BioConLobaria: Successful translocations for the conservation of the threatened lichen Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm

Marta Agostini ¹, Luca Di Nuzzo ², Renato Benesperi ³, Juri Nascimbene ², Sonia Ravera ⁴, Elisabetta Bianchi ³, Patrizia Campisi ⁴, Alice Delama ³, Silvia Del Vecchio ², Laura Della Roscia; Zuzana Fačkovcová; Luana Francesconi; Gabriele Gheza; Giulia Gualemi; Giovanna Pezzi; Chiara Rosi; Monica Ruffini Castiglione; Luigi Sanità di Toppi; Luca Paoli ⁵

Department of Biology, University of Pisa ¹, Department Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences-BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna ², Department of Biology, University of Florence ³, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo ⁴, Department of Biology, University of Pisa; Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa; Department Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences-BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna; Department Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences-BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna; Department of Biology, University of Pisa; Department Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences-BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna; Department Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences-BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna; Department of Biology, University of Pisa; Department of Biology, University of Pisa; Department of Biology, University of Pisa. ⁵

Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm is a foliose, broad-lobed macrolichen, also known as the “lung lichen” because of its reticulate upper cortex. The species is distributed in boreal, temperate, mountainous, and oceanic regions of the northern hemisphere, but also in the East and Southern Africa. It prefers old and humid forests with large and mature trees and moderate light intensity, being very sensitive to forest management, environmental pollution and climate change. For such reasons, during the last century L. pulmonaria significantly declined and its conservation may enable to protect other sensitive species and as well as their habitats. BioConLobaria is a conservation project based on lichen translocations and developed along three macro-areas across the Italian Peninsula (Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Campania). The main goals are to: 1) evaluate how the season of translocation influences its success and conservation effectiveness, 2) examine the role of population stage in translocation outcomes, 3) assess genetic diversity influence on biodiversity conservation and translocation methods, and 4) explore receptor site suitability to identify factors affecting lichen survival and translocation success. We are simulating seasonal translocations for conservation purposes by transplanting the model species (young and adult fragments of thalli) from control sites into 1) mature, undisturbed oak/chestnut/beech forests and 2) disturbed environments (such as logged sites with isolated trees of the same forest types) during spring, summer, autumn and winter. We are focusing our attention on early and long-term responses, accounting morpho-physiological traits of the lichen, such as growth rates, water holding capacity, photosynthetic performances, chlorophyll contents, and other biochemical assays, before and after the translocation. At the same time, for each experimental condition, we are registering micro-climatic parameters and the hydration of the thalli using data-loggers. The initial results reveal differences in growth rates, water-holding capacity, photosynthetic performances, and chlorophyll content across experimental conditions, influenced by population stage, translocation season, and forest type.

Main author career stage: Postdoc / Fellow

Contribution type: Talk

First choice session: 3. Biodiversity and global change

Second choice session: 2. Ecology