Uso de biotipos de líquenes como bioindicadores de perturbación en fragmentos de bosque Altoandino (Reserva Biológica “Encenilo”, Colombia)

We analyzed the diversity and composition of lichen communities in two fragments, one disturbed and one conserved, of high Andean forest in the “Encenillo” Biological Reserve, Colombia. We sampled 32 “encenillo” trees (Weinmannia tomentosa), 16 in each fragment, using three subsamples per tree at three height levels, for a total of 32 samples (trees) and 96 subsamples. The 714 lichen specimens sampled, 261 in the disturbed and 453 in the conserved forest, corresponded to 54 species, with the genera Parmotrema (161 specimens, 5 species), Usnea (141 specimens, 7 species), Hypotrachyna (79 specimens, 7 species), Phyllopsora (63 specimens, 2 species), and Sticta (49 samples, 6 species) most representative. Using morphological characters, we assigned the 54 species to 37 readily recognizable biotypes. Cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling of the 32 samples (trees) separated the two fragments based on lichen biotype composition. By means of indicator analysis, using the biotypes as units, we found that the biotypes “Yoshimuriella”, “Usnea (apothecia)”, “Usnea (pigmented)”, “Parmotrema (soredia)”, “Lobariella (apothecia)”, “Sticta (green)”, “Psiloparmelia”, and “Hypotrachyna (soredia)” were statistically indicative of the conserved forest, whereas the biotypes “Hypotrachyna (isidia)”, “Usnea (pendulous)”, “Parmotrema (isidia)” and “Heterodermia (apothecia)” were representative of the disturbed forest. In conclusion, a protocol using biotypes instead of species can be implemented by non-specialists to monitor and quickly evaluate the conservation of these Andean forests.