LTER Zöbelboden, Austria, Epiphytic Lichens, 1993-2010

A detailed description of this dataset and results can be found in Mayer et al. (2013). Epiphytic lichens were first recorded in 1993 and then in 1999, 2005 and 2010. Epiphytic lichen plots were marked. Strict random sampling was not appropriate for this study given the uneven distribution of tree species within the study area and the topography. Therefore, host trees were selected by a stratified sampling approach so that the same number of trees of each species was recorded in the different areas of the catchment (plateau, upper and lower part of the slope, west, north and east slope). Only trees which survived the entire observation period were evaluated.
Different monitoring methods were applied.
(1) From 1993 onwards lichen species cover was recorded on one half of the stem circumference (on the side where lichen cover was highest in 1993). These plots range from 0.1 to 1.5 m above ground up to 1.1 to 3.9 m above ground. Cover was estimated visually by applying an ordinal scale of 1 to 8 (1-2 individual, cover up to 1 %, 1-5 %, 5-12.5 %, 12.5- 25 %, 25-50 %, and 50-75 %). In addition, total lichen cover was estimated.
(2) From 1999 onwards lichens were recorded according to the German lichen mapping guideline (VDI-Richtlinie 3799 1995). At a stem height between 1.2 and 1.7 m, a 50 x 20 cm mesh with 10 grid cells was fixed. The presence of all lichen species per cell was recorded. Single species frequency was calculated as the number of cells occupied and the total frequency of lichens as the number of cells occupied by any of the occurring lichen species. The nomenclature of lichens follows (Türk & Hafellner 2010).

References:
Mayer, M., Pfefferkorn-Dellali, V., Türk, R., Dullinger, S., Mirtl, M., Dirnböck, T. 2013. Significant decrease in epiphytic lichen diversity in a remote area in the European Alps, Austria. Basic and Applied Ecology 14: 396-403.
Türk, R., & Hafellner, J. (2010). Nachtrag zur Bibliographie der Flechten in Österreich. Biosystematics and Ecology, 27, 1-381
VDI-Richtlinie 3799, B. (1995). Ermittlung und Beurteilung phytotoxischer Wirkungen von Immissionen mit Flechten: Flechtenkartierung. Berlin: Beuth-Verlag.