Broad-scale distribution of epiphytic hair lichens correlates more with climate and nitrogen deposition than with forest structure

Esseen, Per‐Anders; Ekström, Magnus; Westerlund, Bertil; Palmqvist, Kristin; Jonsson, Bengt Gunnar; Grafström, Anton; Ståhl, Göran

doi:10.1139/cjfr-2016-0113

Cited by 24 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Alectoria , with an incomplete circumpolar distribution and an oceanic tendency (Ahlner, 1948), peaks in old, humid boreal forests in Fennoscandia (Esseen et al., 2016). Bryoria and Usnea are circumpolar species that grow on a wide range of tree species (Thell & Moberg, 2011).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They constitute an important diet of reindeer, caribou and other mammals (Hauck, 2011) and provide shelter for invertebrates, including high-quality prey for passerine birds (Pettersson et al, 1995). These lichens die or suffer from air pollutants (Bruteig, 1993;Johansson et al, 2010) and from other global change factors (Esseen et al, 2016;Nascimbene et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This lifestyle shortens their growth periods compared to homoiohydric plants that acquire soil water and regulate loss of water via stomata. First, macroclimate, notably precipitation and temperature, interacts with forest canopy structure and creates microclimates (Stoutjesdijk & Barkman, 1987) that affect lichen growth rates and contribute to large‐scale lichen distribution patterns (Esseen et al., 2016; Gauslaa, 2014; Gauslaa et al., 2007; Marini et al., 2011). Second, at microclimatic scales, irradiance received by hydrated lichens drives photosynthesis and growth (Dahlman & Palmqvist, 2003; Palmqvist & Sundberg, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the same time, excess rain can greatly impede the uptake of CO 2 (Lange et al., 1993). While macroclimatic gradients apparently drive regional distributions of epiphytic lichens (Coyle & Hurlbert, 2016), including hair lichens (Esseen et al., 2016), few have explored how macroclimate shapes lichen growth (Boucher & Nash III, 1990; Gauslaa et al., 2007), an important measure of lichen fitness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Macroclimate drives growth of hair lichens in boreal forest canopies

et al. 2020

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Epiphytic lichens are important biodiversity components of forest canopies world‐wide, significantly contributing to ecosystem function. The RGR, a measure of fitness, drives population dynamics and shapes lichens’ large‐scale distributions. In a climate change scenario, we need to know how external (macro‐ and microclimate, and nitrogen deposition) and internal factors (cortical pigments, chlorophyll and specimen size) affect RGR in these ecologically important canopy organisms. We used dominant pendulous hair lichens widely distributed across the boreal biome to test the hypothesis that precipitation drives RGR of pale (Alectoria sarmentosa, Usnea dasopoga) and dark species Bryoria fuscescens differently across a large‐scale gradient from continental to oceanic climates (precipitation: 450–2,600 mm) in Scandinavia (60–64°N, 5–19°E). After transplanting lichens to lower branches of Picea abies in nine boreal forest sites for 1 year, we used linear mixed effects models to analyse how total precipitation, rainfall, number of days with rain, temperature sum, nitrogen deposition, light, chlorophyll a (an indicator of photosynthetic capacity) and size influenced their RGR. RGR was highest in the pale species (Alectoria and Usnea) and increased with amount and frequency of precipitation, with >3 times higher RGR in the wettest compared to the driest site. The number of days with rain was a better predictor of RGR than total precipitation or rain. By contrast, RGR of the dark Bryoria weakly increased with precipitation. RGR in all species increased with light and decreased with size. Chlorophyll a concentration, boosted by moderate nitrogen deposition, increased RGR of all species. In conclusion, rainfall likely drives the distribution of the pale species due to their higher RGR and abundance in wet climates but cannot explain why Bryoria dominates drier inland forests. Our results highlight that the functional links between rainfall and RGR depends on both colour of the lichens (pale vs. dark pigments) and water storage traits. Synthesis. Our findings may explain the global, regional and local distribution patterns of hair lichens and help us to predict how environmental hazards such as climate change and forestry influence these important boreal canopy components.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Macroclimate drives growth of hair lichens in boreal forest canopies

et al. 2020

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“…A recent study exploring the species-elevation relationship of epiphytic lichens in spruce forests of the Alps [39] stresses the sensitivity of hair-lichens to both increased temperature and precipitation. On a broader scale, Essen et al [41] demonstrated that climate and nitrogen deposition are the main factors shaping the distribution of hair-lichens; their effects are greater than the response to forest structures. Hair-lichens have a high surface area to biomass ratio [25] and, in high-elevation forests, are physiologically active most of the year [42].…”

Section: Lichen-climate Relationships With Emphasis On Hair-lichensmentioning

confidence: 99%

Could Hair-Lichens of High-Elevation Forests Help Detect the Impact of Global Change in the Alps?

et al. 2019

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Climate change and the anthropic emission of pollutants are likely to have an accelerated impact in high-elevation mountain areas. This phenomenon could have negative consequences on alpine habitats and for species of conservation in relative proximity to dense human populations. This premise implies that the crucial task is in the early detection of warning signals of ecological changes. In alpine landscapes, high-elevation forests provide a unique environment for taking full advantage of epiphytic lichens as sensitive indicators of climate change and air pollution. This literature review is intended to provide a starting point for developing practical biomonitoring tools that elucidate the potential of hair-lichens, associated with high-elevation forests, as ecological indicators of global change in the European Alps. We found support for the practical use of hair-lichens to detect the impact of climate change and nitrogen pollution in high-elevation forest habitats. The use of these organisms as ecological indicators presents an opportunity to expand monitoring activities and develop predictive tools that support decisions on how to mitigate the effects of global change in the Alps.

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