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There is ample evidence for species distributional changes in response to recent climate change, but most studies are biased toward better known taxa. Thus, an integrated approach is needed that includes the “cryptic diversity” represented partly by lichens, which are among the most sensitive organisms to environmental change due to their physiological characteristics. The use of functional traits and ecological attributes may improve the interpretation of how species respond to climate change. Thus, we quantified the future climate change impacts on 41 lichen species distributed in the Iberian Peninsula using ensemble climatic suitability maps (derived from generalized linear and generalized additive models, and classification and regression tree analysis) and different metrics. We also determined the lichen traits/attributes that might be related to a shared response to climate change. The results indicated a loss of bioclimatic space for 75% of the species studied and an increase for 10 species, especially in Mediterranean ones. Most of the species that will lose more than 70% of their current modeled distribution area comprised big macrolichens with cyanobacteria as the photobiont, thereby indicating a great biomass loss in forests, which might affect nutrient cycles. We also found that the predicted distributions were trait-related. Smaller species, green-algae lichens, and saxicolous and epiphyte species will respond better to future climate change. The results of this type of study may help to identify the species that are most vulnerable to climate change and facilitate the development of conservation measures to avoid their decline.

Detailed knowledge of the habitat requirements of species is required because habitat greatly affects the persistence of species. We investigated the effects of tree species and microhabitat heterogeneity on the population of the locally threatened lichen Lobaria pulmonaria. We studied four L. pulmonaria populations in Central Spain and collected microhabitat data for individuals growing on beech and oak. The microhabitat affected the life stages of L. pulmonaria; being a phorophyte species the location of the lichen was the most important factor generating different patterns of establishment, abundance, thallus size and reproductive capacity. Although oak forests favoured the establishment and recruitment of new L. pulmonaria individuals, they apparently provided adverse environmental conditions for lichen growth, thus affecting the reproductive capacity since this is size-dependent. By contrast, beech forests offered a more favourable microclimate, because L. pulmonaria individuals reached larger sizes in these forests. In conclusion, our results indicate that habitats hosting large populations, with high rates of establishment and recruitment do not necessarily favour other life-cycle stages.

Reasonable lichen growth rates are required to maintain the important ecosystem functions provided by epiphytic lichen populations. Previously, lichen growth has mainly been quantified in boreal forests. Thus, there is a need for comparable studies from Mediterranean forests. We used reciprocal transplantation to compare relative biomass (RGR) and thallus area (RTAGR) growth rates of the cephalolichen Lobaria pulmonaria and the cyanolichen Lobarina scrobiculata (n = 720 thalli) in two Mediterranean oak forests. Both juvenile and reproductive thalli were transplanted for 334 days at the base and at breast height of random trees in both forests. We measured functional traits, specific thallus mass (STM) and water holding capacity (WHC), to search for adaptation/acclimation patterns between regions and between local stands. Linear Mixed Models were used to assess the effects of (1) forest, (2) height on the trunk and (3) reproductive stage on RGR, RTAGR, and functional traits. Lobaria pulmonaria grew faster than L. scrobiculata, consistent with its more flexible hydration traits. Growth rates in both species were fastest in juveniles at the trunk bases, consistent with trade-offs between (1) growth and reproduction and (2) humidity availability and distance from the ground. In L. pulmonaria, STM increased with increasing evaporative demands, consistent with acclimation mechanisms. Fundamental and realized niches differed in L. scrobiculata, indicating that high abundance does not necessarily coincide with optimal growth habitat. Both species grew as fast in drier and warmer Mediterranean forests as reported from boreal forests, presumably because local conditions during hydration periods differ less between macroclimate regions than average climatic parameters, and/or because dew formation is frequent, particularly near the ground. Furthermore, STM and WHC of lichens in Mediterranean forests were high, thus partly compensating for the drier conditions. This study improves our understanding of mechanisms underlying epiphytic lichen growth in Mediterranean climates.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY High-quality information about threatened species is required to prevent current global biodiversity losses. Lichens are important components of forest biodiversity and help to maintain ecosystem functioning. The epiphytic cyanolichen Lobarina scrobiculata is red-listed in Europe and North America, but knowledge of its ecology and distribution in Southern Europe is scarce. METHODS We used a multispatial scale design to investigate the effects of macroclimate, forest structure, tree features, and microhabitat on the occurrence, abundance, spatial distribution, and performance of Lobarina scrobiculata in the Iberian Peninsula at plot and tree scales. Generalized linear models and mixed models were used for analysis. KEY RESULTS We recorded ca 14000 individuals of the threatened species Lobarina scrobiculata from 22 populations in the Iberian Peninsula. Our results suggest that L. scrobiculata thrives mainly in oak forests with highly variable annual precipitation levels. At the plot scale, the L. scrobiculata abundance increased with annual precipitation and tree density (habitat quantity). At the tree scale, our models highlighted the importance of tree size and bark roughness (habitat quality) as the main drivers of species occurrence and abundance. We detected a marked spatial pattern on tree trunks, i.e., L. scrobiculata occurred preferentially on north-facing surfaces and close to the ground where humidity is higher. CONCLUSIONS By integrating multiscale modeling, we analyzed a unique large dataset and these results are essential for understanding the ecology of this threatened cyanolichen. There is an urgent need to preserve the forests that this species currently inhabits as well as potential colonization sites.

The main factors determining the occurrence, abundance, growth and reproductive capacity of threatened lichens need to be known in order to implement conservation ini- tiatives. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate which factors affect the conservation status of Degelia species-complex in central Spain. We undertook a non- parametric analysis to evaluate whether population sizes are larger in protected areas. We fitted generalized linear models (GLM) and mixed models (GLMMs) to analyze which variables are driving occurrence and abundance of Degelia, the thallus size and repro- duction capacity. Results show that population sizes of Degelia are very variable, being larger in broad-leaved evergreen forests and inside protected areas. Tree characteristics play an important role in its local dynamics.

a b s t r a c t Evaluation of the effectiveness of protected areas networks for conserving diversity is a demanding topic in biological conservation. In the last few years, there has been an increasing number of studies on species distribution modelling which can be easily used to test the efficiency of reserve networks. Unfortunately, this effort has been focused on the so called charismatic species. Our main goal is to test the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network by using non-charismatic species. We determined potential distribution patterns for 18 lichen species in Spain and evaluated the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network in protecting them. Models were implemented with ENFA (Ecological-Niche Factor Analysis) because this modelling approach only requires presence data since the reliability of absence data is really poor. Habitat suitability maps were obtained and high suitability areas were characterised using ten environmental predictors. Maps of areas of high suitability were overlaid with the Natura 2000 network cover, considering the different biogeographical regions present in mainland Spain. The effectiveness of the Natura 2000 was quite low in most species. The analysis per region showed that Mediterranean lichen species growing in forests are better protected than species found in coastal, drier and warmer areas. Our results indicate that the Natura 2000 network, a protection system based on vascular plants, does not guarantee the protection of Mediterranean lichen species. Thus, this type of gap analysis and especially the inclusion of “non-charismatic” organisms such as lichens should be considered in studies to define protected areas.

[spa] Se presenta un catálogo de 462 hongos liquenizados y liquenícolas de la Sierra de Albarracín (Teruel, Aragón, España), como resultado de la IV Campaña de Recolección organizada por la Sociedad Española de Liquenología (SEL). Diplotomma hedinii es novedad para la Península Ibérica y Lepraria leuckertiana constituye una segunda cita peninsular, 69 taxones son novedad para Aragón y 86 lo son para la provincia de Teruel., [eng] A catalogue of 462 lichenized and lichenicolous fungi from Sierra de Albarracín, (Teruel, Spain), is presented as the result of the SEL (Sociedad Española de Liquenología) IV collecting field trip. Diplotomma hediniiis recorded for the first time for the Iberian Peninsula and Lepraria leuckertiana is registered for the second time. The checklist also includes 69 taxa new for Aragón Community and 86 new for the province of Teruel.