The Role of Secondary Metabolites and Bark Chemistry in Shaping Diversity and Abundance of Epiphytic Lichens

Diversity of secondary lichen metabolites was studied in epiphytic lichens on six phorophytes—spruce, pine, birch, alder, aspen and poplar the Middle Urals Russia. Atranorin, usnic, fumarprotocetraric acid, zeorin, gyrophoric acid were found 31, 24, 23, 18, 14 species, respectively, 237 taxa collected. Seventy-seven species (i.e., 32% total documented) contained no metabolites. Spectra fruticose foliose varied different phorophytes, while crustose strong dependence tree not detected. This is to pH saxicolous where more susceptible rock chemistry. The results Canonical Correspondence Analysis reveal affinity containing depsides, depsidones or usnic acidic substrata those lacking terpenes antraquinones pH-neutral bark. We suppose that phenolic compounds flavonoids, as chemical constituents bark, may interact with symbioses elements phellem, similarly acids shape substrata.