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Spatial scales of variation in lichens: implications for sampling design in biomonitoring surveys

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Abstract

The variability of biological data is a main constraint affecting the quality and reliability of lichen biomonitoring surveys for estimation of the effects of atmospheric pollution. Although most epiphytic lichen bioindication surveys focus on between-site differences at the landscape level, associated with the large scale effects of atmospheric pollution, current protocols are based on multilevel sampling, thus adding further sources of variation and affecting the error budget. We test the hypothesis that assemblages of lichen communities vary at each spatial scale examined, in order to determine what scales should be included in future monitoring studies. We compared four sites in Italy, along gradients of atmospheric pollution and climate, to test the partitioning of the variance components of lichen diversity across spatial scales (from trunks to landscapes). Despite environmental heterogeneity, we observed comparable spatial variance. However, residuals often overcame between-plot variability, leading to biased estimation of atmospheric pollution effects.

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Acknowledgments

This study was partially funded by CESI S.p.A. and Edipower S.p.A. We are grateful to Dr. Maurizio Perotti and Dr. Francesca Deperis for technical support and data management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DIP.TE.RIS., University of Genova, Corso Dogali 1M, 16136, Genoa, Italy

    Paolo Giordani

  2. TerraData Environmetrics, Spin Off University of Siena, Via Bardelloni 19, 58025, Monterotondo Marittimo, Grosseto, Italy

    Giorgio Brunialti, Luisa Frati, Emanuele Vallone, Giovanni Bacaro & Simona Maccherini

  3. Department of Life Science, University of Trieste, via Giorgieri 10, 34127, Trieste, Italy

    Guido Incerti

  4. Biosphaera s.a.s., Via dei Capuano, 12, 34123, Trieste, Italy

    Luca Ianesch

  5. BIOCONNET, Biodiversity and Conservation Network, Department of Environmental Science “G. Sarfatti”, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy

    Giovanni Bacaro & Simona Maccherini

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  1. Paolo Giordani
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  2. Giorgio Brunialti
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Correspondence to Paolo Giordani.

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Giordani, P., Brunialti, G., Frati, L. et al. Spatial scales of variation in lichens: implications for sampling design in biomonitoring surveys. Environ Monit Assess 185, 1567–1576 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2651-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2651-8

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