We obtained 342 samples from 19 sites within three vegetation types (subtropical forest, temperate forest, and dry shrubland; 4, 4, and 11 sites, respectively). Alpha diversity was estimated as the number of species per site and gamma diversity as the total richness per vegetation type. Beta diversity was estimated using Sørensen’s coefficient of dissimilarity and represented in a cluster dendrogram. Non-metric multidimensional scale (NMS) was performed to estimate spatial relation of lichen communities with temperature, precipitation, and elevation. The Indicator Species Analysis (ISA), based on Monte Carlo test, was estimated and vegetation types were used as grouping variable. A total of 96 species were identified, belonging to 43 genera and 18 families. Alpha diversity values ranged between four and 22 species per site, with subtropical forest sites showing the highest values. Gamma diversity shows that the dry shrubland is the richest vegetation type (54 species), followed by subtropical forest (42 species), and temperate forest (32 species). Beta diversity indicates a dissimilarity larger than 75% between each pair of vegetation types, with five species shared by the three vegetation types; 12 species were shared between subtropical forest and dry shrublands, and five species between the other two pairs of vegetation types. There are 32 exclusive species for the dry shrubland, 20 for the subtropical forest, and 17 for the temperate forest. ISA results showed that Flavopunctelia flaventior (IV=61.5, p=0.015), Leptogium joergensenii (IV= 66.8, p= 0.014), Phaeophyscia nashii (IV= 61.5, p= 0.031), and Physcia biziana (IV69.9, p=0.007) had preference for the subtropical forest. Cluster and NMS analyses show that subtropical forest sites formed a separate group, while some temperate forest sites are nested within the dry shrubland. As an additional result, the checklist of lichenized fungi for Aguascalientes was increased to 111 species.
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