BERRYMAN, SHANTI D.* AND BRUCE MCCUNE. Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333. - Differences in epiphytic lichen communities and biomass among forest stand types in the Blue River watershed of western Oregon.
Epiphytic macrolichen communities were compared among forest stand
types in the Blue River watershed. These stand types were used to
project forest management strategies as defined by the Blue River
Landscape Administrative Study. Stand types were defined by stand
structure, which was classified by the age of the younger cohort and
the percent retention of the older cohort trees. Topographic position
(upland and riparian) and vascular plant association (Tsuga
heterophylla and Abies) also classified stand types.
Ordination analysis revealed that the strongest differences in lichen
community composition were related to an elevation gradient, which
correlated to the vascular plant association. Species richness and
live basal area were also important gradients in differentiating
lichen communities. Sites with high species richness tended to have
high basal area of live trees. Results suggested that most lichen
communities with abundant cyanolichens were sampled in sites of low
elevations, older age, and in riparian areas (specifically those with
perennial streams). Lichen biomass was estimated for three functional
groups: cyanolichens, forage lichens, and green-algal foliose lichens.
Relationships between lichen communtiy composition and biomass data
were determined, and will be used to develop a model for estimating
lichen biomass in different lichen communities. We acknowledge the
support of the USDA National Forest Service, Willamette National
Forest.
Key words: biomass, epiphytes, lichens, stand types