Assessment of macrolichen diversity at Ordway-Swisher Biological Station in northern Florida contributes to the scientific mission of NEON
- Author:
- Kaminsky L. & Smith M.E.
- Year:
- 2024
- Journal:
- Castanea
- Pages:
- 89(1): 1–11
- Url:
- https://doi.org/10.2179/0008-7475.89.1.1
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is gathering select ecological and taxonomic
data across 81 sites in the United States and Puerto Rico. Lichens are one of the organismal groups
that NEON has not yet assessed across these sites. Here we sampled lichens at Ordway-Swisher
Biological Station (OSBS), a NEON site in north central Florida, to provide a baseline survey of
the commonly encountered macrolichens (foliose, fruticose, and squamulose lichens). Macrolichens
represent a subset of observable lichens and are more commonly surveyed than crustose lichens.
Seventy-four species of macrolichens were collected, including 25 occurrences that constitute new
records for Putnam County, Florida. The lichen diversity at OSBS comprised approximately 30% of
the macrolichen diversity known from the entire state of Florida. Fifty-four taxa are common in the
state of Florida, 12 infrequent across the state, and eight are considered rare. Macrolichens were the
seventh most species-rich taxonomic groups at OSBS and more diverse than the NEON focal groups
of mammals and fish. Lastly, we suggest a theoretical roadmap for how lichenologists could work together with NEON to include lichens in future datasets. We hope that biologists focused on other key
organismal groups will sample in NEON sites so that NEON data can be leveraged appropriately in
future cross-taxon studies of biodiversity at the continental scale.
Key words: biodiversity, ecology, macrolichens, National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON),
taxonomic bias.
- Id:
- 36603
- Submitter:
- zpalice
- Post_time:
- Thursday, 11 July 2024 09:56