Tree species identity and composition shape the epiphytic lichen community of structurally simple boreal forests over vast areas

Greatly simplified ecosystems are often neglected for biodiversity studies. However, these simplified systems dominate in many regions of the world, and a lack of understanding of what shapes species occurrence in these systems can have consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services at a massive scale. In Fennoscandia, ~90% of the boreal forest (~21Mha) is structurally simplified with little knowledge of how forest structural elements shape the occurrence and diversity of for example epiphytic lichens in these managed forests. One form of structural simplification is the reduction of the number and frequency of different tree species. As many lichen species have host tree preferences, it is particularly likely that this simplification has a huge effect on the lichen community in managed forests. In a 40–70 years old boreal forest in Sweden, we therefore related the occurrence and richness of all observed epiphytic lichens to the host tree species and beta and gamma lichen diversity at the forest stand level to the stand’s tree species composition and stem diameter. Picea abies hosted the highest lichen richness followed by Pinus sylvestris, Quercus robur, Alnus glutinosa, Betula spp., and Populus tremula. However, P. tremula hosted twice as many uncommon species as any of the other tree species. Stand level beta and gamma diversity was twice as high on stands with four compared to one tree species, and was highest when either coniferous or deciduous trees made up 40–50% of the trees. The stem diameter was positively related to lichen richness at the tree and stand level, but negatively to beta diversity. For biodiversity, these findings imply that leaving a few trees of a different species during forest thinning is unlikely as effective as combining life-boat trees for endangered species with an even tree species mixture.

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Impact of Fraxinus excelsior dieback on biota of ash-associated lichen epiphytes at the landscape and community level

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-019-01890-w ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 431-450 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Anna Łubek ◽

Martin Kukwa ◽

Patryk Czortek ◽

Bogdan Jaroszewicz

Keyword(s):

Tree Species ◽

Landscape Scale ◽

Community Level ◽

Fraxinus Excelsior ◽

Epiphytic Lichens ◽

Ash Dieback ◽

Epiphytic Lichen ◽

Alternative Hosts ◽

Rich Diversity ◽

Lichen Biota

Abstract The landscape-scale extinction of a tree species may have a negative impact on diversity of associated epiphytic species. We used ordination and hierarchical clustering methods to assess landscape and the community level effects of reduction in the abundance of European ash Fraxinus excelsior, caused by ash dieback, on the associated epiphytic lichen biota in Białowieża Forest (Poland)—the best preserved forest complex in Central Europe. At the landscape level ash decline impact on the biota of ash-associated epiphytic lichens was weak, due to the high diversity of tree species, which may serve as potential alternative hosts. At this level, oak and hornbeam are the most important alternative hosts, assuring the maintenance of ash-associated epiphytic lichens. Lime, alder, and hazel appeared to be less important but still may serve as substitute phorophytes to approximately 2/3 of the ash-associated lichen biota. About 90% of epiphytic biota are likely to survive on the landscape scale. However, at the community level of alder-ash floodplain forest, where ash was dominant, about 50% of ash-associated epiphytic lichen species are threatened by ash dieback. Our results highlight the importance of a spatial scale in conservation biology. Protection of large forest areas with rich diversity of phorophyte trees increases chances of survival of the associated epiphytic organisms.

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Adapting managed forests to climate change in Southern Sweden: Constraints and opportunities for altering tree species composition

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1307/6/34/342020 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 6 (34) ◽

pp. 342020

Author(s):

Adam Felton ◽

K Blennow ◽

E Andersson ◽

L Ellingson ◽

L Drössler

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Species Composition ◽

Tree Species ◽

Managed Forests ◽

Southern Sweden ◽

Tree Species Composition

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FRASS CHARACTERISTICS FOR IDENTIFYING INSECT BORERS (LEPIDOPTERA: COSSIDAE AND SESIIDAE; COLEOPTERA: CERAMBYCIDAE) IN LIVING HARDWOODS

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent109295-2 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 109 (2) ◽

pp. 295-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

J. D. Solomon

Keyword(s):

Tree Species ◽

Stem Diameter ◽

Wood Chips ◽

Host Tree ◽

Late Instar ◽

Host Tree Species

AbstractA key for classifying the frass of 24 species of cossid, sesiid, and cerambycid borers describes the presence, texture, form, size, and color of such frass components as excrement pellets, wood chips, finely pulverized wood, granular wood pieces, fibrous shreds, and excelsior-like shreds. Descriptions are based largely upon fresh frass produced by mid- to late-instar larvae. Host tree species, stem diameter, and portion of tree infested are used in conjunction with frass descriptions to identify the borers.

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The value of alien roadside trees for epiphytic lichen species along an urban pollution gradient

Journal of Urban Ecology ◽

10.1093/jue/juab025 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Theresa Möller ◽

Jens Oldeland ◽

Matthias Schultz

Keyword(s):

Alien Species ◽

Tree Species ◽

Urban Climate ◽

Urban Pollution ◽

Traffic Volume ◽

Lichen Species ◽

Epiphytic Lichens ◽

Epiphytic Lichen ◽

Lichen Diversity ◽

Species Pairs

Abstract Alien tree species have been introduced to Europe and often used as roadside trees. Currently, preference is given to species that are adapted to urban climate and drier conditions. Native epiphytic lichens are adapted to local tree species; however, little is known whether a shift toward more alien roadside trees would affect the diversity of epiphytic lichens within cities. We considered three genera of roadside trees that are common in Hamburg (Germany) Acer, Tilia, and Quercus, each with a native and an alien species per genus. Species numbers, frequency and diversity of epiphytic lichens were assessed and compared. Tree locations were grouped according to three classes of increasing traffic volume as a proxy for air pollution. Mean bark pH values have been recorded for each tree individual. The species pairs Quercus robur/rubra and Acer platanoides/saccharinum showed significant differences in the diversity and abundance of lichens, with the alien species showing lower values. The species pair Tilia cordata/tomentosa did not show any significant differences. The number of nitrogen-tolerant lichen species differed little among all tree species. Lichen species richness decreased with increasing traffic volume for all tree species pairs, thus demonstrating the inhibiting effect of traffic on the occurrence of lichens. Bark pH differed little between the species pairs yet high traffic volume resulted in an increased bark pH. In conclusion, two out of three alien species had negative effects on lichen diversity. Further tree species should be assessed to better estimate the effect of alien roadside trees on lichen diversity.

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Latitudinal Comparison of Site Index, Stand Volume and Tree Species Composition in Boreal Forest of the Yenisey River Basin

Japanese Journal of Forest Planning ◽

10.20659/jjfp.42.1_23 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 23-30

Author(s):

Emi NOGUCHI ◽

Nobuyuki ABE ◽

Ryoji HATAMURA ◽

Igor M. DANILIN ◽

Vladimir A. SOKOLOV

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Boreal Forest ◽

River Basin ◽

Tree Species ◽

Site Index ◽

Tree Species Composition ◽

Stand Volume

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Tree Species Richness and Neighborhood Effects on Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Richness and Community Structure in Boreal Forest

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2021.567961 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Eveli Otsing ◽

Sten Anslan ◽

Elia Ambrosio ◽

Julia Koricheva ◽

Leho Tedersoo

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Boreal Forest ◽

Community Composition ◽

Fungal Community ◽

Neighborhood Effects ◽

Tree Species ◽

Fungal Community Composition ◽

Species Identity ◽

Tree Species Richness ◽

Ecm Fungi

Tree species identity is one of the key factors driving ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungal richness and community composition in boreal and temperate forest ecosystems, but little is known about the influence of tree species combinations and their neighborhood effects on EcM communities. To advance our understanding of host plant effects on EcM fungi, the roots of silver birch, Scots pine, and Norway spruce were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing across mature boreal forest exploratory plots of monocultures and two- and three-species mixtures in Finland. Our analyses revealed that tree species identity was an important determinant of EcM fungal community composition, but tree species richness had no significant influence on EcM fungal richness and community composition. We found that EcM fungal community composition associated with spruce depends on neighboring tree species. Our study suggests that at a regional-scale tree species identity is the primary factor determining community composition of root-associated EcM fungi alongside with tree species composition effects on EcM fungal community of spruce in mixed stands.

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Impacts of tree species identity and species mixing on ecosystem carbon and nitrogen stocks in a boreal forest

Forest Ecology and Management ◽

10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117783 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 458 ◽

pp. 117783 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Róbert Blaško ◽

Benjamin Forsmark ◽

Michael J. Gundale ◽

Tomas Lundmark ◽

Annika Nordin

Keyword(s):

Boreal Forest ◽

Tree Species ◽

Species Identity ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Ecosystem Carbon ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen Stocks

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Species dynamics of epiphytic macrolichens in relation to time since fire and host tree species in boreal forest

Journal of Vegetation Science ◽

10.1111/jvs.12315 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 26 (6) ◽

pp. 1124-1133 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Samuel F. Bartels ◽

Han Y.H. Chen

Keyword(s):

Boreal Forest ◽

Tree Species ◽

Host Tree ◽

Time Since Fire ◽

Host Tree Species ◽

Species Dynamics

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Influence of tree species on epiphytic macrolichens in temperate mixed forests of northern Italy

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x09-013 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 785-791 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Juri Nascimbene ◽

Lorenzo Marini ◽

Pier Luigi Nimis

Keyword(s):

Tree Species ◽

Mixed Forest ◽

Abies Alba ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Tree Level ◽

Sensitive Species ◽

Tree Species Composition ◽

Epiphytic Lichen ◽

Lichen Diversity ◽

Temperate Mixed Forests

Tree species is a key factor in shaping epiphytic lichen communities. In managed forests, tree species composition is mainly controlled by forest management, with important consequences on lichen diversity. The main aim of this work was to evaluate the differences at tree level in macrolichen richness and composition between Abies alba Mill. and Fagus sylvatica L. in a temperate mixed forest in northern Italy, in addition to evaluating two different proportions of the two species at the stand level. Abies alba and F. sylvatica host lichen communities including several rare and sensitive species. Our findings indicate that both tree species were important for lichen diversity, since they hosted different communities. However, F. sylvatica proved to be a more favourable hosting tree for several rare and sensitive species. Species associated with A. alba were mainly acidophytic lichens, while those associated with F. sylvatica were foliose hygrophytic lichens, mainly establishing over bryophytes. The frequency of the flagship species Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. was a valuable predictor of cyanolichen richness and was useful in identifying sites hosting lichen communities that are potentially more sensitive to thinning and human disturbance. The results support the relevance of mixed A. alba – F. sylvatica formations among European habitats worthy of conservation.

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