Exposure and Nutrients As Delimiters of Lichen Communities in Continental Antarctica

Abstract

Lichens dominate the terrestrial vegetation of the ice-free regions of continental Antarctica. Vegetation patterns were studied in the Windmill Islands Oasis, Wilkes Land, continental Antarctica, in relation to edaphic features to elucidate the factors that govern lichen distribution and abundance. Vegetation was studied on a low rounded knoll on Clark Peninsula some 3 km North East of the present Casey station. Substratum nutrient levels vary considerably across the knoll due to the presence of an abandoned penguin rookery on the crest and the uneven topography provides both sheltered and exposed sites. Along a 130 m-long transect crossing the knoll from South to North, a total of 25 species of lichen and one moss were identified, the vegetation being dominated by Umbilicaria decussata, Pseudephebe minuscula, Usnea sphacelata and U. antarctica. TWINSPAN analysis of species distributions identified six sociations, the distribution of which were related to substratum structure and chemistry. Several species were restricted to nutrient-rich zones while late-lying snow restricted all species to varying degrees.