Using Growth Forms to Predict Epiphytic Lichen Abundance in a Wide Variety of Forest Types
Epiphytic richness is continuously declining due to forest fragmentation, logging, burning, agriculture, and livestock. The rate of species loss caused by habitat degradation and loss is more pronounced in Central and South America. Considering the extreme difficulty and time required to identify th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-04-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/11/4/51 |
| _version_ | 1818039636831764480 |
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| author | Gregorio Aragón Isabel Martínez Pilar Hurtado Ángel Benítez Clara Rodríguez María Prieto |
| author_facet | Gregorio Aragón Isabel Martínez Pilar Hurtado Ángel Benítez Clara Rodríguez María Prieto |
| author_sort | Gregorio Aragón |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Epiphytic richness is continuously declining due to forest fragmentation, logging, burning, agriculture, and livestock. The rate of species loss caused by habitat degradation and loss is more pronounced in Central and South America. Considering the extreme difficulty and time required to identify the more inconspicuous species, rapid diversity assessment methods need to be extrapolated throughout the world. This study correlated lichen growth forms and total epiphytic abundance across 119 forests located in Europe and Central-South America. A total of 54 papers were selected from specific databases focused on lichens. Additionally, data from several unpublished ecological studies were included. Linear regression models showed that epiphytic lichen abundance was highly and positively correlated with the number of growth forms at all geographical levels considered (i.e., Central-South American and European forests, and the combination of both). Thus, the use of growth forms may provide an alternative and complementary way to evaluate epiphytic diversity because most growth forms have cosmopolitan distribution and are easily recognizable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:01:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7f4372ba64ba43c899a24c98cf651c1d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:01:47Z |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-7f4372ba64ba43c899a24c98cf651c1d2022-12-22T01:56:46ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182019-04-011145110.3390/d11040051d11040051Using Growth Forms to Predict Epiphytic Lichen Abundance in a Wide Variety of Forest TypesGregorio Aragón0Isabel Martínez1Pilar Hurtado2Ángel Benítez3Clara Rodríguez4María Prieto5Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, SpainÁrea de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, SpainÁrea de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, SpainSección de Ecología y Sistemática, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano s/n, Loja 1101608, EcuadorÁrea de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, SpainÁrea de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, SpainEpiphytic richness is continuously declining due to forest fragmentation, logging, burning, agriculture, and livestock. The rate of species loss caused by habitat degradation and loss is more pronounced in Central and South America. Considering the extreme difficulty and time required to identify the more inconspicuous species, rapid diversity assessment methods need to be extrapolated throughout the world. This study correlated lichen growth forms and total epiphytic abundance across 119 forests located in Europe and Central-South America. A total of 54 papers were selected from specific databases focused on lichens. Additionally, data from several unpublished ecological studies were included. Linear regression models showed that epiphytic lichen abundance was highly and positively correlated with the number of growth forms at all geographical levels considered (i.e., Central-South American and European forests, and the combination of both). Thus, the use of growth forms may provide an alternative and complementary way to evaluate epiphytic diversity because most growth forms have cosmopolitan distribution and are easily recognizable.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/11/4/51richnessepiphyteindicator speciesforestsEuropeCentral-South America |
| spellingShingle | Gregorio Aragón Isabel Martínez Pilar Hurtado Ángel Benítez Clara Rodríguez María Prieto Using Growth Forms to Predict Epiphytic Lichen Abundance in a Wide Variety of Forest Types Diversity richness epiphyte indicator species forests Europe Central-South America |
| title | Using Growth Forms to Predict Epiphytic Lichen Abundance in a Wide Variety of Forest Types |
| title_full | Using Growth Forms to Predict Epiphytic Lichen Abundance in a Wide Variety of Forest Types |
| title_fullStr | Using Growth Forms to Predict Epiphytic Lichen Abundance in a Wide Variety of Forest Types |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using Growth Forms to Predict Epiphytic Lichen Abundance in a Wide Variety of Forest Types |
| title_short | Using Growth Forms to Predict Epiphytic Lichen Abundance in a Wide Variety of Forest Types |
| title_sort | using growth forms to predict epiphytic lichen abundance in a wide variety of forest types |
| topic | richness epiphyte indicator species forests Europe Central-South America |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/11/4/51 |
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