Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-4hhp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-01T05:12:46.674Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Seasonal growth pattern in the lichen Pseudocyphellaria berberina in north-western Patagonia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2004

Mayra S. CALDIZ
Affiliation:
Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, P.O. Box 49, S-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden

Abstract

Seasonal growth increments (%) were measured in the foliose epiphytic lichen Pseudocyphellaria berberina in north-western Patagonia. Growth was determined by measuring increase in weight (expressed as percentage of the original biomass) in transplanted thalli. Transplants were either hung freely from wooden frames or attached to tree trunks in a Nothofagus dombeyi forest and then weighed every three months between January 2001 and April 2003. The influence on growth increment of treatment, donor thallus, temperature, and absolute and relative humidity was analysed. Mean annual growth increment after two years, in both treatments was 12±1·07% (±SE). Growth increment was greatest in winter and lowest in summer; the mean winter growth increment was 6±0·50%, representing half of the annual growth, whereas most of the remaining growth occurred during both spring and autumn. Growth increments were similar for freely-hanging lichens and for the transplants attached to tree trunks. Individual trees had no consistent effect on growth while the donor thallus had a significant effect in the first season which then diminished, indicating acclimation in the transplants. Initial transplant weight had no influence on final cumulative growth, nor was there any consistent correlation between one season and another in the growth of transplants. Both transplantation methods proved to be useful for experiments on the growth of P. berberina.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© British Lichen Society 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)