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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

Grazing mediates microclimate effects on lichen performance near its warm-range margin.

Sonia Merinero^1,2,3, Caroline Greiser^4,5, Kristoffer Hylander³

¹Departamento de Biología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles 28933, Spain.

Annals of Botany

|March 28, 2026

Summary

Microclimate indirectly impacts lichen growth via mollusc grazing, not directly. Different lichen populations vary in their susceptibility to this grazing, influencing climate change predictions.

Keywords:

Peltigera aphthosa Common garden transplant experiment forest lichen intraspecific variation microclimate mollusc grazing plant–climate interactions plant–herbivore interactions population differentiation

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Climate Change Biology
Biotic Interactions

Background:

Climate directly affects species physiology and indirectly influences interactions.
Understanding the relative importance of these pathways is crucial for predicting species responses to environmental change.
The impact of microclimate on cold-adapted species, considering biotic interactions, is poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate how microclimate influences the growth of a cold-adapted lichen (Peltigera aphthosa).
Determine if microclimate effects are direct or indirect, mediated by mollusc grazing.
Assess if these microclimatic effects and grazing susceptibility differ among populations of varying origins.

Main Methods:

Transplant experiment with Peltigera aphthosa from five populations across a latitudinal gradient in Sweden.
Monitoring lichen growth and grazing damage at 56 forest sites over one year.
Utilizing piecewise Structural Equation Models to quantify direct and indirect effects of microclimate on growth via grazing.

Main Results:

No direct effects of microclimate on lichen growth were observed.
Microclimate indirectly affected lichen growth through mollusc grazing.
Increased grazing damage occurred with warmer temperatures and higher humidity, negatively impacting lichen growth. Populations varied in grazing susceptibility.

Conclusions:

Indirect microclimatic effects mediated by biotic interactions are significant for species performance at their warm-range margins.
Intraspecific variation in grazing susceptibility, alongside the absence of direct microclimatic effects, necessitates considering biotic interactions and population differences in climate change predictions.
Transplant experiments across microclimatic gradients are valuable for understanding species adaptation and performance.