Abstract Detail

Poster Session

Scharnagl, Klara [1], Prather, Alan [1].

Do Lichens follow the Latitudinal Diversity Gradient? A Review.

Many groups of organisms, including angiosperms, birds and amphibians, follow the latitudinal diversity gradient, with the highest number of species in the tropics near the equator, and decreasing numbers of species out of the tropics towards the poles. The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) is a phenomenon that has long been observed yet also debated, with examples of groups of organisms, or interactions among organisms, as evidence in support of or against the LDG. One group of organisms that have not been investigated in terms of the LDG are the lichenized fungi. Lichenized fungi are a highly diverse group, with representatives in both the Ascomycota and the Basisiomycota, and are the fungal component of lichens. Due to the unique symbiotic association between these lichenized fungi and photobionts (cyanobacteria or algae), lichens are almost ubiquitous in terrestrial ecosystems, making them an ideal model system for investigating patterns of diversity such as the LDG. Here we present some preliminary patterns of lichen biodiversity using data from (a) surveys of lichen diversity within national parks, and (b) regional lichen checklists. These initial analyses imply that lichens do not follow the pattern predicted by the latitudinal diversity gradient. We discuss the limitations of these data, including the roles that dispersal, availability of compatible photobionts, and levels of disturbance have on lichenized fungal species richness within a given region. We propose future investigations involving data from lichen herbarium collections, in addition to parsing the functional diversity patterns of lichenized fungi and their photobionts along a latitudinal gradient. We further discuss the influences of sampling methods and sampling effort on the patterns of diversity that emerged. There are certain regions, many of which are in the tropics, that have been minimally sampled for lichen biodiversity. Adding data from these regions could dramatically alter the currently mapped patterns of diversity of lichenized fungi.

1 - Michigan State University, Plant Biology, 612 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

Keywords:
lichen
diversity gradient
photobiont
sampling effort.

Presentation Type: Offered Paper - Poster
Session: P2
Location: Lincoln Room/Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center
Date: Tuesday, June 10th, 2014
Time: 8:00 PM
Number: P2008
Abstract ID:19
Candidate for Awards:None