Morphological and genetic polymorphism in two North American reindeer lichens: Cladonia arbuscula and C. rangiferina

Athukorala, Sarangi N. P.; Doering, Jennifer; Piercey‐Normore, Michele D.

doi:10.4038/cjsbs.v44i2.7350

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Our data indicated greater diversity in C. mitis than in C. stellaris , as some authors have already suggested. Athukorala et al (2016) pointed out the intraspecific variation in the ITS rDNA of all reindeer lichens (except for C. stellaris ). Other studies focused exclusively on C. mitis (as C. arbuscula s.l.)…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other studies focused exclusively on C. mitis (as C. arbuscula s.l.) to highlight the elevated genetic variation in the species (Piercey‐Normore et al, 2010; Athukorala et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Apothecia (Fig. 1C), an indication of sexual reproduction, are considered either extremely rare (e.g., Vainio, 1897; Brodo et al, 2001; Athukorala et al, 2016) or overlooked (Ahti, 1961). In general, vegetative multiplication seems more prevalent than sexual reproduction in all reindeer lichens (Anderson and Rudolph, 1956; Bowler and Rundel, 1975).…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

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Population genomics of a reindeer lichen species from North American lichen woodlands

Alonso-García

Grewe

Payette

et al. 2021

American J of Botany

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Lichens are one of the main structural components of plant communities in the North American boreal biome. They play a pivotal role in lichen woodlands, a large ecosystem situated north of the closed-crown forest zone, and south of the forest-tundra zone. In Eastern Canada (Quebec), there is a remnant LW found 500 km south of its usual distribution range, in the Parc National des Grands-Jardins, originated mainly because of wildfires. We inferred the origin of the lichen Cladonia stellaris from this LW and assessed its genetic diversity in a postfire succession. METHODS: We genotyped 122 individuals collected across a latitudinal gradient in Quebec. Using the software Stacks, we compared four different approaches of locus selection and single-nucleotide polymorphism calling. We identified the best fitting approach to investigate population structure and estimate genetic diversity of C. stellaris. RESULTS: Populations in southern Quebec are not genetically different from those of northern LWs. The species consists of at least four phylogenetic lineages with elevated levels of genetic diversity and low co-ancestry. In Parc National des Grands-Jardins, we reported high values of genetic diversity not related with time since fire disturbance and low genetic differentiation among populations with different fire histories. CONCLUSIONS: This first population genomic study of C. stellaris is an important step forward to understand the origin and biogeographic patterns of lichen woodlands in North America. Our findings also contribute to the understanding of the effect of postfire succession on the genetic structure of the species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other studies focused exclusively on C. mitis (as C. arbuscula s.l.) to highlight the elevated genetic variation in the species (Piercey‐Normore et al, 2010; Athukorala et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

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Population genomics of a reindeer lichen species from North American lichen woodlands

Alonso-García

Grewe

Payette

et al. 2021

American J of Botany

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“…Furthermore, C. arbuscula and C. mitis occur in similar habitats, but C. arbuscula usually exists within a narrower range of environmental variables than C. mitis . Due to their greater genetic variability, C. arbuscula and C. mitis might have an adaptive advantage over C. rangiferina (Athukorala et al 2015). Although our studied lichens originate from different locations, our results justify differences between these species in respect of their characteristic habitat features.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and habitat preference of protected reindeer lichen species (Cladonia arbuscula, C. mitis and C. rangiferina) in the Balaton Uplands (Hungary)

et al. 2021

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The maintenance of protected lichen species and their biodiversity in general depends on good management practices based on their distribution and habitat preferences. To date, 10 of the 17 protected lichen species of Hungary have been recorded in the Bakony Mts including the Balaton Uplands region. Habitat preferences of three protected Cladonia species (C. arbuscula, C. mitis and C. rangiferina) growing on underlying rocks of red sandstone, basalt, Pannonian sandstone and gravel were investigated by detailed sampling. We recorded aspect, underlying rock type, soil depth, pH and CaCO3 content, habitat type (as defined by the General National Habitat Classification System Á-NÉR), all species of lichen, bryophyte and vascular plants as well as percentage cover of exposed rock, total bryophytes, lichens, vascular plants and canopy, degree of disturbance and animal impacts. Sporadic populations of these species mostly exist at the top of hills and mountains in open acidofrequent oak forests, but they may occur in other habitats, such as closed acidofrequent oak forests, slope steppes on stony soils, siliceous open rocky grasslands, open sand steppes, wet and mesic pioneer scrub and dry Calluna heaths. Cladonia rangiferina was found to grow beneath higher canopy cover than either C. arbuscula or C. mitis in the Balaton Uplands. Furthermore, there were significant differences in canopy cover between occupied and unoccupied quadrats in the case of all three species. Cladonia rangiferina is a good indicator species of natural habitats in Hungary due to its restricted distribution and low ecological tolerance. These results may lead to the adoption of effective conservation methods (e.g. game exclusion, artificial dispersal) in the future.

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“…spp. The ground layer is mostly covered by a mosaic of reindeer lichens (mainly Cladonia arbuscula/mitis, C. rangiferina/stygia (see References [39,40] for discussion of nomenclature), and C. stellaris-collectively termed "reindeer lichens" and feather mosses (Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens, and Ptilium crista-castrensis).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Terrestrial Bryophyte and Lichen Responses to Canopy Opening in Pine-Moss-Lichen Forests

Vitt

Finnegan²,

House

2019

Forests

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Pinus contorta-dominated montane forests of western Canada with relatively dense tree canopies have ground layers with abundant bryophytes, especially the feather mosses (Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens), while those with more open canopies are dominated by species of reindeer lichens, especially Cladonia arbuscula s.l. and C. rangiferina s.l. Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), which are a threatened species in Alberta, prefer open, Cladonia-dominated forests for their winter food supply. This study investigated if opening the canopy by thinning mature montane forests of the Canadian Rocky Mountain foothills would change the abundance of lichens and bryophytes. In 1997, forests were thinned by removing 20%, 40%, and 60% by volume. In 2016, 19 years after treatment, we re-surveyed a subset of these plots (n = 97) for lichen and bryophyte abundance and species richness by utilizing the amount of canopy opening at the plot level as our prime gradient. We then used ordination to determine the relationship of control plots to treatment plots. In uncut forest, the control plots were highly variable, but were mostly dominated by feather mosses, with little or no bare ground. Feather moss abundance was lower in treatment plots when compared to control plots, while cover of bare ground was greater. Overall, 19 years after treatment, we found that, in treatment plots, lichen abundance remained stable or slightly increased, feather mosses decreased markedly, and unoccupied space was double that of the control plots. We conclude that the canopy opening had little effect on understory and ground layer diversity, but considering species abundance (1) bryophytes have not recovered after canopy opening, (2) populations of reindeer lichens increased marginally, but have not colonized areas left bare from bryophyte dieback, and (3), after 19 years there, remains unoccupied areas of bare ground in plots with a reduced canopy cover. Our study demonstrated that, with canopy cover reduction resulting from forest thinning operations, the ground layer diversity is maintained, but recovery of ground layers in old-growth pine-dominated forests is not promoted. Therefore, timber harvest that partially opens the tree canopy is unlikely to benefit caribou by augmenting or accelerating winter food availability and habitat suitability for caribou.

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Morphological and genetic polymorphism in two North American reindeer lichens: Cladonia arbuscula and C. rangiferina

Cited by 5 publications

References 34 publications

Population genomics of a reindeer lichen species from North American lichen woodlands

Population genomics of a reindeer lichen species from North American lichen woodlands

Distribution and habitat preference of protected reindeer lichen species (Cladonia arbuscula, C. mitis and C. rangiferina) in the Balaton Uplands (Hungary)

Terrestrial Bryophyte and Lichen Responses to Canopy Opening in Pine-Moss-Lichen Forests

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