The aim of this study was to test the sensitivity of epiphytic and epixylic bryophytes and lichens as indicators of forest naturalness, by comparing their diversity patterns with forest structural, compositional and historical features associated with different management/protection regimes and protection time spans. The study was carried out in the Białowieża Forest (Poland). Out of 1370 pre-existing inventory plots established all across the Polish part of the Białowieża Forest, we randomly selected 10 plots for each of the 18 plot aggregation groups resulting from the combination of 3 management/protection regimes and 6 habitat types, for an overall number of 180 plots. At each of them, we carried out bryophyte and lichen sampling on four substrates (coarse woody debris – CWD, standing dead trees, stumps, living trees). The management/protection regimes exemplifying the gradient of forest naturalness were: the 100 years-old Białowieża National Park (BNP), a set of more recently established nature reserves and managed forests. We tested differences in mean species richness values among management/protection regimes, protection time spans, habitat types and stand age classes by analysis of variance and calculated coefficients of correlation with 45 selected structural and compositional features of forest stands. Differences in species composition of epiphytic and epixilic bryophytes and lichens among management/protection regimes were tested by ordination methods. Lastly, we compared frequency of red-listed species and primeval forest relics among management/protection regimes. Species richness of lichens was significantly correlated with the degree of forest naturalness assessed by structural and historical features along the naturalness gradient, with the highest number of species recorded in BNP and the lower in managed stands, while bryophyte number did not exhibit a clear dependence on the management regimes. Relic species of primeval forests and red-listed species occurred with significantly higher frequency in protected areas than in managed forests for both lichens and bryophytes, with the highest frequency observed in BNP for lichens and in nature reserves for bryophytes. Volume of deadwood, particularly of CWD in advanced decays stage, species richness of undergrowth vascular plants, tree layer diversity, shrub cover and herb layer cover exhibited the strongest correlation with cryptogam species richness and cover on the various substrates. Response to light availability strongly differenciated bryophyte and lichens optimal niches. The results of this study clearly show that cryptogams, and lichens in particular, are indeed reliable ecological indicators of forest status, since they sensibly intercepted the environmental changes observable along the tested naturalness gradient.

这项研究的目的是通过比较附生和表生苔藓植物和地衣作为森林自然指标的敏感性，通过将它们的多样性模式与与不同管理/保护制度和保护时间跨度相关的森林结构，组成和历史特征进行比较。该研究是在比亚沃维耶阿森林（波兰）中进行的。在整个Białowieża森林的波兰部分中建立的1370个现有存量土地中，我们从18个土地总汇组中随机选择了10个土地，这是3种管理/保护制度和6种栖息地类型的组合得出的， 180个地块的数量。在每一种植物上，我们都在四种基质（粗木本碎屑– CWD，死木，立木，活树）上进行了苔藓植物和地衣取样。代表森林自然梯度的管理/保护制度为：具有100年历史的比亚沃维耶阿国家公园（BNP），一组较新建立的自然保护区和受管理的森林。我们通过方差分析和计算出的与45种选定林分结构和组成特征的相关系数，测试了管理/保护制度，保护时间跨度，生境类型和林分年龄类别之间平均物种丰富度值的差异。通过排序方法检验了管理/保护方式之间附生和附生苔藓植物和地衣物种组成的差异。最后，我们在管理/保护制度之间比较了列入红色名录的物种和原始森林遗迹的频率。通过沿自然梯度的结构和历史特征评估，地衣的物种丰富度与森林自然程度显着相关，BNP中记录的物种数量最高，而管理林分中物种的数量较低，而苔藓植物数量并未显示出对森林的明显依赖性。管理制度。原始森林和列入红色名录的物种的遗迹在保护区内的发生频率明显高于人工林和苔藓植物的管理林，而在BNP中，苔藓和苔藓植物的自然保护区的频率最高。枯木的数量，尤其是处于腐烂晚期的CWD的数量，未成年人维管植物的物种丰富度，树木层的多样性 灌木覆盖层和草本层覆盖层与隐藻物种的丰富度和覆盖在各种基质上的相关性最强。对光可用性的响应强烈区分了苔藓植物和地衣的最佳生态位。这项研究的结果清楚地表明，隐孢子虫，尤其是地衣，确实是可靠的森林状况生态指标，因为它们明智地拦截了沿测试的自然梯度观察到的环境变化。