Unraveling the interplay between phylogeny and chemical niches in epiphytic macrolichens
Yngvar Gauslaa, Jason Hollinger, Trevor Goward, Johan Asplund · 2024
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Description
Lichens that grow on tree bark take their chemistry from what drips through the canopy, and their family tree may record ancient tastes for those chemistries. Yngvar Gauslaa, Jason Hollinger, Trevor Goward, and Johan Asplund test that link in this 2024 study of large lichens in British Columbia. Their data cover ninety spruce canopies in varied forest settings.
Comparing a map of species relatedness with a map of chemical niches, the team found a strong match at the broad scale. A calcium score drawn from throughfall chemistry cleanly separated two great lichen orders. Other factors tied to calcium, from manganese to bark acidity, may share the credit. Small differences within families and genera looked like recent tuning. The authors say lichens can serve as living gauges of forest chemistry, readable across regions.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Yngvar Gauslaa, Jason Hollinger, Trevor Goward, Johan Asplund |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2024 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 38 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |