the discovery and protection of montane lichens · the discovery and protection of montane lichens...
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The Discovery and Protection of Montane Lichens
Rebecca Yahr - [email protected]
Late snow lie Alpine heath Base-rich substrates Pinewoods Aspen and birch woods
Lichens
How many lichens are there? Cairngorms Scotland World Lichens >900 >1500 ~ 35,000 Vasc Plants >800 >1100 ~400,000
Parmelia omphalodes habit Parmelia cross section
x100
95 aspen stands ca. 300 species, 5 restricted to aspen ≥ 25 species IUCN threat category
wet dry
Lecanora populicola Arthonia patelllulata
Candellariella superdistans Peltigera collina
Forestry Commission Plantings to compare effect of climate (east-west Scotland) versus clone on epiphyte community structure
Aspen Clones
• Clear effect of east vs west in lichen community
Use Forestry Commission Plantings to compare effect of climate (east-west Scotland) versus clone on epiphyte community structure
Aspen Clones
• Clear effect of east vs west in lichen community • Effect of aspen clone is also strong
Use Forestry Commission Plantings to compare effect of climate (east-west Scotland) versus clone on epiphyte community structure
Aspen Clones
Lichen community variation Percent explained: E vs W: 38% Aspen genotype: 35%
• Clear effect of east vs west in lichen community • Effect of aspen clone is also strong • Population augmentation should include clones in the
short term • Long-term resilience will be built from sexually-derived
diversity in clones
Use Forestry Commission Plantings to compare effect of climate (east-west Scotland) versus clone on epiphyte community structure
Aspen Clones
Montane Species >700 taxa from the Scottish mountains ca. 120 vascular plants (Ratcliffe, 1991) 275 of these considered to be montane specialists (Fryday, 1997)
Thamnolia vermicularis Alectoria nigricans
Flavocetraria nivalis
Montane Species >700 taxa from the Scottish mountains ca. 120 vascular plants (Ratcliffe, 1991) 275 of these considered to be montane specialists (Fryday, 1997)
Alectoria ochroleuca © Jason Hollinger, Canada
Alectoria ochroleuca © Einar Timdal, Norway
Montane Species >700 taxa from the Scottish mountains ca. 120 vascular plants (Ratcliffe, 1991) 275 of these considered to be montane specialists (Fryday, 1997)
Alectoria ochroleuca © Jason Hollinger, Canada Alectoria ochroleuca , Cairngorms, Creagan Dubh
Alectoria ochroleuca
Lichen Heath
C. J. Ellis and R. Yahr. 2011. An interdisciplinary review of climate change trends and uncertainties: lichen biodiversity, arctic–alpine ecosystems and habitat loss. Climate Change,
Ecology and Systematics, ed. Trevor R. Hodkinson, et al. Published by Cambridge University Press.
Pinewoods 432 species on bark, lignum and associated soil & debris
218 species from bark and lignum of pine
17 species in UK confined to native pinewoods
Pinewoods 432 species on bark, lignum and associated soil & debris
218 species from bark and lignum of pine
17 species in UK confined to native pinewoods
Management concerns Regeneration Deadwood Mosaic of time-since-disturbance Disturbance/fire Grazing
Burned Cladonia on pine stump