Why is the rainforest lichen Methuselah’s Beard (Usnea longissima) so rare in British Columbia’s inland temperate rainforest?

Coastal (CTR) and inland temperate rainforests (ITR) in western North America share a rich oceanic lichen flora. The distinctive Methuselah’s beard lichen (Usnea longissima) is an exception to this pattern of shared distributions, with very few ITR locations. Does this absence reflect dispersal limitations or climatic intolerance? To answer this question, we transplanted U. longissima thalli from the CTR to three ITR locations, assessing growth rates against reciprocal CTR transplants. Canopy microclimate measurements provided concurrent data on growth conditions. Growth rate responses (length, mass and area) were evaluated after summer and full-year transplants. Notwithstanding extended drought conditions during the summer period, annual transplants at two of the three ITR locations supported growth rates comparable to those at the CTR source U. longissima population, with summer dewfall and autumn rains being major ITR hydration sources. Thalli transplanted to a third ITR site (summer measurements only) in a location transitional to the drier interior plateau lost both mass and length. Based on these findings we suggest that the absence of U. longissima from much of the ITR reflects the combined influence of dispersal limitations and requirements for stands with long site continuity and topographically induced summer wetting of thalli by dewfall.

Lichens as Biomonitors of Air Pollutants Deposition: Strategically Important Element Pollution

In this study, different lichen species (Lobaria pulmonaria, Cladonia furcata, Usnea longissima, Xanthoparmelia somloensis, and Flavopormelia caperata) as biomonitors of air pollutants deposition were investigated and element pollution (Ta, Bi, Hf, Nb, Ga, Sc, Li, Y, Ce, and Sr) was evaluated. According to obtained data, the highest accumulation was 43.9±2.1 mg/kg in Xanthoparmelia somloensis. Sr value detected in each lichen was quite high. Sr percentages for Lobaria pulmonaria, Cladonia furcata, Usnea longissima, Xanthoparmelia somloensis, and Flavopormelia caperata were 77%, 66%, 87%, 58%, and 78%, respectively. This indicates that the lichens accumulate Sr well. Also, other strategically important elements were also accumulative by lichens. The highest contamination factor (CF) values in lichen species were determined for Sr and Ta. The highest CF values of Hf, Nb, Li, Ga, and Bi were calculated for L. pulmonaria while the highest CF values of Sr, Y, Sc, and Ce were calculated for Xanthoparmelia somloensis. Moreover, the highest CF value of Ta was calculated for Flavopormelia caperata. EF values for Lobaria pulmonaria, Cladonia furcata, and Flavopormelia caperata were >10, only for Bi. EF values for Usnea longissima were <10. EF values for Xanthoparmelia somloensis were >10. PLI values for Lobaria pulmonaria and Usnea longissima were >1. As a result, the presence of strategically important elements detected in lichen species showed that lichens can be used as biomonitors of air pollutants.

Ecological features and population density of protected lichens in forests with spruce, fir and siberian pine on the Salair ridge (Altai territory)

For a comprehensive assessment of the habitats of rare and vulnerable lichen species, 4 key sites in theEltsovsky, Togulsky and Zarinsky districts of the Altai territory were studied. Plant communities – spruce forests, forests with spruce and cedar pine, as well as fir and aspen forests were described. Seven species of lichens listed in the Reddata book of the Altai territory (2016) were found in the studied forests: Graphis scripta, Lobaria pulmonaria, Nephromabellum, Ramalina roesleri, R. sinensis, R. vogulica, and Usnea longissima. Ecological preferences are indicated for eachspecies, and the population density is calculated.