Can partial‐cut harvesting be used to manage terrestrial lichen habitat? A review of recent evidence

Recent research suggests that partial-cut harvesting techniques can be used to alter successional trajectories in pine- and spruce-lichen woodlands, allowing forest managers to extend the period of reindeer lichen growth in mid- to late seral boreal forest stands. In Quebec, a fully replicated part...

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Main Authors: Susan K. Stevenson, Darwyn S. Coxson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Septentrio Academic Publishing 2015-12-01
Series:Rangifer
Subjects:
Online Access:https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/3461
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spelling doaj-0967c8f8f2764e84b122ebe627c6565b2020-11-24T22:04:13ZengSeptentrio Academic PublishingRangifer1890-67292015-12-0135210.7557/2.35.2.34613223Can partial‐cut harvesting be used to manage terrestrial lichen habitat? A review of recent evidenceSusan K. StevensonDarwyn S. Coxson Recent research suggests that partial-cut harvesting techniques can be used to alter successional trajectories in pine- and spruce-lichen woodlands, allowing forest managers to extend the period of reindeer lichen growth in mid- to late seral boreal forest stands. In Quebec, a fully replicated partial-cutting trial found that terrestrial lichen abundance remained at least as high in the partial cut as in the clearcuts or unlogged stands, and that the partial cut appeared to be on a trajectory to have even more terrestrial lichen due to sustained higher growth rates. In Alberta, a retrospective study found higher terrestrial lichen abundance in an early horse-logged partial cut than in undisturbed adjacent old forests or in clearcuts. Follow-up studies of partial-cut harvesting trials in British Columbia found that group selection plots 10 years after harvesting had lichen cover equivalent to that of undisturbed forest. In contrast, studies on lichen woodlands that have been defoliated by mountain pine beetle showed a major decline in reindeer lichen cover and a corresponding increase in vascular plant cover, similar to the results of previous studies on clear-cut logging impacts. Taken together these studies provide qualified support for the hypothesis that partial-cut harvesting can be used to enhance, or at least maintain, terrestrial lichen mats used as forage by caribou. https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/3461forest managementlichen woodlandspartial-cut harvestingterrestrial lichenswoodland caribou 
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Susan K. Stevenson
Darwyn S. Coxson
spellingShingle Susan K. Stevenson
Darwyn S. Coxson
Can partial‐cut harvesting be used to manage terrestrial lichen habitat? A review of recent evidence
Rangifer
forest management
lichen woodlands
partial-cut harvesting
terrestrial lichens
woodland caribou 
author_facet Susan K. Stevenson
Darwyn S. Coxson
author_sort Susan K. Stevenson
title Can partial‐cut harvesting be used to manage terrestrial lichen habitat? A review of recent evidence
title_short Can partial‐cut harvesting be used to manage terrestrial lichen habitat? A review of recent evidence
title_full Can partial‐cut harvesting be used to manage terrestrial lichen habitat? A review of recent evidence
title_fullStr Can partial‐cut harvesting be used to manage terrestrial lichen habitat? A review of recent evidence
title_full_unstemmed Can partial‐cut harvesting be used to manage terrestrial lichen habitat? A review of recent evidence
title_sort can partial‐cut harvesting be used to manage terrestrial lichen habitat? a review of recent evidence
publisher Septentrio Academic Publishing
series Rangifer
issn 1890-6729
publishDate 2015-12-01
description Recent research suggests that partial-cut harvesting techniques can be used to alter successional trajectories in pine- and spruce-lichen woodlands, allowing forest managers to extend the period of reindeer lichen growth in mid- to late seral boreal forest stands. In Quebec, a fully replicated partial-cutting trial found that terrestrial lichen abundance remained at least as high in the partial cut as in the clearcuts or unlogged stands, and that the partial cut appeared to be on a trajectory to have even more terrestrial lichen due to sustained higher growth rates. In Alberta, a retrospective study found higher terrestrial lichen abundance in an early horse-logged partial cut than in undisturbed adjacent old forests or in clearcuts. Follow-up studies of partial-cut harvesting trials in British Columbia found that group selection plots 10 years after harvesting had lichen cover equivalent to that of undisturbed forest. In contrast, studies on lichen woodlands that have been defoliated by mountain pine beetle showed a major decline in reindeer lichen cover and a corresponding increase in vascular plant cover, similar to the results of previous studies on clear-cut logging impacts. Taken together these studies provide qualified support for the hypothesis that partial-cut harvesting can be used to enhance, or at least maintain, terrestrial lichen mats used as forage by caribou.
topic forest management
lichen woodlands
partial-cut harvesting
terrestrial lichens
woodland caribou 
url https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/3461
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