Dew and fog as possible evolutionary drivers? The expansion of crustose and fruticose lichens in the Negev is respectively mainly dictated by dew and fog
- Author:
- Kidron G.J. & Kronenfeld R.
- Year:
- 2022
- Journal:
- Planta
- Pages:
- 255:32 [12 p.]
- Url:
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-021-03817-8
Main conclusion: The expansion of crustose lichens in the Negev is principally determined by dew and that of fruticose
lichens by fog. Crustose and fruticose lichens are largely adapted to dew and fog, respectively.
Although crustose and fruticosea lichens were shown to efciently use dew and fog, the link between their expansion and the occurrence of dew and fog has never been shown experimentally. This is also the case for the Negev Desert
Highlands, where (i) dewless habitats were not inhabited by lichens and (ii) an increase in fruticose lichens with high-altitude
fog-prone areas was noted, leading us to hypothesize that the expansion of crustose and fruticose lichens is mainly linked to
dew and fog, respectively. Experiments aiming to compare the non-rainfall water (NRW) were conducted. We used cloths
attached to 7 cm-high cobbles to mimic crustose lichens (MCL), cloths placed horizontally aboveground to evaluate the
amount of NRW without the presence of the cobble (CoP), cloths attached to a wire scafold mimicking fruticose lichens
(MFL), and cloths attached to glass plates (CPM) that served as a reference. Substrate temperatures were compared to the
dew point temperature. In addition, sprinkling experiments, which mimicked fog under variable wind speeds (0.9, 1.4, 3.3
and 5.7 m s
−1), were also conducted. NRW followed the pattern: MCL ≈ CPM>CoP> >MFL. While MCL yielded substantially higher amounts of NRW (0.09 mm) in comparison to MFL (0.04 mm) during dew events, similar amounts were
obtained by both substrates (0.15–0.16 mm) following fog. However, fog interception increased substantially with wind
speed. The fndings may explain the expansion of crustose lichens in extreme deserts benefting mainly from dew (but also
fog), and the proliferation of fruticose lichens in fog-prone areas, especially when accompanied by high-speed winds. While
(mainly) high proliferation of crustose lichens may serve as bioindicators for dew in extreme deserts, fruticose lichens may
serve as bioindicators for fog.
Keywords: Dew point temperature · Lithobionts · Non-rainfall water · Poikilohydric organisms.
- Id:
- 34101
- Submitter:
- zdenek
- Post_time:
- Thursday, 20 January 2022 11:46