Tree species identity and composition shape the epiphytic lichen community of structurally simple boreal forests over vast areas.

ABSTRACT: Greatly simplified ecosystems are often neglected for biodiversity studies. However, these simplified systems dominate in many regions of the world, and a lack of understanding of what shapes species occurrence in these systems can have consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services at a massive scale. In Fennoscandia, ~90% of the boreal forest (~21Mha) is structurally simplified with little knowledge of how forest structural elements shape the occurrence and diversity of for example epiphytic lichens in these managed forests. One form of structural simplification is the reduction of the number and frequency of different tree species. As many lichen species have host tree preferences, it is particularly likely that this simplification has a huge effect on the lichen community in mana

SUBMITTER: Klein J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8448330 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature