Trait-based response of lichens to large-scale patterns of climate and forest availability in Norway
- Author:
- Phinney N.H., Ellis C.J. & Asplund J.
- Year:
- 2022
- Journal:
- Journal of Biogeography
- Pages:
- 49: 286–298
- Url:
- https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14297
Aim: Functional traits offer a window into how organisms are adapted, and might
acclimate, to environmental pressures. Despite being important in ecosystem function, lichens are underrepresented in trait-based research; understanding how lichen
functional traits vary with climate and habitat availability will be useful in predicting
how communities will respond to climate change, for example, in wetter and warmer
boreal and arctic ecosystems. Here, we assess the influence of macroclimate and forest availability on the spatial distribution of lichen traits across Norway.
Location: Norwegian mainland.
Taxon: Lichens.
Methods: We used relative trait frequency (RTF) data from LIAS gtm, a database
combining trait information from LIAS (A Global Information System for Lichenized
and Non-Lichenized Ascomycetes) and GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
species observations. The 20 traits included photobiont types, growth forms, cortical
features and reproductive modes. Nonparametric multiplicative regression (NPMR)
models were used to explore the relationships between the environmental predictors
of precipitation, temperature and forest availability.
Results: All traits showed significant relationships with the three environmental predictors. Photobiont type and reproductive mode traits produced the strongest models and
revealed ecologically meaningful biogeographical patterns. Trebouxioid species peaked
in colder, drier upland regions, while trentepohlioid lichens displayed an affinity for wetter and warmer climates and had a western and southern distribution. Cyanolichens
increased with increasing precipitation and were strongly coastal. Sorediate and isidiate
lichens were positively related to temperature, the former also increasing with forest
cover. The above responses were consistent with the physiological and habitat requirements of the associated lichens. The remaining traits had weaker responses.
Main conclusions: Discrete traits (i.e. photobiont type and reproductive mode) with
relatively low ecological plasticity reflect clear functional environmental responses at
the large scale. By contrast, growth form and thallus structural features—proxies for
continuous variables—are too variable within each given category to show observable
distribution patterns.
Keywords: growth form, lichenized fungi, photobionts, precipitation, response traits, spatial distribution,
temperature.
- Id:
- 34230
- Submitter:
- zdenek
- Post_time:
- Saturday, 19 March 2022 15:57