Epiphytic lichen diversity in old‐growth and managedPicea abiesstands in southern Finland

Abstract

Abstract. Epiphytic and epixylic lichens were surveyed on 15 1‐ha plots in mature Picea abies‐dominated boreal forests in southern Finland. The sample plots were classified into three groups according to the age of the dominant tree stand and recent signs of cutting: (1) early mature managed, ‘EM’ (95 ‐109 yr), (2) late mature managed, ‘LM’ (126 ‐ 145 yr) and (3) old‐growth, ‘OG’ (129 ‐ 198 yr). Two data sets on epiphytic and epixylic lichens were recorded from each plot: (1) species on basal trunks and branches of Picea abies and (2) species on all available woody substrates, including basal parts of all tree species, saplings, snags, logs and stumps. 142 epiphytic and epixylic lichen species were found, of which 83 (58%) occurred on P. abies. Mean total numbers of species per sample plot were 69 in EM, 78 in LM and 88 in OG plots, species number on P. abies were 47, 56, and 54 respectively. The LM plots had lower species numbers than OG plots, mainly due to the lack of old Populus tremula trees, but they had higher species number than the EM plots mainly due to the higher age of Picea abies. Differences in species composition, both within and between the three groups, were small. The results suggest that the epiphytic and epixylic lichen diversity in a managed stand can be increased by prolonging the rotation of the stand to >120 yr and by increasing the diversity of habitats in the stand.

Evaluation of lichen species resistance to atmospheric metal pollution by coupling diversity and bioaccumulation approaches: A new bioindication scale for French forested areas

“…But, this range was higher than in boreal environments (Kuusinen, 1996), probably in relation to specific climate conditions in cold regions. Indeed, the diversity data from the literature are not always comparable since the sampling methods used can sometimes lead to discrepancies between the observations (e.g., Kuusinen and Siitonen, 1998;Selva, 1994).…”

Old-forest species: the importance of specific substrata vs. stand continuity in the case of calicioid fungi

“…Similarly, Selva (1994) speculates that dispersal limitation causes the standcontinuity requirements of calicioid fungi, while data rather indicate that they are relatively good dispersers (Tibell 1994, Kruys andJonsson 1997). Some studies having actually measured environmental parameters cannot separate between intercorrelated factors because of using only univariate analyses (Holien 1996, Kuusinen andSiitonen 1998). Finally, Holien's (1996Holien's ( , 1998 concept of "old-growth species" should be taken with caution, because his studies in Norway spruce stands were performed in an area where the spruce had been established for < 700 years, i.e.…”

“…First, several case studies demonstrate that some calicioid species are most abundant in the oldest stands, interpreting this as their old-growth dependency (Holien 1998) and indicator value for stand continuity (Tibell 1992) or age (Kuusinen and Siitonen 1998). One problem with these studies is that they only compare mature and old stands (Tibell 1992, Selva 1994, Kuusinen and Siitonen 1998, Marmor et al 2011 or only have limited data from earlier successional phases (Holien 1998). Clearly, it is premature to establish old-forest dependency without knowing whether the species could also inhabit structural legacies after stand-replacing disturbances and timber harvesting, or trees in semi-natural communities.…”

Relationships between Psychidae communities (Lepidoptera: Tineoidea) and the ecological characteristics of old-growth forests in a beech dominated landscape

“…At the species level abundance of Taleporia defoliella was positively correlated with forest attributes. Beech dominance, and number of large trees probably indirectly affect food availability because it is reported that lichens and mosses, the main source of food for this species (Hättenschwiler & Scalercio, 2003), are more abundant in old-growth forests (Kuusinen & Siitonen, 1998;Botting & Fredeen, 2006). Psyche crassiorella was also correlated with above mentioned forest attributes but rather than positively correlated as in the case of T. defoliella it was negatively correlated with them.…”