Assessment of the State of Lung Lichen, Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm., in Forest Communities with Different Times Since Disturbance in the Northeast of European Russia

• Published in: Russian journal of ecology Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 277 - 285
• Main Authors: Ignatenko, R. V., Tarasova, V. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01-07-2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Branches; Communities; Ecology; Environment; Forest communities; Forests; Life Sciences; Lobaria pulmonaria; Lungs; Parameters; Plant communities; Plant species; Populations; Reproduction (biology); Species; Substrates; Thalli; taiga ecosystem; succession; time since disturbance; old-growth forests; population ecology
• ISSN: 1067-4136; 1608-3334
• DOI: 10.1134/S1067413618040069

Quantitative parameters of cenopopulations of
Lobaria pulmonaria
, an endangered cyanolichen, have been studied in spruce phytocenoses of Karelia recovering after disturbance through the successional stage of aspen stands for a period ranging from 80 to 450 years. The results show that, as the time since disturbance increases, the total number of
L. pulmonaria
thalli and the number of colonized substrate units increase as well, with no stabilization of these parameters being observed in the series of communities studied. The total area of thalli in the phytocenoses is restored within approximately 200 years after the last disturbance. In old-growth forests (>400 years),
L. pulmonaria
thalli colonize a broad spectrum of tree species in different life states, including lower branches of young spruce trees. Even if they serve as temporary substrates, this can markedly strengthen the potential of the species for further expansion within the community in case of shortage in the main phorophyte (aspen). Thus, the proportion of regressive populations decreases, while that of colonizing populations increases, which is indicative of successful reproduction of the species.