Abigail Meyer from the University of Minnesota, USA, and colleagues from the USA, investigated the physiological and morphological responses to experimental warming and CO2 additions in the widespread forest lichen Evernia mesomorpha. While impacts of CO2 were largely negligible, warming and associated drying was linked to decreases in biomass, carbon assimilation and respiration rates. As well as bleaching of the lichen, indicative of death of the photobiont, the authors found evidence of shifts in internal algal communities, including increased proportions of certain algal clades under warming. While the study reveals the sensitivity of lichen algae to warming, further work is needed to reveal whether photobiont turnover may assist in lichen acclimation and recovery.
Source: Ecology - nature.com
