PECULIARITIES OF THE ALTITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION OF TERRICOLOUS LICHEN DIVERSITY IN THE HIGHLANDS OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CAUCASUS

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 11-28
Author(s):  
A.B. Ismailov ◽  
◽  
G.P. Urbanavichus ◽  
I.N. Urbanavichene ◽  
◽  
...  
MycoKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 1-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pier Luigi Nimis ◽  
Josef Hafellner ◽  
Claude Roux ◽  
Philippe Clerc ◽  
Helmut Mayrhofer ◽  
...  

This is the first attempt to provide an overview of the lichen diversity of the Alps, one of the biogegraphically most important and emblematic mountain systems worldwide. The checklist includes all lichenised species, plus a set of non- or doubtfully lichenised taxa frequently treated by lichenologists, excluding non-lichenised lichenicolous fungi. Largely based on recent national or regional checklists, it provides a list of all infrageneric taxa (with synonyms) hitherto reported from the Alps, with data on their distribution in eight countries (Austria, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland) and in 42 Operational Geographic Units, mostly corresponding to administrative subdivisions within the countries. Data on the main substrates and on the altitudinal distribution are also provided. A short note points to the main ecological requirements of each taxon and/or to open taxonomic problems. Particularly poorly known taxa are flagged and often provided with a short description, to attract the attention of specialists. The total number of infrageneric taxa is 3,163, including 117 non- or doubtfully lichenised taxa. The richness of the lichen biota fairly well corresponds with the percent of the Alpine area occupied by each country: Austria (2,337 taxa), Italy (2,169), France (2,028), Switzerland (1,835), Germany (1,168), Slovenia (890) and Lichtenstein (152), no lichen having ever been reported from Monaco. The number of poorly known taxa is quite high (604, 19.1% of the total), which indicates that, in spite of the Alps being one of the lichenologically most studied mountain systems worldwide, much work is still needed to reach a satisfactory picture of their real lichen diversity. Thirteen new combinations are proposed in the genera Agonimia, Aspicilia, Bagliettoa, Bellemerea, Carbonea, Lepra, Miriquidica, Polysporina, Protothelenella, Pseudosagedia and Thelidium.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 16-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Himanshu Rai ◽  
Roshni Khare ◽  
Rajan Kumar Gupta ◽  
Dalip Kumar Upreti

Lichens are known to be more sensitive indicators of ecosystem functioning and disturbances than any other cryptogams and vascular plant communities. Himalayan habitats, despite their stressed climates, harbor some of the unique biodiversity of the region, vital for overall ecosystem functioning and stability. Lichens, due to their desiccation tolerance, are able to survive in high altitude habitats and evolved into diverse categories and functional groups. Present study examines the terricolous lichen community in Chopta-Tungnath temperate-alpine grassland of Garhwal Himalaya, in order to identify potential elements (species/growth form) as indicator of anthropogenic disturbances. Terricolous lichens were sampled from twelve sites distributed in three stratified macrohabitats, along increasing altitudinal gradient. A total of twenty soil lichen species belonging to ten genera, six families and four morphological groups (i.e. leprose, foliose, dimorphic and fruticose) were identified. Terricolous lichen diversity was negatively correlated (r = 0.70; p<0.05) with altitude. Among the four growth forms, fruticose growth form was indicator of grazing disturbance, distinguishing low grazed high altitude (3400-4001 m asl) areas with highly grazed low altitude (2700-3000 m asl) to mid altitude (3000-3400 m asl) areas. Terricolous lichen diversity in the study area was found constrained by vascular plants at lower altitudes, human-related impacts (tourism and livestock grazing induced trampling) at mid-altitudes and habitat characteristics (low soil cover) at higher altitudes.doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/botor.v8i0.5554 Botanica Orientalis – Journal of Plant Science (2011) 8: 16-23


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Himelbrant ◽  
I. S. Stepanchikova ◽  
T. Ahti ◽  
V. Yu. Neshataeva

The first lichenological inventory in Koryakia has resulted in the list of 315 species reported from Parapolsky Dale, within and in vicinities of the Koryak State Reserve. Altogether 46 species are published from the Kamchatka Territory for the first time, including Lecanographa grumulosa new to Russia, East Asia and Beringia; Cercidospora trypetheliza, Lecania dubitans, Pertusaria borealis, Piccolia ochrophora, Protoparmelia cupreobadia, Rimularia badioatra and Strangospora moriformis new to Russian Far East; Abrothallus bertianus, Cladonia strepsilis, Physciella melanchra, Rimularia badioatra, Sclerococcum parasiticum, Sphinctrina leucopoda and Strangospora moriformis new to Beringia. The lichen diversity of the study area is relatively poor due to natural reasons. Comparison with neighboring regions (Kamchatka Peninsula, Chukotka, Magadan Region, Yakutia and Alaska) shows that the lichen flora of Parapolsky Dale contains almost no specific species. The majority of the species recorded here are also known from neighboring regions, especially Alaska and Kamchatka Peninsula.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuya K Matsumoto ◽  
Muneto Hirobe ◽  
Masahiro Sueyoshi ◽  
Yuko Miyazaki

Abstract Background and Aims Interspecific difference in pollinators (pollinator isolation) is important for reproductive isolation in flowering plants. Species-specific pollination by fungus gnats has been discovered in several plant taxa, suggesting that they can contribute to reproductive isolation. Nevertheless, their contribution has not been studied in detail, partly because they are too small for field observations during flower visitation. To quantify their flower visitation, we used the genus Arisaema (Araceae) because the pitcher-like spathe of Arisaema can trap all floral visitors. Methods We evaluated floral visitor assemblage in an altitudinal gradient including five Arisaema species. We also examined interspecific differences in altitudinal distribution (geographic isolation) and flowering phenology (phenological isolation). To exclude the effect of interspecific differences in altitudinal distribution on floral visitor assemblage, we established 10 experimental plots including the five Arisaema species on high- and low-altitude areas and collected floral visitors. We also collected floral visitors in three additional sites. Finally, we estimated the strength and contribution of these three reproductive barriers using the unified formula for reproductive isolation. Key Results Each Arisaema species selectively attracted different fungus gnats in the altitudinal gradient, experimental plots, and additional sites. Altitudinal distribution and flowering phenology differed among the five Arisaema species, whereas the strength of geographic and phenological isolations were distinctly weaker than those in pollinator isolation. Nevertheless, the absolute contribution of pollinator isolation to total reproductive isolation was weaker than geographic and phenological isolations, because pollinator isolation functions after the two early-acting barriers in plant life history. Conclusions Our results suggest that selective pollination by fungus gnats potentially contributes to reproductive isolation. Since geographic and phenological isolations can be disrupted by habitat disturbance and interannual climate change, the strong and stable pollinator isolation might compensate for the weakened early-acting barriers as an alternative reproductive isolation among the five Arisaema species.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Changi Wong ◽  
Yee Soon Ling ◽  
Julia Lih Suan Wee ◽  
Aazani Mujahid ◽  
Moritz Müller

AbstractNepenthes, as the largest family of carnivorous plants, is found with an extensive geographical distribution throughout the Malay Archipelago, specifically in Borneo, Philippines, and Sumatra. Highland species are able to tolerate cold stress and lowland species heat stress. Our current understanding on the adaptation or survival mechanisms acquired by the different Nepenthes species to their climatic conditions at the phytochemical level is, however, limited. In this study, we applied an eco-metabolomics approach to identify temperature stressed individual metabolic fingerprints of four Nepenthes species: the lowlanders N. ampullaria, N. rafflesiana and N. northiana, and the highlander N. minima. We hypothesized that distinct metabolite regulation patterns exist between the Nepenthes species due to their adaptation towards different geographical and altitudinal distribution. Our results revealed not only distinct temperature stress induced metabolite fingerprints for each Nepenthes species, but also shared metabolic response and adaptation strategies. The interspecific responses and adaptation of N. rafflesiana and N. northiana likely reflected their natural habitat niches. Moreover, our study also indicates the potential of lowlanders, especially N. ampullaria and N. rafflesiana, to produce metabolites needed to deal with increased temperatures, offering hope for the plant genus and future adaption in times of changing climate.


Botany ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (8) ◽  
pp. 529-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Bauk ◽  
Reyes Pérez-Sánchez ◽  
Sebastián R. Zeballos ◽  
M. Laura Las Peñas ◽  
Joel Flores ◽  
...  

Several studies reported a negative relationship between altitude and seed mass. In cactus species, seed mass has been also related to seedling morphology (size and shape). Here we studied Gymnocalycium monvillei (Lem.) Pfeiff. ex Britton & Rose, a cactus species with a wide altitudinal distribution, with the main aim of analyzing how altitude affects seed mass and seedling size (height and width) and shape (globose or columnar). We collected seeds from five sites along the entire altitudinal distribution of the species in the Córdoba Mountains (sites were located between 878 and 2230 m a.s.l.), encompassing a marked climatic gradient (6 °C of mean annual temperature difference between the extreme sites). Seed mass and seedling traits were measured in the laboratory. Seedling height increased with altitude, whereas seed mass was not related to this parameter. Seedlings became more globose (reduced surface/volume ratio) with decreasing altitude. Variation in seedling shape along the altitudinal gradient may be related to the contrasting climatic conditions to which seedlings are exposed, and could account for the wide altitudinal distribution of G. monvillei. Our results highlight the importance of seedling traits in the species’ response to climatic change.


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