Differences in diversity of corticolous lichens between interior and edge of the Monte Barranca semi-deciduous forest, Santiago de Cuba

Rosabal, Dania; Burgaz, Ana Rosa; Altamirano, Adeline; Aragón, Gregorio

doi:10.1639/0007-2745-115.2.333

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…This manifests geographically as centres of high regional macrolichen diversity occurring in the Pacific Northwest and Northeastern regions and the southern Appalachians. The inclusion of solar radiation and of mean canopy density as one of the few local variables measuring forest structure with important effects on macrolichen richness is consistent with previous findings that light availability is a determinant of lichen richness (Moning et al ., ; Rosabal et al ., ). Unlike previous work, we found an effect of climatic variables related to temperature: both regional and local species richness were higher in areas with lower mean annual temperatures, and regional richness was higher in areas where diurnal temperature variation approaches intra‐annual variation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Environmental optimality, not heterogeneity, drives regional and local species richness in lichen epiphytes

Coyle

Hurlbert

2016

Global Ecology and Biogeography

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Aim We evaluate the scale dependence of species richness-environment relationships with a continent-wide analysis of lichen epiphyte communities. Specifically, our goals are to assess: (1) the dependence of local richness on regional processes, (2) whether species richness is primarily influenced by heterogeneity in environmental conditions or the central tendency of those conditions, and (3) whether the relative influence of these different aspects of the environment differs between local communities and regional species pools.Location Forests of the contiguous United States. MethodsWe used variation partitioning and model averaging of linear models to relate macrolichen richness at 1923 forest inventory plots (c. 4000 m 2 ) to measures of environmental heterogeneity and mean conditions at local and regional scales. Data included 17 local environmental variables and 11 regional-scale variables which were obtained from a national forest inventory, herbarium records and several climate data sources. ResultsRegional-scale variables explained more unique variation in local species richness and generally had stronger effects than variables measured locally. However, most variation in local richness was explained jointly by local and regional variables. At both local and regional scales, variables measuring environmental heterogeneity explained little variation in species richness and had weaker effects than variables characterizing mean environmental conditions. Main conclusions Species richness of epiphytic macrolichens is not regulated by environmental heterogeneity locally or regionally and instead tracks large-scale climate gradients of water availability and temperature. Richness in local communities is influenced by processes operating at both regional and local scales, highlighting the importance of determining large-scale drivers of lichen richness across the North American continent. This research demonstrates a general method for comparing the influence of different aspects of the environment on species richness across scales and should be applicable to many different taxonomic groups.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Environmental optimality, not heterogeneity, drives regional and local species richness in lichen epiphytes

Coyle

Hurlbert

2016

Global Ecology and Biogeography

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The epiphytic bryophyte community is strongly dependent on the microenvironment of their habitats (Nadkarni, 1992;Wolf, 1993), and thus, is a sensitive indicator of forest management practices (Barkman, 1958). Many studies have shown that the composition and diversity of epiphytes can be strongly affected by habitat fragmentation caused by timber harvesting (Zartman & Nascimento, 2006;Perhans et al, 2009;Caruso et al, 2011;Rosabal et al, 2012) or construction of forest roads (Nagaike, 2003;Belinchón et al, 2007).Edge effects are a major cause of the impact of fragmentation on the distribution of species (Murcia, 1995), and the strength of edge effects are influenced by microclimatic gradients, propagule flow, species reproduction, and resource quality and availability across the edges (Jonsson & Esseen, 1990;Moen & Jonsson, 2003;Ries et al, 2004;Baldwin & Bradfield, 2005; Lőbel et al, 2012). Hiking trails only create narrow internal gaps in a forest, and thus the community structure is similar on both sides of the trail, rather than being two distinct habitats or different vegetation communities, as occurs after fragmentation.…”

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confidence: 99%

Indirect effects of hiking trails on the community structure and diversity of trunk-epiphytic bryophytes in an old-growth fir forest

Yan

Bao

Pang

2013

Journal of Bryology

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Forest hiking trails may influence local microclimate and biodiversity, but the effects on community structure and diversity of epiphytic bryophytes on trees are currently unknown. Epiphytic bryophytes on 82 Abies faxoniana Rehder & Wilson tree trunks (41 along the hiking trail edge and 41 controls in the forest interior) were investigated at four heights from the ground (10, 50, 120, and 180 cm). At each site, air temperature and humidity were monitored for 1 year. The light radiation levels and air temperature were higher, and the canopy leaf area index and air humidity lower at the trail edge, indicating deterioration in microclimate, resulting from the trail establishment. The epiphytic bryophyte species richness, community cover, and mean cover of dendroid and pendent growth forms on trunks were significantly lower at the trail edge than the control site, suggesting that trail construction caused these reductions. One marked effect of the presence of the trail was the increase in some sun-loving species and decrease in shade-tolerant species. Moreover, the trail also slightly influenced species richness and epiphytic bryophyte cover at both community and species population levels along the height gradient. Comprehensive analyses showed that microclimate deterioration was mainly driven by the trail establishment, and that the change in microclimate along the trail, rather than any host traits, played an important role in the declining epiphytic bryophyte community structure and diversity at the trail edge, confirming the initial hypothesis that the presence of a raised boardwalk (hiking trail) indirectly influences epiphytic bryophyte community and diversity by altering the microclimate.Keywords: Biological conservation, Epiphytic bryophytes, Habitat edge, Old-growth forest, Raised boardwalk IntroductionHiking trails are one of the key infrastructure elements in protected areas including forest parks, and are often established with the intention of reducing direct visitor disturbance to the ground vegetation, forest, and environment, especially trampling damage and impaired regeneration (Cole, 1978;Boucher et al., 1991;Li et al., 2005). In establishing hiking trails, long narrow openings are created through the forest. However, it is believed that the trail construction and consequent influx of large numbers of visitors can have negative effects on the surrounding habitats and vegetation (Hall & Kuss, 1989;Li et al., 2005;Maciel et al., 2011). Hiking trails through forests are becoming an important element of the infrastructure management of forests because of the increasing development of forest tourism worldwide. However, the biological effects of such trails have been insufficiently investigated and thus, are still largely unknown. An understanding of the effects of trail formation and visitor activities on biodiversity is essential for conservation managers seeking to minimize human influence on such sites, where large numbers of visitors can negatively affect the biodiversity conservation of forests (Bo...

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“…Lichens, being photoautotrophic organisms, certainly depend on available light in the canopy. It has been shown to be a significant predictor for species richness of epiphytic lichens (Gustafsson and Eriksson 1995, Moning et al 2009, Normann et al 2010, Rosabal et al 2012). However, other microclimatic factors like water limitation can be of overriding importance Antoine 2004, Rambo 2010).…”

Section: Optimalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Tree crowns as meeting points of diversity generating mechanisms – a test with epiphytic lichens in a temperate forest

Patzak

Richter

Engelmann

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Forest canopies are hotspots of biodiversity even in temperate forests but which and how many ecological mechanisms contribute to the high diversity remains elusive. This biodiversity is not distributed evenly throughout the complex fractal structures formed by individual tree crowns. They are non-stationary, constantly expose new surface habitat via growth, and create contrasting abiotic conditions. These features give rise to a range of vertical gradients in habitat optimality, heterogeneity, available surface area and time for succession - all known to be mechanisms shaping diversity patterns. Using a canopy crane facility and epiphytic lichens on Fraxinus excelsior and Quercus robur as model system, we aim to assess the relative importance as well as the interplay of these mechanisms in shaping biodiversity patterns within tree canopies by detecting their distinct mechanistic fingerprints. Lichen species richness exhibited a hump-shaped vertical pattern, skewed towards the top of the crown. This pattern was observable at both the level of individual plots and that of aggregate height layers and it was correlated with lichen cover. Also, a vertical gradient in species composition was found and could be related to species traits known to reflect successional niches such as dispersal mode and growth form. Habitat heterogeneity and available surface area have been found to have little effect on vertical lichen diversity patterns. We conclude that the vertical lichen diversity patterns in the tree crown are mainly shaped by the successional accumulation of species along a branch age gradient and a pronounced vertical gradient in environmental optimality from harshly exposed young branches at the top crown over suitable habitats with a balance in light and humidity towards the limiting light conditions in the dim understory. At the level of the whole canopy, successional and environmental niche dynamics jointly operate to generate lichen diversity.

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Differences in diversity of corticolous lichens between interior and edge of the Monte Barranca semi-deciduous forest, Santiago de Cuba

Cited by 8 publications

References 36 publications

Environmental optimality, not heterogeneity, drives regional and local species richness in lichen epiphytes

Environmental optimality, not heterogeneity, drives regional and local species richness in lichen epiphytes

Indirect effects of hiking trails on the community structure and diversity of trunk-epiphytic bryophytes in an old-growth fir forest

Tree crowns as meeting points of diversity generating mechanisms – a test with epiphytic lichens in a temperate forest

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