Lichens exhibit exceptional ecological adaptability,thriving in diverse habitats ranging from temperate forests to extreme environments.They colonize various substrates,including tree bark,rocks,soil,and artificial su...Lichens exhibit exceptional ecological adaptability,thriving in diverse habitats ranging from temperate forests to extreme environments.They colonize various substrates,including tree bark,rocks,soil,and artificial surfaces,playing critical roles as bioindicators of air quality and environmental change.Despite their ecological and economic importance,regions like Pakistan remain underexplored for lichen diversity,leaving significant gaps in knowledge about local lichen flora.This study hypothesizes that the ecological diversity and environmental gradients in the Hazara Division,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,significantly influence the distribution,composition,and community structure of lichens.Field surveys were conducted from March 2021 to December 2023 across 48 locations in the Hazara Division,covering diverse altitudes,aspects,and vegetation types.Epiphytic lichens were sampled using standardized transect methods with vertical grids on tree stems.Specimens were collected,shade-dried,and identified using chemical spot tests.Multivariate analyses,including TWINSPAN,CCA,and DCA,were employed to examine species-environment relationships.A total of 97 lichen species were identified across 44 genera and 19 families.Physciaceae was the dominant family(24 species).Foliose lichens represented 55%of the total species,highlighting morphological diversity.Among the recorded species,11 were new to Pakistan,and 30 were newly documented for the Himalayan region of Hazara.The study documented 52 host tree species across 36 genera,with Quercus being the most dominant genus.Multivariate analyses identified seven distinct lichen communities.Altitude and road distance emerged as the strongest drivers of lichen distribution,with specific species exhibiting distinct responses to environmental gradients.In DCA ordination the Eigen value was maximum for axis 1,(0.67)followed by axis 2(0.56).The maximum gradients was 5.87 recorded axis 1.Canonical Correspondence Analysis captured 15.09%of the total variation,with significant contributions from altitude,temperature,and substrate type.The per mutation result for all axis were pseudo(F=1.1,P=0.01).The result showed that species,stand and environmental variables were in linear combination with each other.This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of lichen diversity and ecology in the Hazara Division,unveiling significant species-environment relationships and ecological patterns.The findings underscore the importance of multivariate analysis in lichen studies and highlight the region's potential for further ecological and conservation research.展开更多
文摘Lichens exhibit exceptional ecological adaptability,thriving in diverse habitats ranging from temperate forests to extreme environments.They colonize various substrates,including tree bark,rocks,soil,and artificial surfaces,playing critical roles as bioindicators of air quality and environmental change.Despite their ecological and economic importance,regions like Pakistan remain underexplored for lichen diversity,leaving significant gaps in knowledge about local lichen flora.This study hypothesizes that the ecological diversity and environmental gradients in the Hazara Division,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,significantly influence the distribution,composition,and community structure of lichens.Field surveys were conducted from March 2021 to December 2023 across 48 locations in the Hazara Division,covering diverse altitudes,aspects,and vegetation types.Epiphytic lichens were sampled using standardized transect methods with vertical grids on tree stems.Specimens were collected,shade-dried,and identified using chemical spot tests.Multivariate analyses,including TWINSPAN,CCA,and DCA,were employed to examine species-environment relationships.A total of 97 lichen species were identified across 44 genera and 19 families.Physciaceae was the dominant family(24 species).Foliose lichens represented 55%of the total species,highlighting morphological diversity.Among the recorded species,11 were new to Pakistan,and 30 were newly documented for the Himalayan region of Hazara.The study documented 52 host tree species across 36 genera,with Quercus being the most dominant genus.Multivariate analyses identified seven distinct lichen communities.Altitude and road distance emerged as the strongest drivers of lichen distribution,with specific species exhibiting distinct responses to environmental gradients.In DCA ordination the Eigen value was maximum for axis 1,(0.67)followed by axis 2(0.56).The maximum gradients was 5.87 recorded axis 1.Canonical Correspondence Analysis captured 15.09%of the total variation,with significant contributions from altitude,temperature,and substrate type.The per mutation result for all axis were pseudo(F=1.1,P=0.01).The result showed that species,stand and environmental variables were in linear combination with each other.This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of lichen diversity and ecology in the Hazara Division,unveiling significant species-environment relationships and ecological patterns.The findings underscore the importance of multivariate analysis in lichen studies and highlight the region's potential for further ecological and conservation research.
