Strigula is a pantropic foliicolous lichen living on the leaf surfaces of evergreen broadleaf plants. In South Korea,
Strigula is the only genus of foliicolous lichen recorded from Jeju Island. Several
Strigula species have been recorded, but the ecology of
Strigula in South
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Strigula is a pantropic foliicolous lichen living on the leaf surfaces of evergreen broadleaf plants. In South Korea,
Strigula is the only genus of foliicolous lichen recorded from Jeju Island. Several
Strigula species have been recorded, but the ecology of
Strigula in South Korea has been largely unexplored. This study examined the distribution and genetic structure of
Strigula on Jeju Island. The distribution was surveyed and the influence of environmental factors (e.g., elevation, forest availability, and bioclimate) on the distribution was analyzed using a species distribution modeling analysis. In addition, the genetic variations and differentiation of
Strigula multiformis populations were analyzed using two nuclear ribosomal regions. The distribution of
Strigula was largely restricted to a small portion of forest on Jeju Island, and the forest availability was the most important factor in the prediction of potential habitats. The genetic diversity and differentiation of the
S. multiformis population were found to be high and were divided according to geography. On the other hand, geographic and environmental distance did not explain the population differentiation. Distribution and population genetic analysis suggested that the available habitat and genetic exchange of
Strigula on Jeju Island are limited by the lack of available forest in the lowlands.
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