Scholarlink

<p>Himalaya is a global biodiversity hotspot and it is one of the mountain regions that is highly vulnerable to the anthropogenic climate change. The species diversity in this region is known to depend on the particular functional traits of the biota. The traits determine the species diversity by influencing the biotic interactions, and their response to variable climatic conditions along altitudinal gradient. Therefore, any significant changes in the functional trait could be utilized as an indicator of change in microclimate. Lichens, being highly sensitive to microclimatic changes, are best suited for climate change-related studies. However, despite their importance, studies on the distribution of lichens and their pattern of occurrence in the Himalaya are scarce due to insufficient data. To bridge this gap and improve our understanding of the diversity patterns of lichens in this globally highest mountain range, here we present a comprehensive analysis of lichen diversity across different Indian Himalayan Regions (IHRs) together with traits for about&#xa0;1475 lichen species belonging to&#xa0;217 genera and 53 families spaning elevation gradient of 1000–4500&#xa0;m with varying climate. The Shannon index revealed highest diversity (<i>H</i> = 6.41) of lichens between 2000 to 2500&#xa0;m elevation range and lowest (<i>H</i> = 5.42) at the elevation range between 4000 and 4500&#xa0;m. The species diversity along the elevational gradient showed a hump-shaped curve, pointing towards the mid-domain effect likely due to resource overlapping. The β-diversity showed that lichen species turnover was clearly different (dissimilar) between the western and eastern Himalaya indicating differing climatic parameters, especially temperature and precipitation have profound impact on overall lichen diversity, which was further confirmed by the results from non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis. Furthermore, significant (<i>p</i> value &lt; 0.01) correlation between the elevation and lichen functional traits suggest that each elevation belt has its own characteristic set of microclimatic conditions in which precipitation and temperature appear to be the main drivers. Therefore, any change in precipitation or temperature will have direct impact on microclimatic conditions,&#xa0;which in turn will affect lichen diversity in the study region. Overall, the findings from the study suggest that changes in functional traits of lichens along altitudinal gradient in the Himalaya could serve as potential bio-indicator of climate change.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Functional Traits in Lichens Along Different Altitudinal Gradients in Indian Himalayan Regions as Potential Indicator of Climate Change

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月25日

查看全文
  • Rajesh Bajpai,
  • Jakesh Mohapatra,
  • Vertika Shukla,
  • Maroof Hamid,
  • Arundhati Samal,
  • Yogesh Joshi,
  • Chandra Prakash Singh,
  • Anzar Ahmad Khuroo,
  • Dalip Kumar Upreti

摘要

Himalaya is a global biodiversity hotspot and it is one of the mountain regions that is highly vulnerable to the anthropogenic climate change. The species diversity in this region is known to depend on the particular functional traits of the biota. The traits determine the species diversity by influencing the biotic interactions, and their response to variable climatic conditions along altitudinal gradient. Therefore, any significant changes in the functional trait could be utilized as an indicator of change in microclimate. Lichens, being highly sensitive to microclimatic changes, are best suited for climate change-related studies. However, despite their importance, studies on the distribution of lichens and their pattern of occurrence in the Himalaya are scarce due to insufficient data. To bridge this gap and improve our understanding of the diversity patterns of lichens in this globally highest mountain range, here we present a comprehensive analysis of lichen diversity across different Indian Himalayan Regions (IHRs) together with traits for about 1475 lichen species belonging to 217 genera and 53 families spaning elevation gradient of 1000–4500 m with varying climate. The Shannon index revealed highest diversity (H = 6.41) of lichens between 2000 to 2500 m elevation range and lowest (H = 5.42) at the elevation range between 4000 and 4500 m. The species diversity along the elevational gradient showed a hump-shaped curve, pointing towards the mid-domain effect likely due to resource overlapping. The β-diversity showed that lichen species turnover was clearly different (dissimilar) between the western and eastern Himalaya indicating differing climatic parameters, especially temperature and precipitation have profound impact on overall lichen diversity, which was further confirmed by the results from non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis. Furthermore, significant (p value < 0.01) correlation between the elevation and lichen functional traits suggest that each elevation belt has its own characteristic set of microclimatic conditions in which precipitation and temperature appear to be the main drivers. Therefore, any change in precipitation or temperature will have direct impact on microclimatic conditions, which in turn will affect lichen diversity in the study region. Overall, the findings from the study suggest that changes in functional traits of lichens along altitudinal gradient in the Himalaya could serve as potential bio-indicator of climate change.