A numerical analysis of Tasmanian higher plant endemism

KIRKPATRICK, J. B. & BROWN, M. J., 1984. A numerical analysis of Tasmanian higher plant endemism. Tasmanian endemic plant taxa at the species level or below were placed in geographic elements according to the distribution of their genera. These elements are associated with different environments, the endemic and Antarctic elements being most prominent in rainforest and alpine communities; the cosmopolitan element in alpine communities, and the Australian element in the fire-prone lowland communities. A monothetic divisive classification and minimum spanning tree analysis of a matrix of the occurrence of 242 Tasmanian endemic species from 366 areas resulted in groups of species and lists whose distributions were closely related to precipitation, altitude and vegetation type. The proportions of endemic species in local Tasmanian floras were almost totally explained by altitude and precipitation in a stepwise multiple regression analysis. However, it is possible that many of the endemic species have not been able to occupy their potential range in Tasmania as a result of insufficient time having elapsed for them to fully expand from Glacial refugia.     

新疆平茶渍属地衣生态分布与地理区系成分分析

根据多年的实地调查资料和前人研究资料,对新疆平茶渍属（Aspicilia）地衣的种类以及它们的分布区、区系特征进行了初步研究。结果表明,分布在新疆的平茶渍属地衣共有33种,主要分布在天山、阿勒泰山、昆仑山和准噶尔盆地。根据它们对环境的适应特征和选择性,将新疆平茶渍属地衣的地理区系划分为广布种、环极北极高山种、环极低北极及北方种、北美东部种、中亚种、中国特有种、分布范围不清楚的种等7种类型。同时把新疆平茶渍属地衣的地理分布区域划分为欧亚森林植物亚区、亚洲荒漠植物亚区、青藏高原亚区等三种分布区域。研究还发现分布在阿勒泰山、天山、昆仑山和准噶尔盆地的平茶渍属主要生长在岩石上面,生长基物比较单一。     

Impact of climate change on alpine vegetation of mountain summits in Norway

Climate change is affecting the composition and functioning of ecosystems across the globe. Mountain ecosystems are particularly sensitive to climate warming since their biota is generally limited by low temperatures. Cryptogams such as lichens and bryophytes are important for the biodiversity and functioning of these ecosystems, but have not often been incorporated in vegetation resurvey studies. Hence, we lack a good understanding of how vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes respond interactively to climate warming in alpine communities. Here we quantified long-term changes in species richness, cover, composition and thermophilization (i.e. the increasing dominance of warm-adapted species) of vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes on four summits at Dovrefjell, Norway. These summits are situated along an elevational gradient from the low alpine to high alpine zone and were surveyed for all species in 2001, 2008 and 2015. During the 15-year period, a decline in lichen richness and increase in bryophyte richness was detected, whereas no change in vascular plant richness was found. Dwarf-shrub abundance progressively increased at the expense of lichens, and thermophilization was most pronounced for vascular plants, but occurred only on the lowest summits and northern aspects. Lichens showed less thermophilization and, for the bryophytes, no significant thermophilization was found. Although recent climate change may have primarily caused the observed changes in vegetation, combined effects with non-climatic factors (e.g. grazing and trampling) are likely important as well. At a larger scale, alpine vegetation shifts could have a profound impact on biosphere functioning with feedbacks to the global climate.     

Bioactive lichen metabolites: alpine habitats as an untapped source

Lichens are fungal and algal/cyanobacterial symbioses resulting in the production of specific metabolites. Some of these are forming an available biomass for phytochemical investigations, including the assessment of biological activities of the isolated compounds. The alpine or polar region are characterised by highly stressful environmental conditions for many organisms, but lichens are among the dominating organisms in these habitats. In the performant mutual protective system, lichen fungi often accumulate high amounts of metabolites with specific physicochemical properties (UV absorbents, hydrophobicity) which help the lichens to survive. Unique secondary metabolites and polysaccharides have been isolated and tested from these organisms. Even though this has been tested until now only with a low number of compounds so far, interesting activities have been recorded. We review here some of the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative and antioxidant activities properties described. Solutions with axenic biotechnological cultivation of each symbiotic partner and particularly the mycobiont to obtain the lichen secondary metabolites are challenging to overcome the limitations for the supply of these rare compounds. Additionally, these lichens appear to harbour a diversity of culturable microorganisms from which active compounds have also been isolated recently.     

Ice encapsulation protects rather than disturbs the freezing lichen

Arctic and alpine terricolous lichens are adapted to harsh environments and are tolerant to extremely low temperatures when metabolically inactive. However, there are reports indicating that freezing can be lethal to metabolically active lichens. With a projected warmer and more unstable climate, winter precipitation at high latitudes will fall more frequently as rain, causing snowmelt and encapsulating terricolous lichens in ice or exposing them to large temperature fluctuations. Lichens are a major winter food source for reindeer in most parts of the circumpolar region. A laboratory experiment tested how three hydrated reindeer forage lichen species covered by snow, encapsulated in ice, or uncovered responded to storage at freezing temperatures and subsequent warming. Photosynthetic performance (maximal fluorescence of dark-adapted samples and net photosynthetic rates) was significantly lower in lichens not insulated by snow or ice, whereas there were few differences between the snow and ice treatments. It is suggested that snow and ice provide sufficiently moist environments to improve extracellular and reduce intracellular ice nucleation activity. Ice encapsulation, which is often lethal to vascular plants, did not have any negative effects on the studied lichens. The results indicate that complete snow and ice melt followed by refreezing can be detrimental to terricolous lichen ecosystems. Reduced lichen biomass will have a negative effect both on reindeer winter survival and the indigenous peoples who herd reindeer.     

Testing reliability of short-term responses to predict longer-term responses of bryophytes and lichens to environmental change

Environmental changes are predicted to have severe and rapid impacts on polar and alpine regions. At high latitudes/altitudes, cryptogams such as bryophytes and lichens are of great importance in terms of biomass, carbon/nutrient cycling, cover and ecosystem functioning. This seven-year factorial experiment examined the effects of fertilizing and experimental warming on bryophyte and lichen abundance in an alpine meadow and a heath community in subarctic Sweden. The aim was to determine whether short-term responses (five years) are good predictors of longer-term responses (seven years). Fertilizing and warming had significant negative effects on total and relative abundance of bryophytes and lichens, with the largest and most rapid decline caused by fertilizing and combined fertilizing and warming. Bryophytes decreased most in the alpine meadow community, which was bryophyte-dominated, and lichens decreased most in the heath community, which was lichen-dominated. This was surprising, as the most diverse group in each community was expected to be most resistant to perturbation. Warming alone had a delayed negative impact. Of the 16 species included in statistical analyses, seven were significantly negatively affected. Overall, the impacts of simulated warming on bryophytes and lichens as a whole and on individual species differed in time and magnitude between treatments and plant communities (meadow and heath). This will likely cause changes in the dominance structures over time. These results underscore the importance of longer-term studies to improve the quality of data used in climate change models, as models based on short-term data are poor predictors of long-term responses of bryophytes and lichens.     

新疆天山大峡谷地衣的地理成分及其生态特征分析

对新疆天山大峡谷地衣进行调查研究,查阅相关资料,初步对该地区地衣进行分类和整理。结果表明：该区地衣有81种,隶属5目,15科,26属,其中地卷属,石蕊属和蜈蚣衣属种类最多,分别占14.81%,12.35%和9.87%。我们将新疆天山大峡谷地理区系划分为世界广布区、环北极广布区、欧亚-北美分布区、环北极-高山分布区、环北方分布区、欧亚-北非分布区、地中海-西亚和中亚分布区、北温带分布区和中国特有等9种类型。研究还发现该地区岩树枝及树皮生地衣与朽木生地衣占主导地位。     

Red-listed lichens in Sweden: habitats, threats, protection, and indicator value in boreal coniferous forests

The three major threats to lichens in Sweden; forestry, air pollution, and structural changes in the agricultural landscape, are outlined. Forestry is the most serious. The majority of the red-listed lichens in forests are found in productive forests with a continuity in tree growth, but nearly 70% of the protected area in Sweden consists of alpine landscapes. Examples of important habitats with red-listed lichens are described, e.g. Alnus glutinosa marshes, alvar-vegetation, broad-leaved deciduous forests and different Picea abies forests. The use of selected indicator species of lichens and macrofungi (mainly red-listed species) in boreal coniferous forests provides information on continuity in tree growth of an area, and on earlier influences of forestry. Examples of indicator species for different types of forest are presented and discussed. In spite of the Swedish right of common accesso, collecting of lichens is forbidden without permission from the land-owner. Collecting in protected areas is allowed only with a permit obtained from the authorities.     

Climate change impacts on endemic,high-elevation lichens in a biodiversity hotspot

Previous studies of the impacts of climate change on lichens and fungi have focused largely on alpine and subalpine habitats, and have not investigated the potential impact on narrowly endemic species. Here, we estimate the impacts of climate change on high-elevation, endemic lichens in the southern Appalachians, a global diversity hotspot for many groups of organisms, including lichens. We conducted extensive field surveys in the high elevations of the region to accurately document the current distributions of eight narrowly endemic lichen species. Species distribution modeling was used to predict how much climatically suitable area will remain within, and north of, the current range of the target species under multiple climate change scenarios at two time points in the future. Our field work showed that target species ranged from extreme rarity to locally abundant. Models predicted over 93 % distributional loss for all species investigated and very little potentially suitable area north of their current distribution in the coming century. Our results indicate that climate change poses a significant threat to high-elevation lichens, and provide a case study in the application of current modeling techniques for rare, montane species.     

新疆阿勒泰山两河源自然保护区地面生地衣的物种多样性

阿勒泰山地是我国著名水系额尔齐斯河和乌伦古河的发源地,该山地地衣植物的研究在中国乃至中亚都占有非常重要的科学地位。新疆阿勒泰山两河源自然保护区位于阿勒泰山东段,气候在新疆最为潮湿,其地衣植物种类十分丰富。作者在该保护区选择6个植被带类型,即山地荒漠带、山地草原带、针阔混交林带、针叶林带、亚高山草甸带、高山草甸带,研究了其地面生地衣植物的物种多样性特征。结果表明:阿勒泰山两河源自然保护区地衣植物区系成分丰富而且复杂,共有地面生地衣植物5科6属46种,以石蕊科种类最为丰富,约32种。该地区不同植被带类型下地面生地衣植物物种的S?renson相似性系数在0.200–0.739之间,以针阔混交林和针叶林带的相似性为最高(0.739),针阔混交林和高山草甸带地衣植物物种相似性最低(0.200)。各植被带地衣优势种中白边岛衣(Cetrarialaeuigata)、林鹿蕊(Cladoniaarbuscula)、佐木氏珊瑚枝(Stereocaulonsasakii)、鳞地卷(Peltigeralepido-phora)、喇叭粉石蕊(Cladoniachlorophaea)、东方鹿蕊(Cladinagrisea)等的重要值在0.5以上,其余优势种的重要值均在0.5以下;山地森林带地衣植物物种多样性最为丰富,在整个阿勒泰山两河源自然保护区地面生地衣植物群落中占据优势地位,为该地区地衣植物多样性的分布中心,是地衣植物多样性保护的关键地区。     

The In vitro antioxidant properties of chinese highland lichens

Antioxidant properties of 46 lichen species collected from high-UV exposed alpine areas of southwestern China were evaluated for their therapeutic utilization. Anti-linoleic acid peroxidation activity, 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, reducing power and the total phenolic contents were assessed in methanol extract of the lichens in vitro. Extracts of Peltigera praetextata and Sticta nylanderiana exhibited potent activity in all antioxidant tests. Especially, extracts of S. nylanderiana exhibited 1.37 times higher anti-linoleic acid peroxidation activity than ascorbic acid used as a positive control. It also showed the strongest free radical scavenging activity among all the tested species with an inhibition of 90.4% at the concentration of 330microgram/ml. Potent reducing power was also detected in the lichen extract compared with BHA. Generally, the antioxidant lichens contained large amount of phenolic contents. The activity-guided bioautographic TLC and HPLC analysis are used to find out the compounds responsible for the potent antioxidant activities of S. nylanderiana extract. The analysis demonstrated that lecanoric acid is one of the effective antioxidant compounds in S. nylanderiana. The results suggested that several highland lichens can be used as a novel bioresource for natural antioxidants.     

Diversity of Rock-Inhabiting Cyanobacterial Lichens: Studies on Granite Inselbergs along the Orinoco and in Guyana

Abstract: A survey was undertaken of specialized saxicolous cyanobacterial lichens growing on exposed granitic rock surfaces of inselbergs in Venezuela and additionally in Guyana and French Guyana. The study focused on taxonomy and species composition. Twenty-three cyanobacterial lichens were found, four of which are new to science: Peltula auriculata, Phylliscum vermiformis, Psorotichia polyspora and Pterygiopsis guyanensis. Besides the new species, almost all taxa are absent from the available lists of lichen-forming fungi from the Guyana region. Although free-living cyanobacteria are the dominant group in biological crusts covering the inselbergs, the number of cyanobacterial lichens is relatively high and their distribution is homogenous over long distances and macro-climatic gradients. As inselberg rock faces undergo relatively fast weathering under moist tropical climates, numerous micro-habitats are formed. Among these, xeric micro-habitats are favourable for colonization by cyanobacterial lichens, mainly of the Lichinaceae and Peltulaceae. It is concluded that granite inselbergs in the savannas of the Orinoco lowland and the Guyana region are local centres of diversity for saxicolous cyanobacterial lichens.     

Indicators of species richness at the local scale in an alpine region: a comparative approach between plant and invertebrate taxa

Studies investigating congruent variations in species richness patterns in alpine habitats are scarce. We investigated the potential of using the indicator taxa approach for species richness in alpine habitats of the Scandes (Norway). In four areas, we investigated seven functional and taxonomic terrestrial groups of organisms and evaluated their contribution to the species diversity. The function of each group as a surrogate for the overall species diversity or for the diversity of another taxon was analysed. Three groups of invertebrates (spiders without Lycosids, Lycosids only, and ground beetles), three groups of plants (shrubs, graminoids, and herbs), and lichens were used for a cross-taxon analysis of species diversity. Congruence in species richness was restricted to several significant results, with vascular plants and spiders (Araneae) being best suited as surrogate taxa in alpine habitats of the Scandes. In the cross-taxon analyses they showed strongest significant positive correlations, covering the total species richness of the alpine habitats best. Species counts in one group account for up to 70% of the variation in total species richness. We found only limited evidence for an ideal, efficient biodiversity indicator taxon that could be applied without restrictions at different alpine habitats in low and middle alpine areas. Thus, our results suggest that it is very important to use more than one taxon as indicator for species richness in terrestrial alpine habitats. This should facilitate future conservation planning in alpine areas.     

Effects of Management on Lichen Species Richness,Ecological Traits and Community Structure in the Rodnei Mountains National Park (Romania)

Lichens are valuable bio-indicators for evaluating the consequences of human activities that are increasingly changing the earth’s ecosystems. Since a major objective of national parks is the preservation of biodiversity, our aim is to analyse how natural resource management, the availability of lichen substrates and environmental parameters influence lichen diversity in Rodnei Mountains National Park situated in the Eastern Carpathians. Three main types of managed vegetation were investigated: the transhumance systems in alpine meadows, timber exploitation in mixed and pure spruce forests, and the corresponding conserved sites. The data were sampled following a replicated design. For the analysis, we considered not only all lichen species, but also species groups from different substrates such as soil, trees and deadwood. The lichen diversity was described according to species richness, red-list status and substrate-specialist species richness. The variation in species composition was related to the environmental variables. Habitat management was found to negatively influence species richness and alter the lichen community composition, particularly for threatened and substrate-specialist species. It reduced the mean level of threatened species richness by 59%, when all lichen species were considered, and by 81%, when only epiphytic lichens were considered. Management-induced disturbance significantly decreased lichen species richness in forest landscapes with long stand continuity. The diversity patterns of the lichens indicate a loss of species richness and change in species composition in areas where natural resources are still exploited inside the borders of the national park. It is thus imperative for protected areas, in particular old-growth forests and alpine meadows, to receive more protection than they have received in the past to ensure populations of the characteristic species remain viable in the future.     

Vegetation patterns on Mount Everest as influenced by monsoon and föhn

The vegetation of Mt Everest is described by means of the dominant plant formations and characteristic features of biotopes. Climatic data givenin connection with weather observations show evidence that the extreme asymmetry of the altitudinal vegetation belt on the south and north slope is induced by heavy rainfall on the south slope and the desiccating effect of the Himalaya föhn in the valleys of the north slope. Biotope shift from hypsozonal distribution on the south slope to extrazonal distribution on the north slope is described, the patterns of the actual timber line are discussed in order to reconstruct the natural upper forest limit, and regressive plant successions during the last 400 years of man's impact are summarized. The dominant vegetation pattern of the alpine belt is compared with that in the European Alps. On the arid north slope alpine steppe communities occur up to 5 500 m. The highest altitudinal vegetation belt and the highest plant communities at 5 960 m are dominated by periglacial processes. The highest records of flowering plants (6 100/6 200 m) and lichens (7 400 m) are discussed in light of the present knowledge on high-altitude vegetation ecology.     

Response of a southern temperate marsupial, the Tasmanian pademelon (Thylogale billardierii), to historical and contemporary forest fragmentation

Despite only limited Pleistocene glacial activity in the southern hemisphere, temperate forest species experienced complex distributional changes resulting from the combined effects of glaciation, sea level change and increased aridity. The effects of these historical processes on population genetic structure are now overlain by the effects of contemporary habitat modification. In this study, 10 microsatellites and 629 bp of the mitochondrial control region were used to assess the effects of historical forest fragmentation and recent anthropogenic habitat change on the broad-scale population genetic structuring of a southern temperate marsupial, the Tasmanian pademelon. A total of 200 individuals were sampled from seven sites across Tasmania and two islands in Bass Strait. High mitochondrial and nuclear genetic diversity indicated the maintenance of large historical population sizes. There was weak phylogeographical structuring of haplotypes, although all King Island haplotypes and three Tasmanian haplotypes formed a divergent clade implying the mid-Pleistocene isolation of a far northwestern population. Both the mitochondrial and nuclear data indicated a division of Tasmanian populations into eastern and western regions. This was consistent with a historical barrier resulting from increased aridity in the lowland 'midlands' region during glacial periods, and with a contemporary barrier resulting from recent habitat modification in that region. In Tasmania, gene flow appears to have been relatively unrestricted during glacial maxima in the west, while in the east there was evidence for historical expansion from at least one large glacial refuge and recolonization of Flinders Island.     

Are lichens active under snow in continental Antarctica?

Photosynthetic activity, detected as chlorophyll a fluorescence, was measured for lichens under undisturbed snow in continental Antarctica using fibre optics. The fibre optics had been buried by winter snowfall after being put in place the previous year under snow-free conditions. The fibre optics were fixed in place using specially designed holding devices so that the fibre ends were in close proximity to selected lichens. Several temperature and PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density) sensors were also installed in or close to the lichens. By attaching a chlorophyll a fluorometer to the previously placed fibre optics it proved possible to measure in vivo potential photosynthetic activity of continental Antarctic lichens under undisturbed snow. The snow cover proved to be a very good insulator for the mosses and lichens but, in contrast to the situation reported for the maritime Antarctic, it retained the severe cold of the winter and prevented early warming. Therefore, the lichens and mosses under snow were kept inactive at subzero temperatures for a prolonged time, even though the external ambient air temperatures would have allowed metabolic activity. The results suggest that the major activity period of the lichens was at the time of final disappearance of the snow and lasted about 10-14 days. The activation of lichens under snow by high air humidity appeared to be very variable and species specific. Xanthoria mawsonii was activated at temperatures below -10 degrees C through absorption of water from high air humidity. Physcia dubia showed some activation at temperatures around -5 degrees C but only became fully activated at thallus temperatures of 0 degrees C through liquid water. Candelariella flava stayed inactive until thallus temperatures close to zero indicated that liquid water had become available. Although the snow cover represented the major water supply for the lichens, lichens only became active for a brief time at or close to the time the snow disappeared. The snow did not provide a protected environment, as reported for alpine habitats, but appeared to limit lichen activity. This provides at least one explanation for the observed negative effect of extended snow cover on lichen growth.     

Bryophyte and Lichen Diversity Under Simulated Environmental Change Compared with Observed Variation in Unmanipulated Alpine Tundra

Effects of simulated environmental change on bryophyte and lichen species richness and diversity in alpine tundra were investigated in a 5-year experiment at Latnjajaure, northern Sweden. The experiment had a factorial design including fertilisation and temperature enhancement in one meadow and one heath plant community. Responses in species richness, biodiversity, and species composition of bryophytes and lichens to experimental treatments were compared to the observed variation in six naturally occurring plant communities. The combination of fertilisation and enhanced temperature resulted in a species impoverishment, for bryophytes in the bryophyte-dominated community, and for lichens in the lichen-dominated communities, but the species composition stayed within the observed natural variation. During the course of the study, no species new to the investigated mid-alpine landscape were recorded, but that scenario is realistic within a decade when comparing with the processes seen in vascular plants.     

The impact of trampling by tourists on a high altitudinal grassland in the Tyrolean Alps,Austria

The long term effect of tourist trampling on a high altitudinal grassland (Caricion curvulae) in the Tyrolean Alps was investigated.Even under slight trampling the frequency of sensitive species decreases. The most sensitive species were found to be fruticose lichens, followed by mosses, some forbs and broadleaved grasses. Tolerant to trampling are the dominant species Carex curvula, and Ligusticum mutellina, which do not disappear completely even at a tourist frequency of 150 tourists per metre per day. Trampling increases soil bulk density moderately but has no marked effect on the soil water content.Comparison with high alpine sedge heath vegetation in North America shows a surprising uniformity of this vegetation type in response to trampling and also indicates that the common generalisation that alpine ecosystems are fragile and sensitive to disturbance does not hold true in this context. Furthermore these results represent evidence against the theory that ecosystems with low diversity are much more sensitive to arteficial impact than ecosystems with high diversity. However, if even the most resistant plants which are the dominant sedges are destroyed completely the rate of recovery is very low and may last for a long time. In the case of Carex curvula this is supported by the fact that it has very low seed production and grows mainly vegetatively. The rate of spread of the rhizome system of this species is 8 mm in 10 years. Similar figures may apply for the sedge species dominating in the alpine vegetation of North America. Thus fragility of this vegetation in regard to trampling does not mean low tolerance but low regeneration.Nomenclature of species follows Ehrendorfer (1973) for vascular plants and Poelt (1974) for lichens.The PCA calculations were done at the Computer laboratory of the University of Wales during a post doctoral stay at the School of Plant Biology in Bangor, U.K. I would like to record my thanks to Prof. Dr. P. Greig-Smith for fruitful discussions and reading the draft.     

Seasonal changes in tolerance to cold and desiccation in Phauloppia sp. (Acari, Oribatida) from Finse, Norway

In the alpine region at Finse, Norway, Phauloppia spp. (Acari, Oribatida) inhabit lichens on top of boulders. Adult mites are about 0.5 mm in length and have a mean weight of ca. 15 μg. Temperatures in the lichens may drop below -35 degrees C in winter and increase to 55 degrees C in the summer. Large seasonal variations were recorded in supercooling points and body fluid osmolality. Mean January values of SCPs and osmolality were -35.3 degrees C and 3756 mOsm, while July values were -9.4 degrees C and 940 mOsm, respectively. Thermal hysteresis proteins were present in both summer and winter acclimated mites. In mid-winter, some of the mites survived more than 49 days in a water vapor saturated atmosphere at -19 degrees C, and more than 42 days enclosed in ice at the same temperature.The mites showed high tolerance to desiccation. Specimens collected in October survived up to 23 days at 22 degrees C and 5% RH. The tolerance to desiccation was lower in specimens collected during the winter. Some mites survived the loss of up to 90% of their total water content and were reactivated when given access to water. Length measurements of individual Phauloppia sp. showed that both male and female mites are clearly divided in two size groups, suggesting that they belong to two closely related species or different populations.