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Assessing the Potential Impacts of Elevated Temperature and CO2 on Growth and Health of Nine Non-Vascular Epiphytes: A Manipulation Experiment

The consequences of sharp 
rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide 
concentration ([CO2]) and global warming on vascular plants have 
raised great concerns, but researches focusing on non-vascular epiphytes remain 
sparse. We transplanted nine common cryptogamic epiphyte species (3 bryophytes, 
6 lichens) from field sites to growth chambers (control, elevated [CO2], 
elevated temperature, elevated [CO2] and temperature) and monitored 
their growth and health at regular intervals in a subtropical montane forest in 
Ailao Mountains in southwestern China. Our results implied a dim future for 
nonvascular epiphytes, especially lichens, in a warming world. The initial rise 
in temperature and decrease in water availability from field sites to the 
control chamber had remarkable negative impacts on growth and health of nonvascular epiphytes, many of which 
turned brown or died back. Although elevated [CO2] in chambers had no significant 
effects on growth of any of the experimental species, further warming caused significant negative impacts on growth of Lobaria retigera (Bory) Trev. In 
addition, elevated [CO2] and temperature have a significant interaction 
on growth of four experimental lichens. Considering 
the ecological importance of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens for the 
subtropical montane forest ecosystems and high sensitivity to environmental 
changes, people may underestimate global change impacts to nonvascular 
epiphytes, or even the whole forest ecosystems.