NUMERICAL CLASSIFICATION AND SPECIES DIVERSITY OF CORTICOLOUS LICHEN COMMUNITIES IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS OF THE TIANSHAN MOUNTAINS
天山森林生态系统树生地衣植物群落数量分类及其物种多样性的研究

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.