Non-Toxic Increases in Nitrogen Availability Can Improve the Ability of the Soil Lichen Cladonia rangiferina to Cope with Environmental Changes.

ABSTRACT: Climate change and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on drylands are greatly threatening these especially vulnerable areas. Soil biocrust-forming lichens in drylands can provide early indicators of these disturbances and play a pivotal role, as they contribute to key ecosystem services. In this study, we explored the effects of different long-term water availability regimes simulating climate changes and their interaction with N addition on the physiological response of the soil lichen Cladonia rangiferina. Three sets of this lichen were subjected to control, reduced watering, and reduced watering and N addition (40 kg NH₄NO₃ ha^-1 year^-1) treatments for 16 months. Finally, all samples were subjected to daily hydration cycles with N-enric

SUBMITTER: Morillas L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9025437 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature