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Old trees as a key source of epiphytic lichen persistence and spatial distribution in mountain Norway spruce forests

July 2017
Biodiversity and Conservation 26(2)

DOI:10.1007/s10531-017-1338-4

Authors:

Lucie Zemanová

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Volodymyr Trotsiuk

Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL

Robert C. Morrissey

Radek Bače

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

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Habitat loss and fragmentation can negatively impact the persistence of dispersal-limited lichen species with narrow niches. Rapid change in microclimate due to canopy dieback exposes species to additional stressors that may limit their capacity to survive and colonize. We studied the importance of old trees as micro-refuges and microclimate stability in maintaining lichen survival and diversity. The study was situated in mountain Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests of the Gorgany Mountains of the Ukrainian Carpathian mountain belt. Lichens were collected on 13 circular study plots (1000 m²). Dendrochronological methods were used to reconstruct age structure and maximum disturbance event history. A linear mixed effects model and general additive models were used to explain patterns and variability of lichens based on stand age and disturbance history for each plot. Tree age was the strongest variable influencing lichen diversity and composition. Recent (<80 years ago) severely disturbed plots were colonized only by the most common species, however, old trees (>200 years old) that survived the disturbances served as microrefuges for the habitat-specialized and/or dispersal limited species, thus epiphytic lichen biodiversity was markedly higher on those plots in comparison to plots without any old trees. Most species were able to survive microclimatic change after disturbances, or recolonize disturbed patches from surrounding old-growth forests. We concluded that the survival of old trees after disturbances could maintain and/or recover large portions of epiphytic lichen biodiversity even in altered microclimates.

Relation between the number of lichen species and individual tree age, age of the oldest tree per plot, and tree diameter (DBH); left panel number of species per tree (y-axis) along tree age gradient (x-axis) split into two intervals of MaxAge (empty triangles trees from plots in which the oldest tree was younger than 270 years, black points trees from plots in which the oldest tree was older than 270 years); right panel number of species per tree (y-axis) along stem diameter (DBH, x-axis, empty triangles trees younger than 150 years, black points trees older than 150 years); linear trendlines were added (dotted line MaxAge ≤270 years in first panel and age ≤150 years in second panel, dashed line MaxAge >270 years in first panel and age >150 years in second panel)

…

Species chronology along tree age and plot-level maximum tree age gradients; species are ordered by the lowest MaxAge, top to bottom, and grouped by plot disturbance severity (high, which includes extreme and heavy disturbances, are above the solid black line, and low, which includes moderate and light disturbances, are below the solid black line (these groups are intended to represent differences in microclimatic continuity). Host tree ages are indicated by the empty grey circles (x-axis); MaxAges are indicated by black crosses (x-axis); the lowest MaxAge of the plot on which each species occurred is indicated by the dashed line. Species with significant response to any of the variables are indicated by asterisk and accompanied by an abbreviation of the significant variable (a age, m MaxAge, d low disturbance severity); for more details about species traits see Table 4

…

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ORIGINAL PAPER

Old trees as a key source of epiphytic lichen persistence

and spatial distribution in mountain Norway spruce

forests

Lucie Zemanova

•Volodymyr Trotsiuk

•Robert C. Morrissey

•

Radek Bac

ˇe

•Martin Mikola

´s

•Miroslav Svoboda

Received: 1 April 2016 / Revised: 18 March 2017 / Accepted: 30 March 2017 /

Published online: 22 April 2017

ÓSpringer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2017

Abstract Habitat loss and fragmentation can negatively impact the persistence of dis-

persal-limited lichen species with narrow niches. Rapid change in microclimate due to

canopy dieback exposes species to additional stressors that may limit their capacity to

survive and colonize. We studied the importance of old trees as micro-refuges and

microclimate stability in maintaining lichen survival and diversity. The study was situated

in mountain Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests of the Gorgany Mountains of the

Ukrainian Carpathian mountain belt. Lichens were collected on 13 circular study plots

(1000 m

). Dendrochronological methods were used to reconstruct age structure and

maximum disturbance event history. A linear mixed effects model and general additive

models were used to explain patterns and variability of lichens based on stand age and

disturbance history for each plot. Tree age was the strongest variable inﬂuencing lichen

diversity and composition. Recent (\80 years ago) severely disturbed plots were colonized

only by the most common species, however, old trees ([200 years old) that survived the

disturbances served as microrefuges for the habitat-specialized and/or dispersal limited

species, thus epiphytic lichen biodiversity was markedly higher on those plots in com-

parison to plots without any old trees. Most species were able to survive microclimatic

change after disturbances, or recolonize disturbed patches from surrounding old-growth

forests. We concluded that the survival of old trees after disturbances could maintain and/

or recover large portions of epiphytic lichen biodiversity even in altered microclimates.

Communicated by Pradeep Kumar Divakar.

This article belongs to the Topical Collection: Forest and plantation biodiversity.

&Lucie Zemanova

zluxie@gmail.com

Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences,

Kamy

´cka

´1176, 16521 Prague, Czech Republic

Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Czech University of Life

Sciences, Kamy

´cka

´1176, 16521 Prague, Czech Republic

123

Biodivers Conserv (2017) 26:1943–1958

DOI 10.1007/s10531-017-1338-4

Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.

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Monitoring with Lichens — Monitoring Lichens

Book

Jan 2002

A comprehensive, up-to-date review of lichens as biomonitors of air pollution (bioindication, metal and radionuclide accumulation, biomarkers), and as monitors of environmental change (including global climate change and biodiversity loss) in a wide array of terrestrial habitats. Several methods for using lichens as biomonitors are described in a special section of the book.

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