Fire avoidance and long-term population decline in the endangered Florida ground lichen Cladonia perforata within a pyrogenic habitat
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.The endangered Florida ground lichen, Cladonia perforata, shows declining abundance and poor post-fire recovery, indicating a fire-avoidance strategy is necessary for its conservation in pyrogenic habitats.
Area Of Science
- Ecology
- Botany
- Conservation Biology
Background
- Fire is a crucial ecological process globally.
- Fire adaptation strategies are not well understood for many species, particularly ground lichens.
- Florida scrub ecosystems are fire-dependent, supporting fire-sensitive Cladonia lichens.
Purpose Of The Study
- To assess subpopulation trends of the endangered Cladonia perforata.
- To investigate the post-fire recovery patterns of Cladonia perforata.
- To determine the impact of microhabitat factors on Cladonia perforata abundance and recovery.
Main Methods
- Analysis of 14 years of monitoring data from nine Cladonia perforata subpopulations.
- Assessment of abundance using area, occupancy, and cover data over multiple spatial scales.
- Evaluation of the effects of burn severity, ground cover, and canopy cover on lichen abundance post-fire.
Main Results
- Cladonia perforata abundance significantly declined across most subpopulations.
- Severe fires drastically reduced lichen abundance, with no observed recovery.
- Lichen abundance was highest with litter cover and in open canopies following fires.
Conclusions
- Cladonia perforata exhibits fire sensitivity with minimal capacity for regrowth or recolonization.
- The species appears to employ a fire-avoidance strategy, though litter accumulation may pose challenges.
- Conservation of fire-sensitive species in fire-prone habitats requires careful management of fire regimes.
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