Altitude is a better predictor of the habitat requirements of epixylic bryophytes and lichens than the presence of coarse woody debris in mountain forests: a study in Poland

Abstract

Abstract Key message In order to preserve the continuity of epiphytic and epixylic cryptogamic flora, two things are essential: maintaining the near-natural character of a forest community in relation to the montane zonation and more sustainable forest management in relation to deadwood. Context Lichens and bryophytes are common species that inhabit dead wood. The relationship between their habitat requirements, which can be expressed by their Ellenberg indicator values and the characteristics of dead logs, are not yet known. Aims We formulated the hypothesis that altitude is positively correlated with the demands of species for higher light and lower temperature, while the decomposition stage of deadwood is positively correlated with species’ requirements for nutrients and moisture. Moreover, we assumed that there would be differences in the habitat requirements among specific groups of species, i.e., lichens, liverworts, and mosses. Methods A total of 629 logs that were colonized by bryophytes and lichens were analyzed in terms of their mean Ellenberg indicator values in order to determine whether there is a link between the location, decomposition of logs and the species’ environmental requirements. Results Altitude correlated with the moisture and nutrients in the habitats of liverworts and mosses and light and soil acidification only in mosses. Conclusions The obtained results demonstrate that the altitudinal distribution of epixylic species in a montane region is of greater importance than the deadwood properties like decomposition stage and moisture content.