Lichen species co-occurrence patterns on five trees species of the montane rainforest of Gran Piedra, Santiago de Cuba

Abstract

This study aims to determine lichens co-occurrence patterns on five phorophyte species in the montane rainforest of Gran Piedra, Santiago de Cuba. In each plot, all trees of these five species: Gomidesia lindeniana, Coccoloba wrightii, Clusia tetrastigma, Dendropanax arboreus and Brunellia comocladifolia were surveyed. On the 51 sampled phorophyte trees, 53 lichen species were found. Only Gomidesia lindeniana and Coccoloba wrightii exhibited probabilities for the C-score and CHECKER indices significantly higher than expected by chance; consequently, lichens co-occurrence are non-random on these phorophytes. For Dendropanax arboreus, Clusia tetrastigma and Brunellia comocladifolia the null hypothesis for these indices was not rejected. The enhanced of frequency of lichen species, increase the number of species pairs forming a checkerboard distribution. In conclusion, lichen species co-occurred less often than expected by chance, although this pattern was not similar for all phorophytes species.