Abstract
The project aims to develop methods for an ecologically and economically sustainable management of lichen-rich continuity forests. The focal organisms are epiphytic pendulous lichens (Alectoria, Bryoria, Usnea), which are critical for biodiversity and ecosystem function. The project aims to: 1. assess whether partial cutting can maintain the abundance and ecological functions of pendulous lichens in continuity forests, 2. analyse the long-term profitability of partial cutting, 3. determine the optimal microclimatic conditions for lichens in partially cut stands, and 4. examine how partial cutting affect critical processes in the life cycle of lichens. We will set up a large-scale field experiment in old spruce forests and study lichen response (abundance, mortality, growth, dispersal, establishment) to changes in microclimate. The economy of partial harvest is analysed using forest planning models. The design is based on partial harvest experiments in Canada. Model species are Alectoria sarmentosa, an old forest indicator, and Usnea longissima, a red-listed flagship species. Treatments include three levels of canopy removal and a control, each replicated four times. Study sites will be in SLUs Exp. forests and in stands owned by SCA Skog. We will assess long-term effects of partial cutting by sampling lichens in old experimental plots in Vilhelmina Model Forest. The project is a co-operation between Umeå university, SLU, and Univ. of Northern British Columbia, Canada.
Sweden