Abstract
Two sampling sites were established at increasing distance from the glacier to investigate lichen communities on soil, plant debris and terricolous mosses in the glacier forefield of the Matscherferner. The survey yielded 34 lichen species and one lichenicolous fungus. In addition, 19 lichen species and one lichenicolous fungus were found by collecting at random, outside the two sampling sites.
Keywords: Lichenized ascomycetes, biodiversity, ecology, flora, floristics, Alps, alpine belt, glacier retreat
Introduction
Global warming is causing a continuous retreat of glaciers in the Alps. Between 1983 and 2006, the total glacier area in South Tyrol decreased from 136.6 km2 to 93.4 km2, a decline of 31.6 %. The Ötztal Alps and the Ortler-Cevedale Group are particularly affected by the loss of glacier volume (Knoll & Kerschner 2009). Simultaneously, the growing areas of recently bared glacier forefields are providing new ecological niches for pioneer organisms such as terricolous lichens. These organisms are suitable indicators of various environmental disturbances of alpine regions, because of their direct contact with the soil, their competition with other ground vegetation and their sensitivity to anthropogenic influences (St. Clair et al. 2007, Rai et al. 2012).
In the framework of a project on the impact of changing local conditions on lichen occurrence in glacier retreat regions, we investigated the terricolous lichen biota of five glacier forefields in the Eastern Alps (see also Bilovitz et al. 2014a, 2014b). The floristic data from the forefield of the Matscherferner in South Tyrol are presented in this paper.
The Matscherferner is situated in a valley called Matschertal in South Tyrol, Italy. It is a side valley of the Vinschgau, runs from southwest to northeast, extends to about 20 km and covers an area of about 100 km2 (Mair 2011). Due to the screening effect of the surrounding mountains the climate is continental. The bedrock consists of siliceous rocks with no percentage of limestone, thus the soils have an acid character (Varolo & Zerbe 2012). According to Schirrmacher (2012), the landscape of the upper Matschertal is characterized by forests between 1700 and 2100 m, alpine grasslands, and sparsely vegetated glacier moraines at a higher elevation. The characteristics of abiotic factors along the proglacial chronosequence and their influences on the development of plant communities were investigated by Schirrmacher (2012).
Material and Methods
Sampling location: Italy, South Tyrol, Ötztal Alps, NE of Matsch, Matschertal, 46°46’N/10°41’E, 2390–2560 m, glacier forefield of the Matscherferner, 20. & 22.VIII.2013, leg. V. Tutzer & A. Wallner.
Two sampling sites were established at increasing distance from the glacier, corresponding to a gradient of moraine age: site 1 = c. 800 m, site 2 = c. 1400 m. In each site, lichens were surveyed within five 1 × 1 m randomly placed plots, both on soil (ter) and on plant debris or decaying terricolous mosses (deb). Spots with larger stones were avoided. Vascular plants were present in both sites, but, with increasing distance from the glacier, diversity rose and vegetation cover became denser. Each plot was divided into 10 × 10 cm quadrats (Bilovitz et al. 2014a: Fig. 2), in order to obtain data on species frequency (max. frequency/plot = 100). For each species, specimens were collected for a more accurate identification in the laboratory.
The specimens have been identified mainly with the aid of Wirth et al. (2013), using routine light microscopy techniques. Some of the identifications required verification by using standardized thin-layer chromatography (TLC), following the protocols of White & James (1985) and Orange et al. (2001). The specimens are preserved in the herbarium of the Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Graz (GZU). The nomenclature mainly follows Wirth et al. (2013), or other modern treatments.
Results and Discussion
In total, 34 lichen species and the lichenicolous fungus Arthonia stereocaulina (Ohlert) R. Sant. on Stereocaulon alpinum were found in the two sampling sites.
Unfortunately, we could not sample terricolous lichens near the current immediate front of the glacier. At a distance of about 800 m to the glacier (site 1), we found 22 species. The fruticose lichens Stereocaulon alpinum and Cetraria islandica reached the highest frequency values, followed by Cladonia borealis, Flavocetraria nivalis, Cladonia pyxidata s. l., Thamnolia vermicularis, Cetraria muricata, Cladonia macroceras and the foliose lichen Solorina crocea. The rest of the species only occurred with frequency values less than 30.
At a distance of about 1400 m to the glacier (site 2), we found a similar species assemblage with 30 species. Again, the fruticose lichens Stereocaulon alpinum and Cetraria islandica reached the highest frequency values, followed by Cladonia cf. mitis, Flavocetraria nivalis, Thamnolia vermicularis, Cladonia cf. pleurota, Cetraria muricata, Solorina crocea, Cladonia borealis and Peltigera rufescens. The rest of the species only occurred with frequency values less than 30.
In comparison to the glacier forefields of the Rötkees in South Tyrol (Bilovitz et al. 2014a) with 29 lichen species, and the Gaisbergferner in Tyrol (Bilovitz et al. 2014b) with 39 species, it is noticeable that crustose lichens on plant debris or decaying terricolous mosses are almost lacking in the forefield of the Matscherferner. However, lichen species such as Caloplaca stillicidiorum agg., C. tiroliensis, Lecidella wulfenii, Lecanora epibryon and L. hagenii var. fallax usually occur on remains of plant species growing on calcareous soil and for this reason are probably missing here.
The number of lichen species in all three glacier forefields adds up to a total of 66. Ten species occurred in each of the three forefields, namely Cetraria islandica, C. muricata, Cladonia cariosa s. l., C. macroceras, C. pyxidata s. l., Peltigera rufescens, Psoroma tenue var. boreale, Rinodina mniaraea, Stereocaulon alpinum and Thamnolia vermicularis.
Interestingly, Psoroma tenue var. boreale, an overlooked species and at least similary common and widely distributed in the Alps as Psoroma hypnorum (Breuss 2012), seems to be rather frequent in glacier forefields. This observation corroborates the findings of Jørgensen (2004) who described the species as a weak competitor, preferring wet, naked soils that can be found near glaciers, in tundra environments, or in late snow beds.
According to Wirth et al. (2013), both leprose species found in this study, Lepraria eburnea and L. finkii, occur up to the montane level. However, our records from the alpine zone indicate that they can establish at higher elevation as well (see also the records of L. eburnea from the alpine zone in Bilovitz et al. 2014b).
Bilovitz et al. (2014a, 2014b) showed that increasing lichen diversity and abundance directly correlate with the increasing age of the moraine. These results are similar to those of Türk & Erschbamer (2010a, 2010b), who listed 31 lichens growing on soil, plant debris and terricolous mosses from the Rotmoosferner in Tyrol and found the same pattern of lichen diversity in relation to moraine age.
Ecological analyses on our dataset can be conducted in more depth when data will be available for all five glacier forefields covered by the project.
Random collections in the higher part of the valley (Italy, South Tyrol, Ötztal Alps, NE of Matsch, Matschertal, 46°47′04″–10”N/10°41′37″–43”E, 2730–2810 m, surroundings of the Matscherferner, 21.VIII.2013, leg. V. Tutzer & A. Wallner) yielded 19 additional lichen species and the lichenicolous fungus Illosporium carneum Fr. on Peltigera rufescens.
The species composition of this locality, that had been ice-covered for a long time, was similar to that of site 2, 14 out of 19 species being shared.
Arthrorhaphis citrinella (Ach.) Poelt: ter
Bryonora castanea (Hepp) Poelt: deb
Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach.: ter
Cetraria muricata (Ach.) Eckfeldt: ter
Cladonia borealis S. Stenroos: ter
Cladonia cariosa s. l.: ter
Dibaeis baeomyces (L. f.) Rambold & Hertel: ter
Lecidoma demissum (Rutstr.) Gotth. Schneid. & Hertel: ter
Lepraria eburnea J. R. Laundon: ter
Lepraria finkii (Hue) R. C. Harris: ter
Peltigera rufescens (Weiss) Humb.: ter
Placynthiella oligotropha (J. R. Laundon) Coppins & P. James: ter
Protopannaria pezizoides (Weber) P. M. Jørg. & S. Ekman: ter
Psoroma tenue Henssen var. boreale Henssen: ter
Pycnothelia papillaria (Ehrh.) Dufour: ter
Rinodina mniaraea (Ach.) Körb.: deb
Solorina crocea (L.) Ach.: ter
Stereocaulon alpinum Laurer: ter
Tetramelas insignis (Nägeli) Kalb: deb
Tab. 1.
List of lichenized taxa with their substrata and the frequency of each species at the two sampling sites.
| Taxon | Substratum | Site 1 | Site 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amandinea punctata (Hoffm.) Coppins & Scheid. | deb | 0 | 1 |
| Arthrorhaphis citrinella (Ach.) Poelt | ter | 2 | 1 |
| Caloplaca ammiospila (Wahlenb.) H. Olivier | deb | 0 | 9 |
| Cetraria ericetorum Opiz | ter | 3 | 0 |
| Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach. | ter | 139 | 127 |
| Cetraria muricata (Ach.) Eckfeldt | ter | 42 | 59 |
| Cladonia arbuscula s. l. | ter | 11 | 3 |
| Cladonia borealis S. Stenroos | ter | 76 | 36 |
| Cladonia cariosa s. l. | ter | 7 | 0 |
| Cladonia macroceras (Delise) Hav. | ter | 41 | 17* |
| Cladonia cf. mitis Sandst.° | ter | 0 | 121 |
| Cladonia cf. pleurota (Flörke) Schaer. | ter | 0 | 66 |
| Cladonia pyxidata s. l. | ter | 57* | 10* |
| Cladonia uncialis (L.) Weber ex F. H. Wigg. | ter | 0 | 24 |
| Cladonia spec. | ter | 2 | 19 |
| Dibaeis baeomyces (L. f.) Rambold & Hertel | ter | 6 | 4* |
| Flavocetraria nivalis (L.) Kärnefelt & Thell | ter | 72 | 102 |
| Lecidea hypnorum Libert | ter | 0 | 1 |
| Lecidoma demissum (Rutstr.) Gotth. Schneid. & Hertel | ter | 0 | 3 |
| Lepraria cf. diffusa (J. R. Laundon) Kukwa | ter | 0 | 10 |
| Lepraria eburnea J. R. Laundon | deb | 0 | 4 |
| Lepraria finkii (Hue) R. C. Harris | deb, ter | 4 | 3 |
| Peltigera didayctyla (With.) J. R. Laundon | ter | 0 | 1 |
| Peltigera rufescens (Weiss) Humb. | ter | 8 | 33 |
| Psoroma hypnorum (Vahl) Gray | ter | 0 | 10 |
| Psoroma tenue Henssen var. boreale Henssen | ter | 1 | 4 |
| Pycnothelia papillaria (Ehrh.) Dufour | ter | 28* | 9* |
| Rinodina mniaraea (Ach.) Körb. | deb, ter | 0 | 7 |
| Solorina crocea (L.) Ach. | ter | 40 | 48 |
| Stereocaulon alpinum Laurer | ter | 361 | 283 |
| Tetramelas insignis (Nägeli) Kalb | deb | 1 | 0 |
| Thamnolia vermicularis (Sw.) Schaer. | ter | 56 | 98 |
| Trapeliopsis granulosa (Hoffm.) Lumbsch | ter | 2 | 1 |
| sterile, sorediate crustose lichen | ter | 12 | 0 |
doubtful frequency data.
TLC only showed usnic acid.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Elisa Varolo, Roberto Dinale, the Amt für Geologie und Baustoffprüfung and the Hydrographisches Amt Autonome Provinz Bozen - Südtirol for provision of data and literature, Peter Kosnik for the TLC, and Christian Scheuer for critically reading the manuscript and general remarks. Financial support from the Austrian Science Foundation (FWF project P25078-B16) as well as from the University of Graz is gratefully acknowledged.
Contributor Information
Mag. Dr. Peter O. Bilovitz, University of Graz, Institute of Plant Sciences, NAWI Graz, Holteigasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria.
Mag. Veronika Tutzer, University of Graz, Institute of Plant Sciences, NAWI Graz, Holteigasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria.
Mag. Anja Wallner, University of Graz, Institute of Plant Sciences, NAWI Graz, Holteigasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria.
Dr. Juri Nascimbene, University of Trieste, Department of Life Sciences, Via Giorgieri 10, 34100 Trieste, Italy.
Ao. Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Helmut Mayrhofer, University of Graz, Institute of Plant Sciences, NAWI Graz, Holteigasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria.
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