Lichens water regulation dynamics as functional traits could predict future climate change scenarios in an elevational gradient from Central Argentina

DIAZ DOMINGUEZ R.E ; STANTON D.; PERALTA MARIANA A; RODRIGUEZ JUAN M

BRYOLOGIST

AMER BRYOLOGICAL LICHENOLOGICAL SOC INC

Año: 2022

0007-2745

Mountain environments are particularly vulnerable to climate change effects, given that biological organisms in these systems live at specific temperature conditions, therefore minimal climatic modification affects the ecosystem at many scales. The ability to succeed in dealing with specific environmental demands by biological organisms can be achieved with acclimation mechanisms. Assessing lichens´ response to climatic factors is highly interesting since they show different patterns unlike other groups. Poikilohydric nature of lichens allows to inquire into variables like water holding capacity (WHC) and the hydrophobicity of the thallus to understand their occupational patterns in altitudinal gradients and microsites. WHC (defined as the amount of water per area that the thallus can hold) and hydrophobicity (calculated as the time that water droplets are absorbed by the thallus) were measured in saxicolous species with 2 different morphologies and commonly distributed along the mountains of Central Argentina: Parmotrema reticulatum, Parmotrema warmingii (foliose) and Usnea amblyoclada (fructicose). We measured WHC in three elevations corresponding to the distribution range of the species and 3 microsite conditions: north/south aspect with high slope (>90°) and rock outcrops with low slope (