Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2005, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (4): 615-622.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2005.0082

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

NUMERICAL CLASSIFICATION AND SPECIES DIVERSITY OF CORTICOLOUS LICHEN COMMUNITIES IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS OF THE TIANSHAN MOUNTAINS

TUMUR Anwar(), ABDULLA Adil, ABBAS Abdulla()   

  1. College of Life Sciences and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
  • Received:2004-03-03 Accepted:2004-12-20 Online:2005-03-03 Published:2005-07-31
  • Contact: ABBAS Abdulla
  • About author:* E-mail: abdulla@xju.edu.cn

Abstract:

Using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis method, the community structure and species diversity characteristics of corticolous lichen communities in a western Tianshan forest ecosystem were studied in this paper. The results showed that corticolous lichen communities differed with altitude and on different tree types. Based on the results of a multivariate analysis and universal characteristics of habitat, the corticolous lichens communities in the forest ecosystem in western Tianshan can be generalized into four major types: 1) Chaenotheca stemonea + Candellaria aurella Association; 2) Bryoria furcellata + Evernia esorediosa + Physcia tribacoides Association; 3) Parmelia fertilis + Parmelia sulcata + Parmeliopsis ambigua Association; 4) Phaeophyscia ciliata + Phaeophyscia nigricans Association. Community 3 had the highest species diversity (1.920) and community 2 had the lowest (1.562). At the same time, we found that altitude and forest canopy density were the two most important environmental factors influencing the structural patterns of corticolous lichen communities in these forest ecosystems.

Key words: Corticolous lichen, Multivariate data analysis, Community structure, Species diversity, Tianshan forest ecosystem