Ecophysiology of Antarctic lichens ...

• Main Author: Hovenden, Mark
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: University Of Tasmania 2023
• Subjects: Antarctic; Clark Peninsula; Wilkes Land; Windmill Islands; Antarc*; Antarctica; Usnea antarctica
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25959/23230790; https://figshare.utas.edu.au/articles/thesis/Ecophysiology_of_Antarctic_lichens/23230790

The vegetation of the Windmill Islands oasis, Wilkes Land, continental Antarctica is dominated by lichens. Aspects of the ecology and physiology of lichens were studied during three summers and a winter period on the well vegetated Clark and Bailey Peninsulas in an attempt to explain patterns in lichen distribution. Most studies were done at a knoll on Clark Peninsula. This knoll has an extensive range of substratum nutrient levels and a variety of microhabitats, resulting in a variety of niches in a small area. At this site 29 identifiable species of lichen occur in seven sociations, most dominated in varying degrees by the macrolichens Pseudephebe minuscula, Umbilicaria decussata, Usnea sphacelata and Usnea antarctica. The crustose lichen Buellia frigida dominates sites on exposed boulders and a separate suite of species inhabits dead and dying moss. There are a suite of species which are restricted to sites with high nutrient levels, although the distribution of the dominant species is relatively ...