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. 2022 Jan 22;11(3):295.
doi: 10.3390/plants11030295.

Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen Lobaria pulmonaria

Luca Di Nuzzo  1 , Paolo Giordani  2 , Renato Benesperi  1 , Giorgio Brunialti  3 , Zuzana Fačkovcová  4 , Luisa Frati  3 , Juri Nascimbene  5 , Sonia Ravera  6 , Chiara Vallese  5 , Luca Paoli  7   8 , Elisabetta Bianchi  1
Affiliations

Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen Lobaria pulmonaria

Luca Di Nuzzo et al. Plants (Basel). .

Abstract

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 Lobaria pulmonaria was assessed in mixed oak stands. To this purpose, 800 fragments of L. pulmonaria (<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 L. pulmonaria populations in logged forests.

Keywords: conservation; epiphytic lichens; forest management; growth rates; microclimate; translocation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Predicted probability of growth for forest types (logged and unlogged), type of lobes (non-meristematic and meristematic), aspect (N = north, S = south) and different heights from the ground (50 and 100 cm).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Annual growth coefficient for forest type (logged and unlogged), type of lobes (non-meristematic and meristematic) and different heights from the ground (50 and 100 cm).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Annual growth coefficient in the unlogged stand according to type of lobes (meristematic and non-meristematic), aspect and different heights from the ground (50 and 100 cm).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Graphical representation of the experimental design. Icons: Flaticon.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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