Promiscuity in Lichens Follows Clear Rules: Partner Switching in Cladonia Is Regulated by Climatic Factors and Soil Chemistry
Climatic factors, soil chemistry and geography are considered as major factors affecting lichen distribution and diversity. To determine how these factors limit or support the associations between the symbiotic partners, we revise the lichen symbiosis as a network of relationships here. More than one thousand thalli of terricolousCladonialichens were collected at sites with a wide range of soil chemical properties from seven biogeographical regions of Europe. A total of 18 OTUs of the algal genusAsterochlorisand 181 OTUs ofCladoniamycobiont were identified. We displayed all realized pairwise mycobiont–photobiont relationships and performed modularity analysis. It revealed four virtually sep…
Symbiosis between river and dry lands: phycobiont dynamics on river gravel bars
AbstractRiver gravel bars are dynamic and heterogeneous habitats standing on transition between aquatic and terrestrial environment. Periodical flooding, low nutrient content, frost, missing safe sites, drought, and heat on the ground surface significantly influence life in these habitats. Mutualistic symbiosis may be a successful strategy for organisms to survive and to proliferate under harsh conditions. The lichen genus Stereocaulon was selected as a model symbiotic system among the organisms living on river gravel bars. The aim of our work was to determine effect of this dynamic environment on a phycobiont (i.e., green eukaryotic photobiont) community structure. We analysed 147 Stereoca…