Silicicolous lichen communities of the Ukrainian Crystalline Shield
- Author:
- Khodosovtsev A., Darmostuk V., Prylutskyi O. & Kuzemko A.
- Year:
- 2022
- Journal:
- Applied Vegetation Science
- Pages:
- 25: e12699 [20 p.]
- Url:
- https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12699
Questions: How many different silicicolous lichen syntaxa occur on the Ukrainian
Crystalline Shield and what ecological factors are influencing their distribution?
Location: Ukrainian Crystalline Shield, Steppe and Forest–Steppe
zones, Ukraine.
Methods: The field research was performed during 2013–2020.
Analysis was done
with the JUICE software using agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis in the integrated
PC-Ord
with data transformation, pseudospecies cut levels 0–5–
25,
distance
measure –Jaccard,
group linkage –Ward's
method. For the ordination of the plots
we used detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and non-metric
multidimensional
scaling (NMDS) with the “envfit” function, implemented in the R package vegan. As
environmental variables we used mean indicator values obtained for each species
from the ITALIC database. A generalized synoptic table, which combined both our
own and literature data, was clustered using Euclidean distances and the Ward error
sum of squares hierarchical clustering method with Ward's criterion.
Results: Seven clusters were obtained after JUICE analysis based on 197 relevés
of lichen communities that included 119 lichen species. The main axis in both DCA
and NMDS ordination is similar to the vector of substrate pH value. Communities on
overhanging surfaces are acidophilous. Communities of water tracks are moderately
basophilous to basophilous. Other communities included relevés on different granite
characterized as mainly neutrophilous. Lichen communities on siliceous rocks of
the Ukrainian Crystalline Shield are assigned to the classes Rhizocarpetea geographici,
Leprarietea chlorinae, and Collematetea cristati. Two new alliances (Aspicilion intermutantis
and Staurothelion frustulentae), four new associations and three subassociation
are described.
Conclusion: Silicicolous lichen communities of the Ukrainian Crystalline Shield differ
from the known units of Central Europe by species composition, where lichens with
arid ecology are present. Their local distribution depends mainly on a combination of
substrate pH, degree of eutrophication, protection from rain, and substrate moisture.
Keywords: alliances, associations, granite, lichens, ordination, southeastern Europe, steppe zone,
syntaxonomy.
- Id:
- 34903
- Submitter:
- zdenek
- Post_time:
- Monday, 02 January 2023 10:49