Notes on Lecania in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Population size and ecology of Pleurosticta acetabulum,
Anaptychia ciliaris and Ramalina fraxinea in avenues and
churchyards in Kalmar county, SE Sweden
LARS BORG and MARGITA ARONSSON
Borg, L. & Aronsson, M. 2004. Population size and ecology of Pleurosticta acetabulum,
Anaptychia ciliaris and Ramalina fraxinea in avenues and churchyards in Kalmar county,
SE Sweden. Graphis scripta 16: 37–42. Stockholm. ISSN 0901-7593.
Population size and ecology of Pleurosticta acetabulum, Anaptychia ciliaris and
Ramalina fraxinea were investigated in fifteen avenues and churchyards in Kalmar
county. The study is meant to be repeated in the future to detect changes. Bark of Acer
platanoides and Fraxinus excelsior were favourite substrates for all three species as well
as Ulmus glabra for Anaptychia ciliaris. The road surface material had no significant
effect on the epiphytic lichen flora. Small population size and sparsely fertile specimens
for Pleurosticta acetabulum may indicate some environmental stress.
Lars Borg, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Kalmar, SE-
391 82 Kalmar, Sweden. E-mail: lars.borg@hik.se
Margita Aronsson, Runtorp 407, SE-388 99 Påryd, Sweden. E-mail:
margitaaronsson@spray.se
Documentation of population size and ecology
of common or fairly common species are
suitable tools for monitoring population
changes continuously (Arup et al. 1997). Three
large, conspicuous, nutrient demanding
species, growing on decidous trees in avenues
and churchyards, were selected for the study:
Anaptycia ciliaris, Pleurosticta acetabulum
and Ramalina fraxinea. Furthermore, A. ciliaris
is a signal species for high species number in
churchyards in Skåne (Göransson 2003). These
environments may change rapidly because of
tree removal, asphalting, use of fertilisers and
air pollution. The elm disease has already
decreased the number of old elms considerably.
The aims of the study were 1) to estimate
the population size of A. ciliaris, P. acetabulum
and R. fraxinea in selected avenues and
churchyards in the municipality of Kalmar; 2)
to describe the ecology of these species in
order to create a foundation which can be used
to analyse future changes in population size; 3)
to design a method for repeated studies in the
future; 4) to identify the most valuable avenues
and churchyards, seen from the aspect of lichen
biodiversity.
Methods
An inventory of avenues (Vägverket, Region
Sydöst 2001) and a book treating culturally
interesting roads in Kalmar (Almqvist &
Lindegård 1999) were consulted, as well as our
excursions, when selecting the localities. Long
avenues, with a good representation of one or
more of the following tree species, were
preferred: Acer platanoides, A.
pseudoplatanus, Aesculus hippocastanum,
Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus robur, Tilia
cordata and Ulmus glabra. Both gravel and
asphalt roads were chosen for comparison.
Churchyards on the countryside, supplied with

38 Lars Borg and Margit Aronsson GRAPHIS SCRIPTA 16 (2004)
Figure 1. The investigated localities in the municipality of Kalmar, SE Sweden.. 1. Björnö farm
avenue. 2. Svartingstorp farm avenue. 3. Läckeby churchyard. 4. Läckeby farm avenue. 5. Kläckeberga
churchyard. 6. Kläckeberga churchyard avenue. 7. Hossmo churchyard. 8. Ljungbyholm
avenue. 9. Ljungbyholm churchyard. 10. Arby churchyard. 11. Hagby churchyard. 12. Hagby
churchyard avenue. 13. Gräsgärde farm avenue. 14. Voxtorp churchyard. 15. Voxtorp churchyard
avenue.
the tree species meantioned above, were
preferred. In total 8 avenues and 7 churchyards
with altogether 625 trees were included in the
investigation (Figure 1).
In each locality all trees, belonging to the
above mentioned species, and with a diameter
greater than 60 cm were investigated
concerning:
1. Presence or absence of A. ciliaris, P.
acetabulum and R. fraxinea. Area for
judgement was the base of the tree up to the
height where it was not possible to identify the
lichen species. The presence of a lichen species
on one single tree was regarded as one
individual (Gärdenfors 2000).
2. Presence or absence of apothecia on the
lichen individual. The data were analysed with
chi-square test and z-test (Waite 2000).
3. Tree species
4. The girth 1.3 m above the ground.
5. Points of the compass where lichen thalli
of the three different lichen species occurred
(N, NW, W, SW, S, SE, E and NE).
6. Gravel road contra asphalt road in
avenues.
The main characteristics of the avenues and
churchyards studied are as follows:
1. Björnö farm avenue. 232 trees of all 7
tree species. 55 trees with a girth >2.5 m.
Gravel road.

GRAPHIS SCRIPTA 16 (2004) Population size and ecology 39
2. Svartingtorps farm avenue. 42 trees; A.
platanoides, A. hippocastanum, F. excelsior
and U. glabra. 1 tree with a girth >2.5 m.
Asphalt road.
3. Läckeby churchyard. 32 trees; A.
platanoides, F. excelsior, T. cordata and Q.
robur. 14 trees with a girth >2.5 m.
4. Läckeby farm avenue. 66 trees; A.
platanoides and U. glabra. No trees with a
girth >2.5 m. Gravel road.
5. Kläckeberga churchyard. 14 trees; A.
platanoides, A. hippocastanum, F. excelsior, T.
cordata and Q. robur. 5 trees with a girth >2.5
m.
6. Kläckeberga churchyard avenue. 14
trees; A. platanoides, F. excelsior and T.
cordata. 1 tree with a girth >2.5 m. Asphalt
road. Asphalted 1984.
7. Hossmo churchyard. 38 trees; A.
platanoides, A. hippocastanum, F. excelsior, T.
cordata and U. glabra. 8 trees with a girth >2.5
m.
8. Ljungbyholm avenue. 35 trees; A.
platanoides, A. hippocastanum, Q. robur, T.
cordata and U. glabra. 4 trees with a girth >2.5
m. Gravel road.
9. Ljungbyholm churchyard. 41 trees; A.
platanoides, T. cordata and U. glabra. 19 trees
with a girth >2.5 m.
10. Arby churchyard. 24 trees; A.
platanoides, A. hippocastanum, F. excelsior,
and T. cordata. 3 trees with a girth >2.5 m.
11. Hagby churchyard. 31 trees; A.
platanoides, F. excelsior and Q. robur. 14 trees
with a girth >2.5 m.
12. Hagby churchyard avenue. 14 trees; A.
platanoides, F. excelsior, T. cordata and U.
glabra. No trees with a girth >2.5 m. Asphalt
road. Asphalted 1954.
13. Gräsgärde farm avenue, Voxtorp. 16
trees; F. excelsior and Q. robur. Asphalt road.
No trees with a girth >2.5 m.
14. Voxtorp churchyard. 13 trees; A.
platanoides, F. excelsior and Q. robur. 8 trees
with a girth >2.5 m.
15. Voxtorp churchyard avenue. 13 trees; A.
platanoides, A. hippocastanum, F. excelsior
and U. glabra. No trees with a girth >2.5 m.
Asphalt road. Asphalted 1980.
Results and discussion
Size of populations. Ramalina fraxinea had the
largest population with 264 individuals.
Anaptychia ciliaris was represented by 130
individuals and Pleurosticta acetabulum by 36
individuals. In Swedish lichen floras
(Christiansen et al. 1976, Ursing 1976 and
Hallingbäck 1995) R. fraxinea is quoted as
common in the south and middle of Sweden, A.
ciliaris common or rather common and P.
acetabulum rather common. Arup &
Hultengren (2000) reports R. fraxinea as
common in southern and central Sweden
whereas A. ciliaris and P. acetabulum were
reported from 232 and 197 localities
respectively. Combining these data with the
results from this investigation it is clear that R.
fraxinea can be considered as common while
A. ciliaris and P. acetabulum both are rather
common. Pleurosticta acetabulum occurs in
this investigation in less amount compared with
what could be expected from the literature,
while the population size of R. fraxinea and A.
ciliaris seem to be as expected.
Ecology. There is a difference in the preference
of substrate between the three lichen species
(Table 1). Pleurosticta acetabulum prefers
Acer platanoides and Fraxinus excelsior (chisquare-test
p

40 Lars Borg and Margit Aronsson GRAPHIS SCRIPTA 16 (2004)
Table 1. The total number of trees of the different tree species, which were included in the
investigation, and the occurrence in percent of the different lichen species on these tree species.
Tree species Number of trees Anaptychia
ciliaris %
Pleurosticta
acetabulum %
Ramalina
fraxinea %
Acer platanoides 180 36 11 54
Acer pseudoplatanus 7 0 0 43
Aesculus hippocastanum 21 0 0 14
Fraxinus excelsior 76 41 12 68
Quercus robur 164 2 0 34
Tilia cordata 107 3 5 22
Ulmus glabra 70 40 4 44
preferred pH-range in the bark is 6–7 for P.
acetabulum and A. ciliaris while R. fraxinea
has a range from 5–7. This supports the results
from the present investigation with a broader
amplitude for R. fraxinea. Anaptychia ciliaris
and Pleurosticta acetabulum are more common
on trees with higher pH-values. The only thing
that deviates from the expected distribution is
that P. acetabulum has a more limited
abundance compared to A. ciliaris.
The girth. All three lichen species showed a
predominant presence on large trunks (Table
2). The correlation was statistically significant
for A. platanoides with P. acetabulum and A.
ciliaris (z-test p

GRAPHIS SCRIPTA 16 (2004) Population size and ecology 41
Table 2. Average girth in cm for trunks with and without Anaptychia ciliaris, Pleurosticta
acetabulum and Ramalina fraxinea respectively. The standard deviation is put in brackets.
Tree species/ With Without With P. Without P. With Without
trunk girth (cm) A. ciliaris A. ciliaris acetabulum acetabulum R. fraxinea R. fraxinea
A. platanoides 1.65(0.46) 1.53(0.51) 1.83(0.60) 1.55(0.48) 1.66(0.48) 1.49(0.50)
F. excelsior 2.35(0.74) 2.04(0.51) 2.42(0.65) 2.15(0.64) 2.24(0.71) 2.03(0.33)
Q. robur 0 0 0 0 2.52(0.92) 2.56(0.91)
T. cordata 0 0 0 0 2.07(0.49) 1.81(0.62)
U. glabra 1.67(0.44) 1.99(0.77) 0 0 2.18(0.76) 1.65(0.52)
of the five avenues along asphalt roads were
asphalted 1980 and 1984 respectively, 2) the
contribution of dust from the arable fields is
enough for these species, 3) the dust is less
important on trees with a natural high bark pH
as A. platanoides and F. excelsior. On the
contrary, Lundbladh & Milberg (2003) found
that both R. fraxinea and P. acetabulum were
positively correlated with gravel roads and A.
ciliaris with asphalt roads in a study on A.
platanoides and F. excelsior in Motala county.
Occurrence of apothecia. About 75 % of the
individuals of A. ciliaris and R. fraxinea had
apothecia compared with about 50 % of the
individuals of P. acetabulum. In the Swedish
lichen floras (Ursing 1976 and Moberg &
Holmåsen 1982) apothecia is said to be often
present on all three species.
Conservation aspects. Göransson (2003)
presents A. ciliaris as the perhaps best signal
species in Skåne for high lichen species
number in churchyards and similar biotopes.
Table 3. Presence in percent of total presence
for Anaptychia ciliaris, Pleurosticta acetabulum
and Ramalina fraxinea in different
aspects on the tree trunks.
W, NW
wet,
shade
N, NE,
E
medium
S, SW, SE
dry, sunny
A. ciliaris 22 38 40
P. acetabul. 17 26 57
R. fraxinea 28 38 34
Among environmental factors which creates a
high lichen species number are the number of
tree species, the number of large tree trunks
and a high yearly precipitation (Göransson
2003). Applying these criteria to this
investigation except high yearly precipitation
(precipitation is about the same in the
investigation area) the following two avenues
and one churchyard appear to be as the most
valuable:
Björnö farm avenue (locality number 1, in
Fig. 1). 9 different tree species, 98 trees with a
girth >2 m and 17 individuals of A. ciliaris.
Läckeby farm avenue (locality number 4,
Fig. 1). 4 different tree species, 6 trees with a
girth >2 m and 46 individuals of A. ciliaris.
Ljungbyholms churchyard (locality number
9, Fig. 1). 5 tree species, 6 trees with a girth >3
m and 3 individuals of A. ciliaris.
In all these three localities Bacidia rubella
was found. B. rubella is considered to be a
signal species for high lichen species number
in churchyards and similar biotopes in Skåne
(Göransson 2003).
Conclusions
The size of the populations of Anaptychia
ciliaris and Ramalina fraxinea fits with
expectations according to literature, while
Pleurosticta acetabulum has a smaller
population than expected. Also the ecology of
P. acetabulum deviates from the expected. This
may be a local deviation, not recognized
earlier, however, it seems more likely that P.
acetabulum narrows its ecological nisch to the
most favourable substrates (A. platanoides and

42 Lars Borg and Margit Aronsson GRAPHIS SCRIPTA 16 (2004)
F. excelsior) and to the most dry and sunny
parts of the trunk. This pattern is not observed
for A. ciliaris and R. fraxinea. Furthermore, P.
acetabulum has a lower fertility compared to
the other two species. These facts perhaps
indicate some form of environmental stress.
Large trunks of A. platanoides and F. excelsior
are preferred by all the three lichen species
while the importance of gravel contra asphalt
roads needs further studies.
Concerning the properties of the bark of U.
glabra, the results here indicate a difference
compared to A. platanoides and F. excelsior. It
may be a lower natural pH value or a less
sufficient buffer capacity for acid compounds
or other properties we are not aware of.
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