry forest represents more than half of foliar biomass

Cited by 11 publications

References 77 publications

Stand-Level Variation Drives Canopy Water Storage by Non-vascular Epiphytes Across a Temperate-Boreal Ecotone

Stand-Level Variation Drives Canopy Water Storage by Non-vascular Epiphytes Across a Temperate-Boreal Ecotone

Evolutionary biology of lichen symbioses

Lichen ecophysiology in a changing climate

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