Displacement of the habitat of the macrolichens of the montane forest under a global warming scenario in the northeastern Venezuelan Andes

• Main Authors: Marcano, Vicente, Castillo, Laura
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Spanish; English
• Published: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2024
• Subjects: Lichens; forest understory; Cordillera de Merida; habitat loss; Líquenes; sotobosque; Cordillera de Mérida; pérdida de hábitat; Arctic
• Online Access: https://rjb.revistas.csic.es/index.php/rjb/article/view/597; https://doi.org/10.3989/ajbm.597

In order to quantify the risks of total and local habitats loss of the Andean lichens due to the global warming projected for the end of the century and the associated upward migration, we carried out lichenological collections in the undergrowth forest at the National Park Sierra Nevada de Merida, Venezuela. We focus on an elevation gradient from the montane forest (2100–3000 m). A total of 1200 individuals, 401 lichenological samples, 38 genera and 145 species were registered; 94 species from the low montane forest and 90 species from the high montane forest. For the purpose of demonstrating the representativeness of the sampling, performance of non-parametric estimators Chao 1 and 2, Jacknife 1 and 2 was evaluated. Assuming a projected temperature increase of 4°C by the end of the century, lichen taxa would require an upward displacement of near 725 m a.s.l for maintain its habitat. The results indicate a total of 56.86% species would be threatened of disappearing by habitat loss having an increase ≤ 0.5°C; 69.60% species will lose its habitat having thermal increase ≤ 1°C; 92.15% species will lose its habitat having thermal increase ≤ 4°C whereas 11% (endemic) species will lose its total habitat having thermal increase ≤ 1°C. Risk of massive disappearance in all the scenarios would be expected. Se estimaron los riesgos de pérdida “local” y “total” de hábitats de macrolíquenes considerando la migración ascendente debido al calentamiento “global” previsto para el presente siglo por el IPCC. Para tal fin, se realizaron muestreos aleatorios en el sotobosque de un bosque montano, parque nacional Sierra Nevada de Mérida, Venezuela. Se escogió una transecta en el rango entre los 2100–3100 msnm. Con el fin de demostrar la representatividad del muestreo, se evaluó el desempeño de los estimadores no paramétricos Chao 1 y 2, Jacknife 1 y 2. Los resultados revelaron 1200 individuos representados por 401 muestras, 38 géneros, 145 especies, ocho especies endémicas y tres especies nuevas; 94 especies en el bosque montano ...