Selecting lichen functional traits as ecological indicators of the effects of urban environment

Koch, Natália Mossmann; Matos, Paula; Branquinho, Cristina; Pinho, Pedro; Lucheta, Fabiane; Martins, Suzana Ma. de Azevedo; Vargas, Vera Maria Ferrão

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.107

Cited by 60 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Other studies have also demonstrated that land-use change has affected the functional traits of lichens [5,15,19,21,22,25,27,60]. Following this pattern for richness of functional traits Pinho et al [20], Benitez et al [21] and Koch et al [22], showed that forest disturbance and urbanization have a strong correlation on the richness of functional traits of the epiphytic lichen communities. This phenomenon associated with species richness and functional traits can be explained by the ecological and physiological requirements related to water availability.…”

Section: Species Richness Functional Traits and Community Compositionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…We evaluated six traits to perform the analysis of functional traits: (1) photobiont type; (2) growth form; (3) size; (4) reproduction type; (5) type of reproductive structure; and (6) thallus color ( Table 1). The functional traits were selected based on previous studies, due to their relation to ecosystem functioning and land uses [5,19,21,22,25]. For instance, photobiont type and growth form (thallus morphology) are related with light, temperature and water requirements for the processes of photosynthesis and respiration [23,[43][44][45], and with water uptake and loss [21,44].…”

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, photobiont type and growth form (thallus morphology) are related with light, temperature and water requirements for the processes of photosynthesis and respiration [23,[43][44][45], and with water uptake and loss [21,44]. Finally, reproductive strategy and reproductive structure are related to dispersion ability and establishment [22,25]. Table 1.…”

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Epiphytic lichens are poikilohydric, thus they lack an active regulation of the loss and absorption of water [16], which in turn increases their sensitivity to environmental disturbances [17,18]. For these reasons, several biological traits of lichens as such as photobiont type, growth, reproduction, and development can be affected by environmental changes [19][20][21][22]. In this manner, these functional traits can be used as a complementary approach to better understand ecosystems because they allow us to assess the biodiversity and their relationship with ecosystem functioning [23,24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a general pattern, microclimatic variables (e.g., light, humidity, and temperature) that change in response to ecosystem transformation have been considered as constraining factors over the taxonomic and functional diversity of epiphytic lichens [21,25]. Therefore, several studies have used both taxonomic and functional diversity (e.g., richness of each functional trait) as indicators of landuse change [20,22,26,27], forest disturbance [14,21,28], global warming [29] and air quality [19,[30][31][32].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lichen Responses to Disturbance: Clues for Biomonitoring Land-use Effects on Riparian Andean Ecosystems

et al. 2019

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The transformation of natural ecosystems due to anthropogenic land use is considered one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. Lichens, due to their poikilohydric nature, are very sensitive to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Therefore, lichen communities have been widely used as bioindicators of climatic and environmental changes. In this study, we evaluated how the species richness and community composition of epiphytic lichens respond to land-use intensity in riparian ecosystems of the Andes in southern Ecuador. Additionally, we evaluate how the richness of six functional traits (photobiont type, growth form, and reproductive strategy) changed across the different land-use intensity. We selected 10 trees in twelve sites for a total de 120 trees, equally divided into four riparian land-use intensities (forest, forest-pasture, pasture and urban). We recorded a total of 140 lichen species. Species richness was highest in the forest sites and decreased towards more anthropogenic land uses. Lichen community composition responded to land-use intensity, and was explained by microclimate variables (e.g., precipitation, percentage forested area) and distance to the forest. Richness of functional traits of lichens also differed significantly among the four land-use intensity and decreased from forests to urban land-use. Taxonomic diversity and functional traits can be effectively applied as bioindicators to assess and monitor the effects of land-use changes in the riparian ecosystems of tropical montane regions.

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Section: Species Richness Functional Traits and Community Compositionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Lichen Responses to Disturbance: Clues for Biomonitoring Land-use Effects on Riparian Andean Ecosystems

et al. 2019

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Nuanced qualitative trait approaches reveal environmental filtering and phylogenetic constraints on lichen communities

et al. 2022

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We propose that a qualitative trait approach based on more detailed nuanced traits may reveal previously overlooked patterns, especially when combined with phylogenetic perspectives. By sampling epiphytic lichens and using a functional approach based on nuanced qualitative traits, such as a much greater resolution over photobiont identity, type of cortex, and chemical compounds, we evaluated the effects of environmental filtering and phylogenetic constraints on community assembly along a natural succession of Atlantic rainforest. We found changes in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic composition, structure, and diversity. Functional traits such as photobiont genera, type of cortex, reproductive structures, propagule size, and protection strategies showed strong responses to succession. Mature forests with a closed canopy impose strong environment filtering that is reflected in lichen species turnover, limiting diversity, but also holding different functional and phylogenetic composition. The use of a nuanced qualitative trait approach may overcome some of the limitations of using this type of traits and shows the importance of often‐overlooked key lichen functional traits, including the presence of carbon‐concentrating mechanisms in photobionts and cortex properties. Furthermore, this is the first study showing how patterns of phylogenetic assembly along forest succession structure lichen communities.

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Carbon‐concentrating mechanisms are a key trait in lichen ecology and distribution

Koch

Lendemer

Tripp

et al. 2023

Ecology

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Carbon‐concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) are a widespread phenomenon in photosynthetic organisms. In vascular plants, the evolution of CCMs ([C44‐carbon compound] and crassulacean acid metabolism [CAM]) is associated with significant shifts, most often to hot, dry and bright, or aquatic environments. If and how CCMs drive distributions of other terrestrial photosynthetic organisms, remains little studied. Lichens are ecologically important obligate symbioses between fungi and photosynthetic organisms. The primary photosynthetic partner in these symbioses can include CCM‐presenting cyanobacteria (as carboxysomes), CCM‐presenting green algae (as pyrenoids) or green algae lacking any CCM. We use an extensive dataset of lichen communities from eastern North America, spanning a wide climatic range, to test the importance of CCMs as predictors of lichen ecology and distribution. We show that the presence or absence of CCMs leads to opposite responses to temperature and precipitation in green algal lichens, and different responses in cyanobacterial lichens. These responses contrast with our understanding of lichen physiology, whereby CCMs mitigate carbon limitation by water saturation at the cost of efficient use of vapor hydration. This study demonstrates that CCM status is a key functional trait in obligate lichen symbioses, equivalent in importance to its role in vascular plants, and central for studying present and future climate responses.

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Selecting lichen functional traits as ecological indicators of the effects of urban environment

Cited by 60 publications

References 72 publications

Lichen Responses to Disturbance: Clues for Biomonitoring Land-use Effects on Riparian Andean Ecosystems

Lichen Responses to Disturbance: Clues for Biomonitoring Land-use Effects on Riparian Andean Ecosystems

Nuanced qualitative trait approaches reveal environmental filtering and phylogenetic constraints on lichen communities

Carbon‐concentrating mechanisms are a key trait in lichen ecology and distribution

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