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Seasonal variation in concentrations of carbohydrates and lipids in two epiphytic lichens with contrasting, snow-depth related distribution on subarctic birch trees

Sonesson, Mats LU ; Grimberg, Åsa ; Sveinbjörnsson, Bjartmar and Carlsson, Bengt Å (2011) In Bryologist 114(3). p.443-452
Abstract
The lichens Parmelia olivacea and Parmeliopsis ambigua are common epiphytes in subarctic forests in Europe. They differ in abundance and vertical distribution particularly on birch trees, and these differences relate to the level and duration of the winter snow cover. Parmeliopsis ambigua is covered much of the cold season on the lower trunk whereas P. olivacea occurs well above the snow surface. Periods over 6 months under snow have no apparent effect on P. ambigua thalli while much shorter snow cover has been demonstrated to kill P. olivacea. It was hypothesized that the contrasting distributions are due to differences in growth rates and in size and quality of non-structural carbon stores in their tissues affecting their endurance to... (More)
The lichens Parmelia olivacea and Parmeliopsis ambigua are common epiphytes in subarctic forests in Europe. They differ in abundance and vertical distribution particularly on birch trees, and these differences relate to the level and duration of the winter snow cover. Parmeliopsis ambigua is covered much of the cold season on the lower trunk whereas P. olivacea occurs well above the snow surface. Periods over 6 months under snow have no apparent effect on P. ambigua thalli while much shorter snow cover has been demonstrated to kill P. olivacea. It was hypothesized that the contrasting distributions are due to differences in growth rates and in size and quality of non-structural carbon stores in their tissues affecting their endurance to extended periods of dark respiration. To test these hypotheses, growth measurements were performed on both species and their thalli were sampled for chemical analyses. The results show that the mean annual margin extension growth of P. olivacea thalli was significantly higher than that of P. ambigua, i.e. 1.1 mm and 0.5 mm, respectively. The average non-structural carbohydrate concentration in the two species did not differ, but the annual concentration of storage lipids (triacylglycerol) in P. ambigua was four times higher than that in P. olivacea, despite a shorter growing season and lower rate of photosynthesis. The proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in structural (polar) lipids was high in both species, i.e. 77% in P. olivacea and 64% in P. ambigua, which appears to enable both species to withstand low ambient thallus temperatures. The higher concentration of storage lipids in P. ambigua allows survival in environments where P. olivacea would respire to death, e.g. under a prolonged snow cover. Parmeliopsis ambigua avoids competition by establishing toward the base of the tree trunk, where P. olivacea would not survive. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Lichen epiphytes, Parmelia olivacea, Parmeliopsis ambigua, non-structural carbohydrates, lipids, saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids
in
Bryologist
volume
114
issue
3
pages
443 - 452
publisher
AMER BRYOLOGICAL LICHENOLOGICAL SOCIETY INC
external identifiers
  • wos:000297568700001
  • scopus:80054916879
ISSN
1938-4378
DOI
10.1639/0007-2745-114.3.443
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Plant Ecology and Systematics (Closed 2011) (011004000)
id
c28fe25f-002a-42c3-b86e-586b83d3823c (old id 2203179)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:33:03
date last changed
2022-01-26 00:22:34
@article{c28fe25f-002a-42c3-b86e-586b83d3823c,
  abstract     = {{The lichens Parmelia olivacea and Parmeliopsis ambigua are common epiphytes in subarctic forests in Europe. They differ in abundance and vertical distribution particularly on birch trees, and these differences relate to the level and duration of the winter snow cover. Parmeliopsis ambigua is covered much of the cold season on the lower trunk whereas P. olivacea occurs well above the snow surface. Periods over 6 months under snow have no apparent effect on P. ambigua thalli while much shorter snow cover has been demonstrated to kill P. olivacea. It was hypothesized that the contrasting distributions are due to differences in growth rates and in size and quality of non-structural carbon stores in their tissues affecting their endurance to extended periods of dark respiration. To test these hypotheses, growth measurements were performed on both species and their thalli were sampled for chemical analyses. The results show that the mean annual margin extension growth of P. olivacea thalli was significantly higher than that of P. ambigua, i.e. 1.1 mm and 0.5 mm, respectively. The average non-structural carbohydrate concentration in the two species did not differ, but the annual concentration of storage lipids (triacylglycerol) in P. ambigua was four times higher than that in P. olivacea, despite a shorter growing season and lower rate of photosynthesis. The proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in structural (polar) lipids was high in both species, i.e. 77% in P. olivacea and 64% in P. ambigua, which appears to enable both species to withstand low ambient thallus temperatures. The higher concentration of storage lipids in P. ambigua allows survival in environments where P. olivacea would respire to death, e.g. under a prolonged snow cover. Parmeliopsis ambigua avoids competition by establishing toward the base of the tree trunk, where P. olivacea would not survive.}},
  author       = {{Sonesson, Mats and Grimberg, Åsa and Sveinbjörnsson, Bjartmar and Carlsson, Bengt Å}},
  issn         = {{1938-4378}},
  keywords     = {{Lichen epiphytes; Parmelia olivacea; Parmeliopsis ambigua; non-structural carbohydrates; lipids; saturated fatty acids; unsaturated fatty acids}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{443--452}},
  publisher    = {{AMER BRYOLOGICAL LICHENOLOGICAL SOCIETY INC}},
  series       = {{Bryologist}},
  title        = {{Seasonal variation in concentrations of carbohydrates and lipids in two epiphytic lichens with contrasting, snow-depth related distribution on subarctic birch trees}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1639/0007-2745-114.3.443}},
  doi          = {{10.1639/0007-2745-114.3.443}},
  volume       = {{114}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}