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Hutsemékers V, Mouton L, Westenbohm H, Collart F, Vanderpoorten A. Disentangling climate change from air pollution effects on epiphytic bryophytes. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:3990-4000. [PMID: 37086082 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
At the interface between atmosphere and vegetation, epiphytic floras have been largely used as indicators of air quality. The recovery of epiphytes from high levels of SO2 pollution has resulted in major range changes, whose interpretation has, however, been challenged by concomitant variation in other pollutants as well as climate change. Here, we combine historical and contemporary information on epiphytic bryophyte species distributions, climatic conditions, and pollution loads since the 1980s in southern Belgium to disentangle the relative impact of climate change and air pollution on temporal shifts in species composition. The relationship between the temporal variation of species composition, climatic conditions, SO2 , NO2 , O3 , and fine particle concentrations, was analyzed by variation partitioning. The temporal shift in species composition was such, that it was, on average, more than twice larger than the change in species composition observed today among communities scattered across the study area. The main driver, contributing to 38% of this temporal shift in species composition, was the variation of air quality. Climate change alone did not contribute to the substantial compositional shifts in epiphytic bryophyte communities in the course of the last 40 years. As a consequence of the substantial drop of N and S loads over the last decades, present-day variations of epiphytic floras were, however, better explained by the spatial variation of climatic conditions than by extant pollution loads. The lack of any signature of recolonization delays of formerly polluted areas in the composition of modern floras suggests that epiphytic bryophytes efficiently disperse at the landscape scale. We suggest that a monitoring of epiphyte communities at 10-year intervals would be desirable to assess the impact of raising pollution sources, and especially pesticides, whose impact on bryophytes remains poorly documented.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lea Mouton
- University of Liège, Institute of Botany, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Flavien Collart
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Lõhmus A, Motiejūnaitė J, Lõhmus P. Regionally Varying Habitat Relationships in Lichens: The Concept and Evidence with an Emphasis on North-Temperate Ecosystems. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9030341. [PMID: 36983509 PMCID: PMC10056719 DOI: 10.3390/jof9030341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat ecology of lichens (lichen-forming fungi) involves diverse adaptations to stressful environments where lichens use specific habitat conditions. Field observations confirm that such habitat ‘preferences’ can vary significantly across species’ distribution ranges, sometimes revealing abrupt changes over short distances. We critically review and generalize such empirical evidence as broad ecological patterns, link these with the likely physiological mechanisms and evolutionary processes involved, and outline the implications for lichen conservation. Non-replicated correlative studies remain only suggestive because the data are frequently compromised by sampling bias and pervasive random errors; further noise is related to unrecognized cryptic species. Replicated evidence exists for three macroecological patterns: (a) regional limiting factors excluding a species from a part of its microhabitat range in suboptimal areas; (b) microhabitat shifts to buffer regionally adverse macroclimates; (c) substrate suitability changed by the chemical environment, notably air pollution. All these appear to be primarily buffering physiological challenges of the adverse conditions at the macrohabitat scale or, in favorable environments, coping with competition or predation. The roles of plasticity, adaptation, dispersal, and population-level stochasticity remain to be studied. Although lichens can inhabit various novel microhabitats, there is no evidence for a related adaptive change. A precautionary approach to lichen conservation is to maintain long-term structural heterogeneity in lichen habitats, and consider lichen ecotypes as potential evolutionarily significant units and a bet-hedging strategy for addressing the climate change-related challenges to biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asko Lõhmus
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, J. Liivi 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia
- Correspondence:
| | - Jurga Motiejūnaitė
- Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Žaliųjų Ežerų 49, LT-08406 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Piret Lõhmus
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, J. Liivi 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia
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Di Nuzzo L, Benesperi R, Nascimbene J, Papini A, Malaspina P, Incerti G, Giordani P. Little time left. Microrefuges may fail in mitigating the effects of climate change on epiphytic lichens. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 825:153943. [PMID: 35189219 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is already causing considerable reductions in biodiversity in all terrestrial ecosystems. These consequences are expected to be exacerbated in biomes that are particularly exposed to change, such as those in the Mediterranean, and in certain groups of more sensitive organisms, such as epiphytic lichens. These poikylohydric organisms find suitable light and water conditions on trunks under the tree canopy. Despite their small size, epiphytic communities contribute significantly to the functionality of forest ecosystems. In this work, we surveyed epiphytic lichen communities in a Mediterranean area (Sardinia, Italy) and hypothesized that 1) the effect of microclimate on lichens at tree scale is mediated by the functional traits of these organisms and that 2) micro-refuge trees with certain morphological characteristics can mitigate the negative effects of future climate change. Results confirm the first hypothesis, while the second is only partially supported, suggesting that the capability of specific trees to host specific conditions may not be sufficient to maintain the diversity and ecosystem functionality of lichen communities in the Mediterranean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Di Nuzzo
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy
| | - Renato Benesperi
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy.
| | - Juri Nascimbene
- BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessio Papini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy
| | | | - Guido Incerti
- Department of Agri-Food, Animal and Environmental Sciences, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
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Esseen P, Ekström M, Grafström A, Jonsson BG, Palmqvist K, Westerlund B, Ståhl G. Multiple drivers of large-scale lichen decline in boreal forest canopies. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3293-3309. [PMID: 35156274 PMCID: PMC9310866 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Thin, hair-like lichens (Alectoria, Bryoria, Usnea) form conspicuous epiphyte communities across the boreal biome. These poikilohydric organisms provide important ecosystem functions and are useful indicators of global change. We analyse how environmental drivers influence changes in occurrence and length of these lichens on Norway spruce (Picea abies) over 10 years in managed forests in Sweden using data from >6000 trees. Alectoria and Usnea showed strong declines in southern-central regions, whereas Bryoria declined in northern regions. Overall, relative loss rates across the country ranged from 1.7% per year in Alectoria to 0.5% in Bryoria. These losses contrasted with increased length of Bryoria and Usnea in some regions. Occurrence trajectories (extinction, colonization, presence, absence) on remeasured trees correlated best with temperature, rain, nitrogen deposition, and stand age in multinomial logistic regression models. Our analysis strongly suggests that industrial forestry, in combination with nitrogen, is the main driver of lichen declines. Logging of forests with long continuity of tree cover, short rotation cycles, substrate limitation and low light in dense forests are harmful for lichens. Nitrogen deposition has decreased but is apparently still sufficiently high to prevent recovery. Warming correlated with occurrence trajectories of Alectoria and Bryoria, likely by altering hydration regimes and increasing respiration during autumn/winter. The large-scale lichen decline on an important host has cascading effects on biodiversity and function of boreal forest canopies. Forest management must apply a broad spectrum of methods, including uneven-aged continuous cover forestry and retention of large patches, to secure the ecosystem functions of these important canopy components under future climates. Our findings highlight interactions among drivers of lichen decline (forestry, nitrogen, climate), functional traits (dispersal, lichen colour, sensitivity to nitrogen, water storage), and population processes (extinction/colonization).
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Affiliation(s)
- Per‐Anders Esseen
- Department of Ecology and Environmental ScienceUmeå UniversityUmeåSweden
| | - Magnus Ekström
- Department of Statistics, USBEUmeå UniversityUmeåSweden
- Department of Forest Resource ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Anton Grafström
- Department of Forest Resource ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Bengt Gunnar Jonsson
- Department of Natural SciencesMid Sweden UniversitySundsvallSweden
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Environmental SciencesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Kristin Palmqvist
- Department of Ecology and Environmental ScienceUmeå UniversityUmeåSweden
| | - Bertil Westerlund
- Department of Forest Resource ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Göran Ståhl
- Department of Forest Resource ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
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Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen Lobaria pulmonaria. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11030295. [PMID: 35161276 PMCID: PMC8838998 DOI: 10.3390/plants11030295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Microclimatic conditions are important in determining lichen distribution at small scale, and may determine whether the species persist when the surrounding environmental conditions have drastically changed. This is the case with forest management, since a sudden variation of microclimatic conditions (increase of solar radiation, temperature, wind and a reduction of humidity) may occur after logging. In this study, the combined effect of forest logging and microclimatic conditions on the growth probabilities and growth rates of the model species Lobaria pulmonaria was assessed in mixed oak stands. To this purpose, 800 fragments of L. pulmonaria (<1 cm) were transplanted in logged and unlogged stands for two years. Young and adult fragments were positioned on Turkey oak boles according to distance from the ground (100 and 50 cm) and aspect (north and south). The results, evaluated by generalized linear mixed models on a yearly basis, highlighted differences in growth—particularly on isolated trees in the logged stand. South-exposed samples in the logged stand showed a low probability of growth, while samples transplanted north in the unlogged stand showed higher growth probabilities. However, the highest annual growth coefficients corresponded to south-exposed samples 50 cm from the ground in the unlogged stand. In general, higher growth rates were observed in young thallus fragments when compared with adult ones. Beyond confirming the importance of microclimate for lichen ecology, these results could be implemented in conservation actions to preserve L. pulmonaria populations in logged forests.
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De Pauw K, Sanczuk P, Meeussen C, Depauw L, De Lombaerde E, Govaert S, Vanneste T, Brunet J, Cousins SAO, Gasperini C, Hedwall PO, Iacopetti G, Lenoir J, Plue J, Selvi F, Spicher F, Uria-Diez J, Verheyen K, Vangansbeke P, De Frenne P. Forest understorey communities respond strongly to light in interaction with forest structure, but not to microclimate warming. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:219-235. [PMID: 34664731 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Forests harbour large spatiotemporal heterogeneity in canopy structure. This variation drives the microclimate and light availability at the forest floor. So far, we do not know how light availability and sub-canopy temperature interactively mediate the impact of macroclimate warming on understorey communities. We therefore assessed the functional response of understorey plant communities to warming and light addition in a full factorial experiment installed in temperate deciduous forests across Europe along natural microclimate, light and macroclimate gradients. Furthermore, we related these functional responses to the species' life-history syndromes and thermal niches. We found no significant community responses to the warming treatment. The light treatment, however, had a stronger impact on communities, mainly due to responses by fast-colonizing generalists and not by slow-colonizing forest specialists. The forest structure strongly mediated the response to light addition and also had a clear impact on functional traits and total plant cover. The effects of short-term experimental warming were small and suggest a time-lag in the response of understorey species to climate change. Canopy disturbance, for instance due to drought, pests or logging, has a strong and immediate impact and particularly favours generalists in the understorey in structurally complex forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen De Pauw
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Pieter Sanczuk
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Camille Meeussen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Leen Depauw
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Emiel De Lombaerde
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Sanne Govaert
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Thomas Vanneste
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Jörg Brunet
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 190, 234 22, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Sara A O Cousins
- Landscapes, Environment and Geomatics, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 8, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cristina Gasperini
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, P. le Cascine 28, 50144, Florence, Italy
| | - Per-Ola Hedwall
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 190, 234 22, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Giovanni Iacopetti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, P. le Cascine 28, 50144, Florence, Italy
| | - Jonathan Lenoir
- UMR CNRS 7058 'Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés' (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 1 Rue des Louvels, 80000, Amiens, France
| | - Jan Plue
- IVL Swedish Environmental Institute, Valhallavägen 81, 114 28, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Federico Selvi
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, P. le Cascine 28, 50144, Florence, Italy
| | - Fabien Spicher
- UMR CNRS 7058 'Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés' (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 1 Rue des Louvels, 80000, Amiens, France
| | - Jaime Uria-Diez
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 190, 234 22, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Kris Verheyen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Pieter Vangansbeke
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
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Ellis CJ, Asplund J, Benesperi R, Branquinho C, Di Nuzzo L, Hurtado P, Martínez I, Matos P, Nascimbene J, Pinho P, Prieto M, Rocha B, Rodríguez-Arribas C, Thüs H, Giordani P. Functional Traits in Lichen Ecology: A Review of Challenge and Opportunity. Microorganisms 2021; 9:766. [PMID: 33917569 PMCID: PMC8067525 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9040766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Community ecology has experienced a major transition, from a focus on patterns in taxonomic composition, to revealing the processes underlying community assembly through the analysis of species functional traits. The power of the functional trait approach is its generality, predictive capacity such as with respect to environmental change, and, through linkage of response and effect traits, the synthesis of community assembly with ecosystem function and services. Lichens are a potentially rich source of information about how traits govern community structure and function, thereby creating opportunity to better integrate lichens into 'mainstream' ecological studies, while lichen ecology and conservation can also benefit from using the trait approach as an investigative tool. This paper brings together a range of author perspectives to review the use of traits in lichenology, particularly with respect to European ecosystems from the Mediterranean to the Arctic-Alpine. It emphasizes the types of traits that lichenologists have used in their studies, both response and effect, the bundling of traits towards the evolution of life-history strategies, and the critical importance of scale (both spatial and temporal) in functional trait ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johan Asplund
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 5003 NO-1432 Ås, Norway;
| | - Renato Benesperi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via la Pira, 450121 Florence, Italy; (R.B.); (L.D.N.)
| | - Cristina Branquinho
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, C2, Piso 5, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (C.B.); (P.P.); (B.R.)
| | - Luca Di Nuzzo
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Via la Pira, 450121 Florence, Italy; (R.B.); (L.D.N.)
| | - Pilar Hurtado
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain; (P.H.); (I.M.); marí (M.P.); (C.R.-A.)
- Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/Darwin, 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Martínez
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain; (P.H.); (I.M.); marí (M.P.); (C.R.-A.)
| | - Paula Matos
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal;
| | - Juri Nascimbene
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, I-40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Pedro Pinho
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, C2, Piso 5, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (C.B.); (P.P.); (B.R.)
| | - María Prieto
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain; (P.H.); (I.M.); marí (M.P.); (C.R.-A.)
| | - Bernardo Rocha
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, C2, Piso 5, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (C.B.); (P.P.); (B.R.)
| | - Clara Rodríguez-Arribas
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain; (P.H.); (I.M.); marí (M.P.); (C.R.-A.)
| | - Holger Thüs
- Botany Department, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany;
| | - Paolo Giordani
- DIFAR, University of Genova, Viale Cembrano, 4, I-16148 Genova, Italy;
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