Usnea antarctica, an important Antarctic lichen, is vulnerable to aspects of regional environmental change

Bokhorst, Stef; Convey, Peter ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8497-9903; Huiskes, Ad; Aerts, Rien. 2016 Usnea antarctica, an important Antarctic lichen, is vulnerable to aspects of regional environmental change. Polar Biology, 39 (3). 511-521. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-015-1803-z

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Text This article has been accepted for publication and will be published by Springer in Polar Biology. The final publication is available at link.springer.com. Copyright Springer. Bokhorst lichen decline AAM.pdf - Accepted Version Download (93kB) | Preview

Abstract/Summary

Studies of cryptogam responses to climate change in the polar regions are scarce because these slow-growing organisms require long-term monitoring studies. Here, we analyse the response of a lichen and moss community to 10 years of passive environmental manipulation using open-top chambers (OTCs) in the maritime Antarctic region. Cover of the dominant lichen Usnea antarctica declined by 71 % in the OTCs. However, less dominant lichen species showed no significant responses except for an increase in Ochrolechia frigida, which typically covered dying lichen and moss vegetation. There were no detectable responses in the moss or associated micro-arthropod communities to the influence of the OTCs. Based on calculated respiration rates, we hypothesise that the decline of U. antarctica was most likely caused by increased net winter respiration rates (11 %), driven by the higher temperatures and lower light levels experienced inside the OTCs as a result of greater snow accumulation. During summer, U. antarctica appears unable to compensate for this increased carbon loss, leading to a negative carbon balance on an annual basis, and the lichen therefore appears to be vulnerable to such climate change simulations. These findings indicate that U. antarctica dominated fell-fields may change dramatically if current environmental change trends continue in the maritime Antarctic, especially if associated with increases in winter snow depth or duration.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-015-1803-z
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > BAS Programmes 2015 > Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation
ISSN:	0722-4060
Additional Keywords:	CO2, gas fluxes, micr-arthropods, snow, Usnea Antarctica, winter
Date made live:	20 Oct 2015 12:31 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/509735

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