Interactions among vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens in grassland communities along elevational gradients.

ABSTRACT: Grasslands in temperate Europe are key biodiversity hotspots, supporting not only a rich vascular flora but also diverse communities of bryophytes and lichens. However, the processes shaping lichens and bryophytes in these ecosystems, particularly along environmental gradients, remain understudied. We investigated the relative roles of abiotic factors (elevation and rock abundance) and biotic drivers (vascular plant cover and height) in determining both the taxonomic and functional diversity of bryophytes and lichens in two protected grassland sites in central Italy. Across 80 plots spanning wide elevational gradients, we measured species richness and functional diversity for both bryophytes and lichens, and applied piecewise structural equation modeling to test causal relationships. Our r

SUBMITTER: Mugnai M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12672851 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature