Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen <i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i>
Microclimatic conditions are important in determining lichen distribution at small scale, and may determine whether the species persist when the surrounding environmental conditions have drastically changed. This is the case with forest management, since a sudden variation of microclimatic condition...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/3/295 |
| _version_ | 1827659300889165824 |
|---|---|
| author | Luca Di Nuzzo Paolo Giordani Renato Benesperi Giorgio Brunialti Zuzana Fačkovcová Luisa Frati Juri Nascimbene Sonia Ravera Chiara Vallese Luca Paoli Elisabetta Bianchi |
| author_facet | Luca Di Nuzzo Paolo Giordani Renato Benesperi Giorgio Brunialti Zuzana Fačkovcová Luisa Frati Juri Nascimbene Sonia Ravera Chiara Vallese Luca Paoli Elisabetta Bianchi |
| author_sort | Luca Di Nuzzo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Microclimatic conditions are important in determining lichen distribution at small scale, and may determine whether the species persist when the surrounding environmental conditions have drastically changed. This is the case with forest management, since a sudden variation of microclimatic conditions (increase of solar radiation, temperature, wind and a reduction of humidity) may occur after logging. In this study, the combined effect of forest logging and microclimatic conditions on the growth probabilities and growth rates of the model species <i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i> was assessed in mixed oak stands. To this purpose, 800 fragments of <i>L. pulmonaria</i> (<1 cm) were transplanted in logged and unlogged stands for two years. Young and adult fragments were positioned on Turkey oak boles according to distance from the ground (100 and 50 cm) and aspect (north and south). The results, evaluated by generalized linear mixed models on a yearly basis, highlighted differences in growth—particularly on isolated trees in the logged stand. South-exposed samples in the logged stand showed a low probability of growth, while samples transplanted north in the unlogged stand showed higher growth probabilities. However, the highest annual growth coefficients corresponded to south-exposed samples 50 cm from the ground in the unlogged stand. In general, higher growth rates were observed in young thallus fragments when compared with adult ones. Beyond confirming the importance of microclimate for lichen ecology, these results could be implemented in conservation actions to preserve <i>L. pulmonaria</i> populations in logged forests. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:19:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-717ab2307c8a41c4b1dc0479b7c78e1a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:19:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-717ab2307c8a41c4b1dc0479b7c78e1a2023-11-23T17:29:35ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472022-01-0111329510.3390/plants11030295Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen <i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i>Luca Di Nuzzo0Paolo Giordani1Renato Benesperi2Giorgio Brunialti3Zuzana Fačkovcová4Luisa Frati5Juri Nascimbene6Sonia Ravera7Chiara Vallese8Luca Paoli9Elisabetta Bianchi10Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, ItalyDIFAR, University of Genoa, 16126 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, ItalyTerraData Environmetrics, Spin-Off Company of the University of Siena, 58025 Monterotondo Marittimo, ItalyPlant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84523 Bratislava, SlovakiaTerraData Environmetrics, Spin-Off Company of the University of Siena, 58025 Monterotondo Marittimo, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, 90123 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, ItalyMicroclimatic conditions are important in determining lichen distribution at small scale, and may determine whether the species persist when the surrounding environmental conditions have drastically changed. This is the case with forest management, since a sudden variation of microclimatic conditions (increase of solar radiation, temperature, wind and a reduction of humidity) may occur after logging. In this study, the combined effect of forest logging and microclimatic conditions on the growth probabilities and growth rates of the model species <i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i> was assessed in mixed oak stands. To this purpose, 800 fragments of <i>L. pulmonaria</i> (<1 cm) were transplanted in logged and unlogged stands for two years. Young and adult fragments were positioned on Turkey oak boles according to distance from the ground (100 and 50 cm) and aspect (north and south). The results, evaluated by generalized linear mixed models on a yearly basis, highlighted differences in growth—particularly on isolated trees in the logged stand. South-exposed samples in the logged stand showed a low probability of growth, while samples transplanted north in the unlogged stand showed higher growth probabilities. However, the highest annual growth coefficients corresponded to south-exposed samples 50 cm from the ground in the unlogged stand. In general, higher growth rates were observed in young thallus fragments when compared with adult ones. Beyond confirming the importance of microclimate for lichen ecology, these results could be implemented in conservation actions to preserve <i>L. pulmonaria</i> populations in logged forests.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/3/295conservationepiphytic lichensforest managementgrowth ratesmicroclimatetranslocation |
| spellingShingle | Luca Di Nuzzo Paolo Giordani Renato Benesperi Giorgio Brunialti Zuzana Fačkovcová Luisa Frati Juri Nascimbene Sonia Ravera Chiara Vallese Luca Paoli Elisabetta Bianchi Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen <i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i> Plants conservation epiphytic lichens forest management growth rates microclimate translocation |
| title | Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen <i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i> |
| title_full | Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen <i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i> |
| title_fullStr | Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen <i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen <i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i> |
| title_short | Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen <i>Lobaria pulmonaria</i> |
| title_sort | microclimatic alteration after logging affects the growth of the endangered lichen i lobaria pulmonaria i |
| topic | conservation epiphytic lichens forest management growth rates microclimate translocation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/3/295 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lucadinuzzo microclimaticalterationafterloggingaffectsthegrowthoftheendangeredlichenilobariapulmonariai AT paologiordani microclimaticalterationafterloggingaffectsthegrowthoftheendangeredlichenilobariapulmonariai AT renatobenesperi microclimaticalterationafterloggingaffectsthegrowthoftheendangeredlichenilobariapulmonariai AT giorgiobrunialti microclimaticalterationafterloggingaffectsthegrowthoftheendangeredlichenilobariapulmonariai AT zuzanafackovcova microclimaticalterationafterloggingaffectsthegrowthoftheendangeredlichenilobariapulmonariai AT luisafrati microclimaticalterationafterloggingaffectsthegrowthoftheendangeredlichenilobariapulmonariai AT jurinascimbene microclimaticalterationafterloggingaffectsthegrowthoftheendangeredlichenilobariapulmonariai AT soniaravera microclimaticalterationafterloggingaffectsthegrowthoftheendangeredlichenilobariapulmonariai AT chiaravallese microclimaticalterationafterloggingaffectsthegrowthoftheendangeredlichenilobariapulmonariai AT lucapaoli microclimaticalterationafterloggingaffectsthegrowthoftheendangeredlichenilobariapulmonariai AT elisabettabianchi microclimaticalterationafterloggingaffectsthegrowthoftheendangeredlichenilobariapulmonariai |