{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.014913007456503728, 'fraction_numerical': 0.009113504556752278, 'mean_word_length': 5.3578947368421055, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
The influence of microclimate on the composition of lichen communities along an altitudinal gradient in the Maritime Antarctic

The influence of microclimate on diversity and abundance of lichen communities was studied along an altitudinal gradient on Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic. Whilst biodiversity overall is high, it appears to decrease drastically within a few hundred meters from the coast towards higher altitudes. Microclimatic data and community composition were investigated at different sites and slope exposures from near sea level to the summit of Mount Reina Sofia (274 m a.s.l.) near the Spanish Antarctic research station Juan Carlos I. Microclimatic measurements were made over a period of 43 days during a summer. A remarkable decrease in lichen diversity and biomass was found with increasing altitude which correlated with a decrease in 2.37°C mean thallus temperature over an altitudinal range of 266 m. Neither air humidity nor irradiance seems to influence lichen biodiversity over this altitudinal range. The results indicated slight changes in air temperature as limiting the distribution of lichens, the major photosynthetic organism in this area.