Removal of secondary compounds increases invertebrate abundance in lichens

Asplund, JohanSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences,Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet,Institutionen för skogens ekologi och skötsel,Department of Forest Ecology and Management,Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) (författare)

We investigated how lichen carbon-based secondary compounds (CBSCs) affect abundance of invertebrates in five lichen species growing on the forest floor (Cladonia rangiferina, Cladonia stellaris) or on tree trunks (Evernia prunastri, Hypogymnia physodes, Pseudevemia furfuracea). To do this, CBSCs were removed by rinsing lichen thalli in acetone (which has no adverse effects on the lichens) and the lichens were re-transplanted in their natural habitat. After 4 months there was higher abundance of mites, springtails and spiders in the three epiphytic lichens that had their CBSC concentrations reduced. The increase in predatory spiders following CBSC reduction suggests that the compounds have multitrophic consequences. The acetone treatment reduced the number of nematodes in four of the lichen species. Given that lichens serve as important habitats for a diverse range of invertebrates, increased knowledge of how lichen CBSCs may regulate their abundance helps us to better understand the role that lichens and their defence compounds play in structuring forest food webs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The British Mycological Society. All rights reserved.

Bokhorst, Stef FrederikSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences,Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet,Institutionen för skogens ekologi och skötsel,Department of Forest Ecology and Management(Swepub:slu)49248 (författare)
Kardol, PaulSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences,Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet,Institutionen för skogens ekologi och skötsel,Department of Forest Ecology and Management(Swepub:slu)49164 (författare)
Wardle, DavidSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences,Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet,Institutionen för skogens ekologi och skötsel,Department of Forest Ecology and Management(Swepub:slu)49465 (författare)
Sveriges lantbruksuniversitetInstitutionen för skogens ekologi och skötsel (creator_code:org_t)
Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet

Av författaren/redakt...: Asplund, Johan; Bokhorst, Stef F ...; Kardol, Paul; Wardle, David

Om ämnet

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER: LANTBRUKSVETENSK ...; och Lantbruksvetensk ...; och Skogsvetenskap

Kungliga biblioteket hanterar dina personuppgifter i enlighet med EU:s dataskyddsförordning (2018), GDPR. Läs mer om hur det funkar här.
Så här hanterar KB dina uppgifter vid användning av denna tjänst.