BIOTA S-B2: Establishment of a long-term monitoring system for analysing diversity shifts of soil-inhabiting lichens in Southern Africa, based on the ecologically indicative values of lichen morphological groups
BMBF/DLR 01LC0024 BIOTA S-B2
From 02/2007 to 12/2009Principal Investigator: Gerhard Rambold
Staff: Luciana Zedda
As part of the BIOTA S-B2 project, soil-dwelling lichens were systematically studied along ecological transects across different climatic zones in southern Africa. The aim was to detect long-term shifts in diversity patterns and to identify ecological trends using lichen morphological groups as indicators. The study revealed that soil lichen diversity is strongly influenced by macroclimatic variables such as precipitation, temperature, and seasonal fluctuation. Along the gradients, a distinct shift in species composition was observed: crustose species were dominant in arid zones, while foliose and fruticose forms appeared more frequently in more humid environments. It was also found that both the number and composition of lichen species correlate not only with climate but also with soil properties such as texture, pH, and organic matter. In particular, the genus Psora stood out as a reliable indicator for specific environmental conditions. These findings highlight the role of soil lichens as sensitive bioindicators in fragile ecosystems. The collected data provide a foundation for monitoring biodiversity changes related to climate shifts and land use dynamics in southern Africa.
Homepage: http://biota-africa.uni-bayreuth.de
List of publications of this Project
| Schultz, M; Zedda, L; Rambold, G: New records of lichen taxa from Namibia and South Africa, Bibliotheca Lichenologica, 99, 315–334 (2009) -- Details |
| Zedda, L; Rambold, G: Diversity and ecology of soil lichens in the Knersvlakte (South Africa), The Bryologist, 112(1), 19–29 (2009) -- Details |
| Zedda, L; Rambold, G: Lichens and their importance for the monitoring of envrionmental changes in Southern Africa (Brochure), , 25 pp. (2008), doi:http://biota-africa.uni-bayreuth.de/w08/images/xtras/BIOTA-SB2_Monitoring_Lichens_Brochure_2008.pdf [Link] -- Details |
| Triebel, D; Peršoh, D; Nash, TH III; Zedda, L; Rambold, G: Chapter 8 Lias - An interactive database system for structured descriptive data of Ascomycetes. In Currey, G.B. & Humphries, C.J. (eds.), Biodiversity databases. Techniques, politics, and applications. The Systematics Association Special, , 73, 99–110 (2007) |
| Zedda, L; Neubacher, D; Rambold, G: Monitoring lichen diversity in Southern Africa and development of an integrated management and analysis system for georeferenced lichenological data, Anonymous (ed.) BIOLOG Biodiversity and Global Change Status Report 2005, 99-100 (2005) |
| Zedda, L; Rambold, G: Diversity change of soil-growing lichens along a climate gradient in Southern Africa. in Döbbeler, P. & Rambold, G., eds.: Contributions to Lichenology. Festschrift in Honour of Hannes Hertel, Bibliotheca Lichenologica, 88, 701-714 (2004) |
| Büdel, B; Deutschewitz, K; Dojani, S; Hörsch, B; Loris, K; Rambold, G; Reisser, W; Salisch, M; Schultz, C; Weber, B; Wirth, V; Zedda, L: Biodiversity and ecology of biological soil crusts (BSCs): from the micro-scale to the ecosystem scale in Beck, E., Berendsohn, W.G., Boutros, M., Denich, M., Henle, K., Jürgens, N., Kirk, M. & Wolters, V., eds.: Sustainable use and conservation of biological diversity - a challenge for society, 142-144 (2004) |
| Triebel, D; Peršoh, D; Nash, TH III; Zedda, L; Rambold, G: LIAS - an online database system for descriptive data of ascomycetes in Randlane, T. & Saag, A., eds. : IAL 5 Book of Abstracts: Lichens in Focus. Tartu., 38 (2004) |
| Kantvilas, G; Zedda, L; Elix, JA: A remarkable new species of Siphula (lichenized fungi) from South Africa, Herzogia , 16, 21-25 (2003) |
| Rambold, G; Zedda, L: Monitoring lichen diversity in Southern Africa and development of an integrated management and analysis system for georeferenced lichenological data in Anonymous, ed. : Sustainable use and conservation of biological diversity. A challenge for society. Symposium Report Part A, 142–143 (2003) |
| Zedda, L; Rambold, G: Diversity of soil-growing lichen communities in the quartz fields of the Knersvlakte (RSA), Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie, 33, 344 (2003) |
| Weber, B; Siber, R; Zedda, L; Büdel, B; Rambold, G: Datenhaltung, Analyse und Darstellung der Biodiversität und Verbreitungsmuster biologischer Bodenkrusten anhand GIS in Strobl, J., Blaschke, T. & Griesebner, G: Angewandte Geographische Informationsverarbeitung XIV, XIV, 595-600 (2002) |
| Zedda, L; Büdel, B; Feuerer, T; Rambold, G: Biological soil crusts and lichen diversity in south-western Africa: developments of the BIOTA subproject S05, Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie, 31, 300 (2001) |
| Zedda, L; Büdel, B; Feuerer, T; Rambold, G: Croste biologiche e diversità lichenica nel' Africa sud-occidentale: il progetto BIOTA S05, (2001) |
| Zedda, L: Publications containing records of lichens and lichenicolous fungi of South Africa. Version 1. January 2001, , http://www.uni-hamburg.de/biologie/ialb/herbar/souaf_p2.htm (2001) |
| Büdel, B; Loris, K; Wirth, V; Zedda, L; Dojani, S; Feuerer, T; Küppers, M; Lücking, R; Ott, S; Reisser, W; Salisch, M; Rambold, G: Biological soil crusts of terrestrial ecosystems: modes of pattern formation and their modelling concerning diversity structure and function in cryptogamic communities in Anonymous, ed. : BIOLOG Status Report 2001, 108-109 (2001) |