title: Environmental factors that drive the distribution and abundance of a threatened cyanolichen in Southern Europe: a multi-scale approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High-quality information about threatened species is required to prevent current global biodiversity losses. Lichens are important components of forest biodiversity and help to maintain ecosystem functioning. The epiphytic cyanolichen Lobarina scrobiculata is red-listed in Europe and North America, but knowledge of its ecology and distribution in Southern Europe is scarce.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a multispatial scale design to investigate the effects of macroclimate, forest structure, tree features, and microhabitat on the occurrence, abundance, spatial distribution, and performance of Lobarina scrobiculata in the Iberian Peninsula at plot and tree scales. Generalized linear models and mixed models were used for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We recorded ca 14000 individuals of the threatened species Lobarina scrobiculata from 22 populations in the Iberian Peninsula. Our results suggest that L. scrobiculata thrives mainly in oak forests with highly variable annual precipitation levels. At the plot scale, the L. scrobiculata abundance increased with annual precipitation and tree density (habitat quantity). At the tree scale, our models highlighted the importance of tree size and bark roughness (habitat quality) as the main drivers of species occurrence and abundance. We detected a marked spatial pattern on tree trunks, i.e., L. scrobiculata occurred preferentially on north-facing surfaces and close to the ground where humidity is higher.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By integrating multiscale modeling, we analyzed a unique large dataset and these results are essential for understanding the ecology of this threatened cyanolichen. There is an urgent need to preserve the forests that this species currently inhabits as well as potential colonization sites.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, C/ Tulipán s/n E-28933, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merinero
authors.affiliation: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, C/ Tulipán s/n E-28933, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubio-Salcedo
authors.affiliation: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, C/ Tulipán s/n E-28933, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Gregorio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aragón
authors.affiliation: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, C/ Tulipán s/n E-28933, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000502:physiology*; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D056727:Endangered Species; D005060:Europe; D065928:Forests; D008011:Lichens / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D016014:Linear Models
keywords: Atlantic forest; Lobaria scrobiculata; Lobarina scrobiculata; Mediterranean forest; conservation status; epiphytic lichens; occupation rate; population size; precipitation