Diversity, habitat preferences and ecological adaptations of tropical corticolous lichens in North-East Brazil
[DAAD]
From 08/2005 to 02/2007Staff: Marcela E. da S. Cáceres, Gerhard Rambold
Marcela E. S. Cáceres, Robert Lücking, and Gerhard Rambold have contributed to expanding our understanding of lichen diversity in northeastern Brazil. Their work has focused on crustose lichen communities in the Mata Atlântica, Caatinga, and Brejos de Altitude. Their research suggests that the composition of lichen communities growing on tree bark is influenced by factors such as habitat type, the specific host tree, and local environmental conditions. They observed that species richness and community structure can vary across different regions, with a focus on endemic species and habitat differences. One of the key findings was that deterministic factors, especially the identity of the host and the microclimate, have a larger influence on the community composition than random processes. They also evaluated different sampling methods, stressing the importance of tailored protocols for tropical biodiversity studies to improve species richness estimates. Together, their work offers a deeper understanding of the ecological dynamics of tropical lichen communities and provides useful insights for future conservation efforts, highlighting the importance of lichenized fungi in ecosystem functions and environmental monitoring.