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Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve site, station Old Field 76 at Cedar Creek, study of plant cover of mosses and lichens in units of percent on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (CDR) contains plant cover of mosses and lichens measurements in percent units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve site, station Old Field 77 at Cedar Creek, study of plant biomass of mosses and lichens in units of gramsPerSquareMeter on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (CDR) contains plant biomass of mosses and lichens measurements in gramsPerSquareMeter units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve site, station Old Field 77 at Cedar Creek, study of plant cover of mosses and lichens in units of percent on a yearly timescale

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve site, station Old Field LS at Cedar Creek, study of plant biomass of mosses and lichens in units of gramsPerSquareMeter on a yearly timescale

The EcoTrends project was established in 2004 by Dr. Debra Peters (Jornada Basin LTER, USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range) and Dr. Ariel Lugo (Luquillo LTER, USDA-FS Luquillo Experimental Forest) to support the collection and analysis of long-term ecological datasets. The project is a large synthesis effort focused on improving the accessibility and use of long-term data. At present, there are ~50 state and federally funded research sites that are participating and contributing to the EcoTrends project, including all 26 Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites and sites funded by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS), USDA Forest Service, US Department of Energy, US Geological Survey (USGS) and numerous universities. Data from the EcoTrends project are available through an exploratory web portal (http://www.ecotrends.info). This web portal enables the continuation of data compilation and accessibility by users through an interactive web application. Ongoing data compilation is updated through both manual and automatic processing as part of the LTER Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA). The web portal is a collaboration between the Jornada LTER and the LTER Network Office. The following dataset from Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (CDR) contains plant biomass of mosses and lichens measurements in gramsPerSquareMeter units and were aggregated to a yearly timescale.

opencc-by-4.0Jan 2020View details →

Japewia aliphatica (Lecanoraceae, lichenized Ascomycota), a new acidophilous sorediate-blastidiate lichen from Europe

final concatenated ITS and mtSSU alignment for Bayesian and ML analysis

opennotspecifiedJun 2019View details →

Figure 3 in Lichen diversity in colombian caribbean dry forest remnants

Figure 3. Species of lichens new to science. a. Fissurina linoana (42977b, holotype); b. Graphis lurizana (42922, holotype); c. Graphis mokanarum (42930, holotype); d. Phaeographis galeanoae (42981, holotype). Thalli with ascomata. Scale = 1 mm.

opencc-zeroOct 2020View details →

Data on epiphytic lichens along elevational gradients in South Tyrol, Italy

1. Several studies have evaluated lichen responses in terms of shifts in species climate suitability, species richness, and community composition. In contrast, patterns of co-occurrence among species that could be related to complex species interactions have received less consideration. Biotic interactions play a major role in shaping species niches, fitness, and adaptation to new environments. Therefore, considering the specific relationships among co-occurring species is essential to further deepen our knowledge of biodiversity response to climate change. In this perspective, the analysis of lichen ecological networks across elevational gradients may provide a powerful tool to understand how communities are structured and how biotic interactions are modulated by changing climatic conditions. 2. We evaluated the contribution of environmental and species biological attributes to the structure of epiphytic lichen-host tree networks. Specifically, we studied lichen communities considering two different network levels: the whole lichen community, and groups of lichen species that presented similar biological traits. In this framework, we (1) characterized the structure of the epiphytic lichen-host tree networks; (2) assessed how network structure varied with climate, forest attributes, and community trait diversity; and (3) evaluated the role that biological traits played in the connections established between co-occurring lichens. 3. On one hand, results indicate that epiphytic lichen communities are dominated by local segregation, suggesting habitat specialization among lichens within their host tree, and that climatic conditions and, to a lesser extent, lichen diversity are the main drivers of community assemblage. On the other hand, the role of lichen species in the networks depends on their particular biological traits, supporting the hypothesis that biological traits contribute to shape network structure by influencing the ability of the species to interact between each other. These findings warn about the potential impact of climate change on epiphytic lichen communities. 4. Synthesis. This study builds towards a better understanding of lichen community assembly and on biodiversity response to climate change in forest alpine ecosystems. In particular, our results highlight the value of lichen-tree networks to inform about assemblage processes acting at different organizational levels and indicate that lichens might become one of the most threatened groups under global change scenarios.

opencc-zeroNov 2020View details →

Macroclimate drives growth of hair lichens in boreal forest canopies

1. Epiphytic lichens are important biodiversity components of forest canopies worldwide, significantly contributing to ecosystem function. The relative growth rate (RGR), a measure of fitness, drives population dynamics and shapes lichens' large-scale distributions. In a climate change scenario, we need to know how external (macro- and microclimate, and nitrogen deposition), and internal factors (cortical pigments, chlorophyll and specimen size) affect RGR in these ecologically important canopy organisms. 2. We used dominant pendulous (hair) lichens widely distributed across the boreal biome to test the hypothesis that precipitation drives RGR of pale (Alectoria sarmentosa, Usnea dasopoga) and dark species (Bryoria fuscescens) to a different extent across a large-scale gradient from continental to oceanic climates (precipitation: 450-2600 mm) in Scandinavia (60-64° N, 5-19° E). After transplanting lichens to lower branches of Picea abies in nine boreal forest sites for one year, we used linear mixed effect models to analyze how total precipitation, rainfall, number of days with rain, temperature sum, nitrogen deposition, light, chlorophyll a (an indicator of photosynthetic capacity), and size influenced their RGR. 3. RGR was highest in the pale species (Alectoria and Usnea) and increased with amount and frequency of precipitation, with >3 times higher RGR in the wettest compared to the driest site. The number of days with rain was a better predictor of RGR than total precipitation or rain. By contrast, RGR of the dark Bryoria weakly increased with precipitation. RGR in all species increased with light and decreased with size. Chlorophyll a concentration, boosted by moderate nitrogen deposition, increased RGR of all species. 4. In conclusion, rainfall likely drives the distribution of the pale species due to their higher RGR and abundance in wet climates but cannot explain why Bryoria dominate drier inland forests. Our results highlight that the functional links between rainfall and RGR depends on both color of the lichens (pale versus dark pigments) and hydration traits. 5. Synthesis. Our findings may explain the global, regional and local distribution patterns of hair lichens and help us to predict how environmental hazards such as climate change and forestry influence these important boreal canopy components.

opencc-zeroDec 2019View details →

Supplementary materials: Monitoring recovery of overgrazed lichen communities on Hagemeister Island, southwestern Alaska

Understanding the recovery rate of overgrazed lichen communities has value to mangers of lands in northern regions. We describe lichen community composition and present recovery rate measurements for a 12-year period following overgrazing by reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) on Hagemeister Island, Alaska. Reindeer were removed from the island in 1993 following overgrazing and average total lichen biomass increased from 504.2 kg/ha (SD 205.4) in 2003 to 795.3 (SD 489.6) in 2015. We estimate time to recovery with three competing growth curves which estimate grazeable biomass may be reached in 34-41 years. However, estimates of full recovery to climax biomass varied among the models, ranging from 71 to 400 years. In 2015, lichen communities were composed of various mixtures of at least 78 lichen taxa, and were dominated by Cladina stygia and other important reindeer forage species. While reindeer overgrazing diminished forage quantity, it did not extirpate preferred forage taxa.

opennotspecifiedDec 2020View details →

FIGURE 3 in Contribution to the knowledge of Mediterranean lichen-feeding darkling beetles of the genus Stenohelops Reitter, 1922 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

FIGURE 3. Stenohelops gratus (J. Frivaldszky, 1894), lectotype, male (© photographs, Hungarian Natural History Museum): A—habitus, B—aedeagus, lateral view, C—labels.

opennotspecifiedDec 2020View details →

FIGURE 2 in Contribution to the knowledge of Mediterranean lichen-feeding darkling beetles of the genus Stenohelops Reitter, 1922 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

FIGURE 2. Stenohelops (Helopelius) habitus: A—S. aeneipennis (Allard, 1876), male, alive (Rhodes: Koskinou); B—the same species, female in the nature (Rhodes: Attaviros Mt.); C—S. otini (Antoine, 1949) (Morocco, Sidi-Ali Lake).

opennotspecifiedDec 2020View details →

FIGURE 1 in Contribution to the knowledge of Mediterranean lichen-feeding darkling beetles of the genus Stenohelops Reitter, 1922 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

FIGURE 1. Stenohelops (Helopelius) aeneipennis (Allard, 1876), habitus (A–D—© photographs, Natural History Museum London; E–H—© photographs, Naturhistorische Museum, Basel): A—lectotype of Stenomax aeneipennis, female; B—labels of the lectotype of S. aeneipennis; C—labels of non-type male from Rhodes (NHML); D—non-type male from Rhodes (NHML); E—lectotype of Cylindrinotus disgregus, male dorsally; F—the same, laterally; G—the same, ventrally; H—labels of the lectotype of C. disgregus.

opencc-zeroOct 2021View details →

Data from: Phylogenetic diversity of two geographically overlapping species in the lichen genus Sticta (Ascomycota: Peltigeraceae): isolation by distance, environment, or fragmentation?

Aim: To test whether the degree of phylogenetic diversity differs in two congeneric, morphologically similar lichens that are both widespread and with a similar geographical range (Neotropics and Hawaii), but differ in altitudinal and habitat preferences, and whether the two species underwent isolation by distance (IBD), environment (IBE), or fragmentation (IBF). Location: South and Central America, Caribbean, Hawaii, Azores. Taxon: Sticta (Peltigeraceae). Methods: Analysis of 395 specimens across the study area; ITS barcoding marker; maximum likelihood tree reconstruction within a broad taxonomic framework; TCS haplotype networks; Mantel test of genetic vs. geographic, environmental, and fragmentation distances; statistical comparison of BIOclim variables. Results: Sticta andina exhibited high phenotypic variation and high reticulate phylogenetic diversity across its range, whereas the phenotypically more uniform S. scabrosa contained two main haplotypes, one unique to Hawaii (subsp. hawaiiensis). Sticta andina was restricted to well-preserved andine forests and paramos, habitats fragmented due to disruptive topology, whereas S. scabrosa was found in lowland to lower montane forests in rather exposed microsites, representing a more continuous habitat. These differences were statistically significant for several BIOclim variables. Mantel tests on genetic vs. geographic and environmental distances demonstrated that S. scabrosa followed a pattern of IBD across its full range but not within continental Central and South America. In contrast, S. andina did not exhibit IBD but showed weak, yet significant patterns of IBE at continental level and IBF in the northern Andes. Main Conclusions: Autecology indirectly drives phylogenetic diversity in the two studied species. In the low altitude species, S. scabrosa, phylogenetic diversity is low and shows no correlation with geographic or environmental distances, except for the differentiation of the Hawaiian subspecies. We attribute this to rapid expansion and effective gene flow between populations across a more or less continuously distributed niche representing partially exposed microsites, including disturbed and anthropogenic vegetation, such as planted trees. In contrast, in the high altitude species, S. andina, phylogenetic diversity is high and correlated with both environmental niche differentiation (IBE) and fragmentation caused by the final Andean uplift (IBF). Therefore, an autoecological preference for high altitudes increases the likelihood for higher phylogenetic diversity.

opennotspecifiedNov 2020View details →

FIGURE 2 in Machima itatiaia sp. nov.: a new species of lichen-mimic katydid (Orthoptera Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

FIGURE 2. Machima itatiaia sp. nov. (A-B) stridulatory files of tegmina; (A) right tegmen; (B) left tegmen. (C-E) male terminalia. (C) left cercus, in dorsal view; (D) left cercus, in lateral view; (E) subgenital plate, in ventral view. Scale: 1 mm.

opennotspecifiedNov 2020View details →

FIGURE 1 in Machima itatiaia sp. nov.: a new species of lichen-mimic katydid (Orthoptera Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

FIGURE 1. Machima itatiaia sp. nov. male. (A) lateral habitus; (B) details of head and thorax, in lateral view; (C) head and thorax, in dorsal view; (D) head, in frontal view. Scale: 10 mm.

opencc-zeroDec 2013View details →

Data from: Studies in lichens and lichenicolous fungi – No. 19: further notes on species from the Coastal Plain of southeastern North America

Geographically disjunct and ecologically unusual populations of Cladonia apodocarpa from hardwood swamps are reported from southeastern North Carolina, and assignment to that species is confirmed with analyses of nrITS sequence data. The separation of Lecanora cinereofusca var. cinereofusca and L. cinereofusca var. appalachensis is discussed in the light of analyses of mtSSU and nrITS sequence data. Lecanora cinereofusca var. appalachensis is considered to merit recognition at the species level, for which the name L. saxigena Lendemer & R.C. Harris (nomen novum pro L. appalachensis (Brodo) non L. appalachensis Lendemer & R.C. Harris) is introduced. Phlyctis ludoviciensis is formally placed in synonymy with P. boliviensis. Phlyctis willeyi is shown to belong to the genus Leucodecton and the new combination L. willeyi (Tuck.) R.C. Harris is proposed. Piccolia nannaria is hypothesized to be a parasite on Pyrrhospora varians and is shown to be more widespread in the Coastal Plain than previously thought. Schismatomma rappii is revised, illustrated, and shown to be widespread in the Coastal Plain of southeastern North America. Tylophoron hibernicum is confirmed to be the correct name for all North American records of T. protrudens.

opencc-zeroDec 2010View details →

Data from: Photoautotrophic symbiont and geography are major factors affecting highly structured and diverse bacterial communities in the lichen microbiome

Although common knowledge dictates that the lichen thallus is formed solely by a fungus (mycobiont) that develops a symbiotic relationship with an alga and/or cyanobacterium (photobiont), the non-photoautotrophic bacteria found in lichen microbiomes are increasingly regarded as integral components of lichen thalli. For this study, comparative analyses were conducted on lichen-associated bacterial communities to test for effects of photobiont-types (i.e., green algal vs. cyanobacterial), mycobiont-types, and large-scale spatial distances (from tropical to arctic latitudes). Amplicons of the 16S (SSU) rRNA gene were examined using both Sanger sequencing of cloned fragments and barcoded pyrosequencing. Rhizobiales is typically the most abundant and taxonomically diverse order in lichen microbiomes; however, overall bacterial diversity in lichens is shown to be much higher than previously reported. Members of Acidobacteriaceae, Acetobacteraceae, Brucellaceae, and sequence group LAR1 are the most commonly found groups across the phylogenetically and geographically broad array of lichens examined here. Major bacterial community trends are significantly correlated with differences in large-scale geography, photobiont-type, and mycobiont-type. The lichen as a microcosm represents a structured, unique microbial habitat with greater ecological complexity and bacterial diversity than previously appreciated and can serve as a model system for studying larger ecological and evolutionary principles.

opencc-zeroDec 2015View details →

Data from: Molecular insights into the lichen genus Alectoria (Parmeliaceae) in North America

Alectoria is a genus of fruticose lichen characterised by the presence of usnic acid and conspicuous raised pseudocyphellae. This genus is particularly diverse and abundant in montane, boreal, and Arctic regions of North America. Because intermediate forms have been reported for several species of Alectoria on the continent, it has been suggested that these species were initially delimited based on the extremes of morphological gradients. Here, we use the results of molecular phylogenetic analyses of two nuclear genes, ITS and Mcm7, with 48 representatives of 9 taxa to examine the delineation of 5 taxa that have been previously shown to be related to, or confused with, A. sarmentosa: A. fallacina, A. imshaugii, A. sarmentosa var. sorediosa, A. sarmentosa subsp. vexillifera, and A. vancouverensis. Alectoria fallacina was found to be well-supported and distantly related to A. sarmentosa. Conversely, the other four taxa were recovered as a single monophyletic group with little internal structure, which did not support the presently defined morphological species. A provisional taxonomic treatment is proposed pending more detailed study at the population level. Alectoria sarmentosa var. sorediosa is recognized at the species level, which necessitates the new combination: A. sorediosa. An updated key to the North American species of Alectoria is also provided.

opencc-zeroDec 2010View details →

Data from: Population structure of mycobionts and photobionts of the widespread lichen Cetraria aculeata

Lichens are symbioses between fungi (mycobionts) and photoautotrophic green algae or cyanobacteria (photobionts). Many lichens occupy large distributional ranges covering several climatic zones. So far, little is known about the large scale phylogeography of lichen photobionts and their role in shaping the distributional ranges of lichens. We studied south polar, temperate and north polar populations of the widely distributed fruticose lichen Cetraria aculeata. Based on DNA sequences from three loci for each symbiont we compared the genetic structure of mycobionts and photobionts. Phylogenetic reconstructions and Bayesian clustering methods divided the mycobiont and photobiont datasets into three groups. An AMOVA shows that the genetic variance of the photobiont is best explained by differentiation between temperate and polar regions and that of the mycobiont by an interaction of climatic and geographical factors. By partialling out the relative contribution of climate, geography and co-dispersal we found that the most relevant factors shaping the genetic structure of the photobiont are climate and a history of co-dispersal. Mycobionts in the temperate region are consistently associated with a specific photobiont lineage. We therefore conclude that a photobiont switch in the past enabled Cetraria aculeata to colonize temperate as well as polar habitats. Rare photobiont switches may increase the geographic range and ecological niche of lichen mycobionts by associating them with locally adapted photobionts in climatically different regions and, together with isolation by distance, may lead to genetic isolation between populations and thus drive the evolution of lichens.