uid=HFR,o=lter,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org all public read doi:10.6073/pasta/b9c5d6674d9c7736a90ba691fa24c647 Anne Pringle https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1526-6739 2024 English

Lichens fix carbon dioxide from the air to build biomass. Crustose and foliose lichens grow as nearly flat, circular disks. While smaller lichens grow slowly, but with small, steady increases in radial growth rates, larger lichens grow more quickly, with radial velocities that remain roughly constant over the lifetime of an individual. These basic features follow directly from a novel mathematical model based on the diffusion of carbon dioxide around a lichen, and its absorption by the thallus. Smaller lichens fix carbon dioxide across the entire thallus, but larger lichens fix carbon dioxide disproportionately at edges. Because local edges remain the primary source of carbon as a lichen grows ever larger, radial growth rates remain constant. Predicted growth dynamics depend on four measurable parameters, and tests of the model against data suggest the model provides an accurate, robust, and universal framework for understanding the growth dynamics of lichens in nature.

carbon dioxide demography growth lichens modeling population dynamics LTER controlled vocabulary populations LTER core area Harvard Forest HFR LTER USA HFR default

This dataset is released to the public under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (No Rights Reserved). Please keep the dataset creators informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset should include proper acknowledgement.

Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html CC0-1.0 https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/exist/apps/datasets/showData.html?id=hf217 North Cemetery (Petersham MA). Coordinates based on WGS84 datum. -72.19 -72.19 42.53 42.53 331 331 meter 2005 2011 genus Xanthoparmelia completed Information Manager Harvard Forest

324 North Main Street Petersham MA 01366 USA

(978) 724-3302 hf-im@lists.fas.harvard.edu Harvard Forest

324 North Main Street Petersham MA 01366 USA

(978) 724-3302 (978) 724-3595 https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu

A group of 55 foliose lichens growing on the French tombstone of the North Cemetery, Petersham, MA, USA was used to measure growth rates of lichens in nature. Target individuals are morphologically uniform and belong to the genus Xanthoparmelia. Inscribed letters and numbers were used to make a map of the entire population and identify individual thalli from year to year. Each thallus was measured each fall for seven years, starting in 2005. A transparent piece of plastic was placed over the thallus and the diameter of the thallus traced with permanent marker. Tracings were digitized and the area calculated from digitized images. New individuals born in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 were added to the survey, and during the survey 32 individuals died. By the end of the survey, in 2011, data had been collected for a total of 72 individuals. In the data file, the observed values for an individual (alive, merge, size) are coded as NA before a birth is recorded and after a death is recorded. NA may also indicate missing observations. After a merger, the larger individual is coded as alive = 1, merge = 1 for as long as it lives; while the smaller individual is coded as alive = 0, merge = 1 and then as NA. Fragmented individuals (merge = 3) may revert to unmerged (merge = 0) at the next observation. Outlier births are coded as NA.

Harvard Forest

324 North Main Street Petersham MA 01366 USA

(978) 724-3302 (978) 724-3595 https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu https://ror.org/059cpzx98 pointOfContact The Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program examines ecological dynamics in the New England region resulting from natural disturbances, environmental change, and human impacts. National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210. hf217-01-lichen-growth-rates.csv lichen growth rates hf217-01-lichen-growth-rates.csv 22462 6d294e1c6dd997ae92bc2f31b7773696 1 \r\n column , https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p21/hf217/hf217-01-lichen-growth-rates.csv grave grave identification grave identification NA missing value individual lichen identification lichen identifcation NA missing value year year of measurement YYYY 1 year NA missing value alive whether or not lichen was alive 0 not alive 1 alive NA missing value merge indicates a merger between two individual lichens 0 smaller 1 larger 3 fragmented NA missing value size size of lichen squareCentimeters 0.000000001 real NA missing value 756 informatics community long-term measurement modeling