The importance of host tree age, size and growth rate as determinants of epiphytic lichen diversity in boreal spruce forests

Formation of radial resin ducts and their associated secretory cells in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) is influenced by the age and growth rate of the annual ring in which the ducts are formed. The spatial pattern of radial ducts on the tangential plane is nonrandom, exhibiting a regular or dispersed pattern. A significantly higher density of radial ducts was found in the inner, first-formed growth rings at all heights within the tree. Radial duct formation was found to be positively correlated with radial growth rate, when growth rate is expressed as increment of cross-sectional area growth. These findings may partially explain why older, slower growing trees tend to be more susceptible to attack by the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, and associated microorganisms, since the resin-producing system is a primary defense against these agents.

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Epiphytic lichen synusiae and functional trait groups in boreo-nemoral deciduous forests are influenced by host tree and environmental factors

Nordic Journal of Botany ◽

10.1111/njb.01939 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. e01939 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Inga Jüriado ◽

Jaanus Paal

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Functional Trait ◽

Host Tree ◽

Deciduous Forests ◽

Epiphytic Lichen ◽

Trait Groups

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Lichen diversity on tree trunks in tropical dry forests is highly influenced by host tree traits

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-019-01805-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (11) ◽

pp. 2909-2929 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ángel Benítez ◽

Gregorio Aragón ◽

María Prieto

Keyword(s):

Host Tree ◽

Tropical Dry Forests ◽

Dry Forests ◽

Lichen Diversity ◽

Tree Traits

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Dwarf Mistletoe Infection Interacts with Tree Growth Rate to Produce Opposing Direct and Indirect Effects on Resin Duct Defenses in Lodgepole Pine

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11020222 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 222 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Scott Ferrenberg

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Natural Enemies ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Annual Ring ◽

Annual Growth ◽

Tree Age ◽

Direct And Indirect Effects ◽

Dwarf Mistletoe ◽

Resin Ducts ◽

Resin Duct

Research Highlights: I sought to disentangle the influences of tree age, growth rate, and dwarf mistletoe infection on resin duct defenses in lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon, revealing the presence of direct positive and indirect negative effects of mistletoe on defenses. Background and Objectives: For protection against natural enemies, pines produce and store oleoresin (resin) in ‘resin ducts’ that occur throughout the tree. Dwarf mistletoe, Arceuthobium americanum Nutt. ex Engelm. (hereafter “mistletoe”), is a widespread parasitic plant affecting the pines of western North America. Infection by mistletoe can suppress pine growth and increase the probability of insect attack—possibly due to a reduction in resin duct defenses or in the potency of chemical defenses at higher levels of mistletoe infection, as reported in Pinus banksiana Lamb. However, the influence of mistletoe infection on defenses in other pine species remains unclear. I hypothesized that mistletoe infection would induce greater resin duct defenses in P. contorta while simultaneously suppressing annual growth, which was expected to reduce defenses. Materials and Methods: Using increment cores from P. contorta trees occurring in a subalpine forest of Colorado, USA, I quantified tree age, annual growth, annual resin duct production (#/annual ring), and cross-sectional area (mm2 of resin ducts/annual ring). Results: Mistletoe infection increased with tree age and had a direct positive relationship with resin duct defenses. However, mistletoe infection also had an indirect negative influence on defenses via the suppression of annual growth. Conclusions: Through the combined direct and indirect effects, mistletoe infection had a net positive impact on resin duct production but a net negative impact on the total resin duct area. This finding highlights the complexity of pine defense responses to natural enemies and that future work is needed to understand how these responses influence overall levels of resistance and the risk of mortality.

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Lichen biodiversity and conservation status in the Copeland Forest Resources Management Area: a lichen-rich second-growth forest in southern Ontario

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v127i3.1490 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 127 (3) ◽

pp. 240 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

R. Troy McMullin ◽

James C. Lendemer

Keyword(s):

Conservation Status ◽

Forest Resources ◽

Tree Age ◽

Southern Ontario ◽

Resources Management ◽

Lichen Diversity ◽

Second Growth ◽

Management Area ◽

Forest Resources Management ◽

First Time

Southern Ontario is the most densely populated region in Canada. As a result, ubanization, industrialization, and agriculture are extensive. Few ecosystems in the region have been unaltered, and second-growth forests now dominate the remaining natural landscape. To better understand the lichen diversity in these second-growth forests, we inventoried 24 distinct vegetation communites in the Copeland Forest Resources Management Area (1780 ha) located between Barrie and Orillia in September and October 2011, recording 154 species in 79 genera. One species, Lecidea sarcogynoides, was collected for the first time in Canada and is reported for the first time in North America; one additional species, Micarea micrococca, was collected for the first time in Ontario and is reported for the first time in Canada; three species that have previously been collected in Ontario — Bellemerea cinereorufescens, Phlyctis speirea, and Xanthoparmelia angustiphylla — are reported for the first time in the province; and Candelariella lutella was collected and is reported for the second time in Ontario and the third time in Canada. In addition, six species with a provincial status rank of S1 (critically imperilled) or S2 (imperilled) were located: Arthonia byssacea, Arthonia ruana, Chaenothecopsis pusiola, Cresponea chloroconia, Pachyphiale fagicola, and Placynthiella uliginosa. Our results show that second-growth forests can be important refugia for lichen diversity. The majority of the lichen diversity within the Copeland Forest was contained in a small number of sites (6 of 24). This suggests that management strategies should integrate lichen diversity by targeting species-rich areas. We found that sites with a high variation in: canopy closure, tree species, tree age, moisture, and the presence of snags had the highest lichen diversity. Forest managers in southern Ontario can use our results to identify species-rich areas on their properties.

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Factors controlling epiphytic lichen biomass during postfire succession in black spruce boreal forests

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x09-127 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 39 (11) ◽

pp. 2168-2179 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Catherine Boudreault ◽

Yves Bergeron ◽

Darwyn Coxson

Keyword(s):

Boreal Forests ◽

Stand Structure ◽

Black Spruce ◽

Tree Age ◽

Stand Age ◽

Epiphytic Lichens ◽

Dominant Group ◽

Epiphytic Lichen ◽

Structure Tree ◽

Species Groups

Alectorioid lichens are the dominant group of epiphytic lichens in boreal forests. Epiphytic lichen richness and abundance generally increase with stand age and within-stand heterogeneity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the importance of time elapsed since the last fire, stand structure, tree size, tree age, and branch height for epiphytic lichen biomass of the boreal forest of western Quebec. We sampled 12 sites belonging to four forest age classes (from 50 to >200 years). We assessed epiphytic lichen biomass of three species groups ( Bryoria , Evernia , and Usnea ) on 12 trees in each site. Our results showed that biomass of Bryoria and Usnea was higher in intermediate stages (between 101 and 200 years) compared with younger (50–100 years) and older (>200 years) stages. Biomass of the three species groups was greater on larger diameter trees (>16 cm) compared with smaller ones (<16 cm). These results indicate that the protection of postfire stands aged between 101 and 200 year should be prioritized to maintain the functional role of epiphytic lichens in managed landscapes.

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Response of Evernia prunastri to urban environmental conditions in Central Europe after the decrease of air pollution

The Lichenologist ◽

10.1017/s002428291200062x ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 89-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Anna LACKOVIČOVÁ ◽

Anna GUTTOVÁ ◽

Martin BAČKOR ◽

Peter PIŠÚT ◽

Ivan PIŠÚT

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Central Europe ◽

Photosynthetic Pigments ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Physiological Status ◽

Epiphytic Lichens ◽

Evernia Prunastri ◽

Epiphytic Lichen ◽

Lichen Diversity ◽

Positive Correlations

AbstractThe epiphytic lichen Evernia prunastri is sensitive to air pollution and reacted by total retreat to the worsening of air quality during the peak of SO2 pollution in Central Europe (1950s–1990). Since 1990, after a significant decrease in air pollution, epiphytic lichens recolonized previously polluted areas, including E. prunastri. We investigated the physiological status of E. prunastri, transplanted for six months in 34 sites in the urban area of Bratislava (Slovakia) under current conditions. The content of chlorophylls, cortical and medullar secondary metabolites and soluble proteins were explored. We then examined the relationship of these parameters with the environmental quality status, reflected by the diversity of epiphytic lichens. The results showed that the physiological status of E. prunastri did not change significantly after exposure. Positive correlations were found between lichen diversity in the sampling sites and physiological parameters (photosynthetic pigments and phaeophytinization quotient) in the transplants. Transplants from sampling sites with a greater proportion of nitrophilous lichens displayed a decrease in photosynthetic pigments. Sites where E. prunastri naturally occurred had a lower proportion of nitrophilous species in comparison to sites where E. prunastri was not present. This suggests that the indicator species E. prunastri may also recolonize sites with low eutrophication in urban environments under decreased air pollution, and the information on its presence can help to assess the pressure caused by nitrogen excess.

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