Species-area relationship in lichens tested in protected areas across Italy

The species-area relationship (SAR) states that species richness increases with the increase of the sampled area, although other factors can influence the pattern. SARs have been tested on many different organisms, but only rarely on lichens. We aimed to test the SAR, across a wide range of area sizes, for three main substratum-related guilds of lichens, namely epiphytic, epilithic and epigaeic. The test was performed using data from lichen inventories carried out in 44 protected areas of various sizes across Italy. We found a positive correlation of species richness with area size for all three guilds, better fitted by the logarithmic function for epilithic lichens and by the power function for epiphytic and epigaeic lichens. Our results support the fundamental role of area size as the main driver for lichen diversity, suggesting that in an area-based conservation framework, larger protected areas are fundamental to support high lichen species richness. However, finer scale investigations are also required to better elucidate whether and how other environmental factors could interact with area size and modify SAR patterns. Exhaustive lichen inventories could be useful information sources to more robustly test such relationships, and therefore better inform conservation practices.