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Nimis PL, Pittao E, Caramia M, Pitacco P, Martellos S, Muggia L. The ecology of lichenicolous lichens: a case-study in Italy. MycoKeys 2024; 105:253-266. [PMID: 38855319 PMCID: PMC11161687 DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.105.121001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper, with Italy as a case-study, provides a general overview on the ecology of lichenicolous lichens, i.e. those which start their life-cycle on the thallus of other lichens. It aims at testing whether some ecological factors do exert a positive selective pressure on the lichenicolous lifestyle. The incidence of some biological traits (photobionts, growth-forms and reproductive strategies) in lichenicolous and non-lichenicolous lichens was compared, on a set of 3005 infrageneric taxa potentially occurring in Italy, 189 of which are lichenicolous. Lichenicolous lichens have a much higher incidence of coccoid (non-trentepohlioid) green algae, crustose growth-forms and sexual reproduction. A matrix of the 2762 species with phycobionts and some main ecological descriptors was subjected to ordination. Lichenicolous lichens occupy a well-defined portion of the ecological space, tending to grow on rocks in dry, well-lit habitats where a germinating spore is likely to have a short life-span, at all altitudes. This corroborates the hypothesis that at least some of them are not true "parasites", as they are often called, but gather the photobionts - which have already adapted to local ecological conditions - from their hosts, eventually developing an independent thallus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier Luigi Nimis
- University of Trieste, Department of Life Sciences, via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, ItalyUniversity of TriesteTriesteItaly
| | - Elena Pittao
- University of Trieste, Department of Life Sciences, via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, ItalyUniversity of TriesteTriesteItaly
| | - Monica Caramia
- University of Trieste, Department of Life Sciences, via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, ItalyUniversity of TriesteTriesteItaly
| | - Piero Pitacco
- University of Trieste, Department of Life Sciences, via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, ItalyUniversity of TriesteTriesteItaly
| | - Stefano Martellos
- University of Trieste, Department of Life Sciences, via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, ItalyUniversity of TriesteTriesteItaly
| | - Lucia Muggia
- University of Trieste, Department of Life Sciences, via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, ItalyUniversity of TriesteTriesteItaly
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McMullin RT, Simon ADF, Brodo IM, Wickham SB, Bell-Doyon P, Kuzmina M, Starzomski BM. DNA barcoding aids in generating a preliminary checklist of the lichens and allied fungi of Calvert Island, British Columbia: Results from the 2018 Hakai Terrestrial BioBlitz. Biodivers Data J 2024; 12:e120292. [PMID: 38469225 PMCID: PMC10925859 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.12.e120292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Bioblitzes are a tool for the rapid appraisal of biodiversity and are particularly useful in remote and understudied regions and for understudied taxa. Lichens are an example of an often overlooked group, despite being widespread in virtually all terrestrial ecosystems and having many important ecological functions. New information We report the lichens and allied fungi collected during the 2018 terrestrial bioblitz conducted on Calvert Island on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. We identified 449 specimens belonging to 189 species in 85 genera, increasing the total number of species known from Calvert Island to 194, and generated Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences for 215 specimens from 121 species. Bryoriafurcellata, Chaenothecopsislecanactidis and C.nigripunctata were collected for the first time in British Columbia. We also found Pseudocyphellariarainierensis, which is listed as Special Concern on the federal Species at Risk Act, and other rarely reported species in British Columbia including Opegraphasphaerophoricola, Protomicarealimosa, Raesaeneniahuuskonenii and Sareadifformis. We demonstrate that DNA barcoding improves the scope and accuracy of expert-led bioblitzes by facilitating the detection of cryptic species and allowing for consistent identification of chemically and morphologically overlapping taxa. Despite the spatial and temporal limitations of our study, the results highlight the value of intact forest ecosystems on the Central Coast of British Columbia for lichen biodiversity, education and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Troy McMullin
- Canadian Museum of Nature, PO Box 3443, Station D, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 6P4, CanadaCanadian Museum of Nature, PO Box 3443, Station DOttawa, Ontario, K1P 6P4Canada
| | - Andrew D. F. Simon
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8P 5C2, CanadaSchool of Environmental Studies, University of VictoriaVictoria, British Columbia, V8P 5C2Canada
| | - Irwin M. Brodo
- Canadian Museum of Nature, PO Box 3443, Station D, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 6P4, CanadaCanadian Museum of Nature, PO Box 3443, Station DOttawa, Ontario, K1P 6P4Canada
| | - Sara B. Wickham
- Hakai Institute, PO Box 309, Heriot Bay, British Columbia, VOP 1H0, CanadaHakai Institute, PO Box 309Heriot Bay, British Columbia, VOP 1H0Canada
| | - Philip Bell-Doyon
- Department of Biology, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, G1V 0A6, CanadaDepartment of Biology, Université LavalQuébec, Québec, G1V 0A6Canada
| | - Maria Kuzmina
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, CanadaCentre for Biodiversity Genomics, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of GuelphGuelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1Canada
| | - Brian M. Starzomski
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, V8P 5C2, CanadaSchool of Environmental Studies, University of VictoriaVictoria, British Columbia, V8P 5C2Canada
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Hawksworth DL, Grube M. Reflections on lichens as ecosystems. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:972-973. [PMID: 38031487 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David L Hawksworth
- Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, UK
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Martin Grube
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, Graz, 8010, Austria
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