PARENT SESSION
OOS 5: Restoration Effects of Fire and Thinning Treatments on Mixed-Conifer Ecosystems.
Organized by: M North and J Innes
Monday, August 2, 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, Meeting Room E 148.

Conservation ecology of an arboreal forage lichen in the Teakettle red fir/mixed-conifer ecotone.

RAMBO, THOMAS^*,1, ¹ University of California, Davis, CA, USA

ABSTRACT- Epiphyte communities can play major ecological roles in old-growth forests, providing many valuable functions. Bryoria fremontii is an arboreal forage lichen with direct ecological linkages to northern flying squirrels and Douglas' squirrels in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests. Through these prey species, Bryoria has indirect effects on four Forest Service-listed Sensitive Species in this region: the California spotted owl, northern goshawk, pine marten, and American fisher. Bryoria is sensitive to air pollution and changes in microclimate, and highly susceptible to environmental disturbance and habitat destruction brought about by deforestation. Bryoria also appears to be sensitive to periods of prolonged wetting in high elevation marine-influenced forests of British Columbia, where climate is characteristically wet and stand conditions restrict canopy ventilation. However, in the Sierra Nevada where the over-riding climate is considerably drier and forests are relatively open, Bryoria may have greater success where humidity is enhanced by more closed stand conditions. Preliminary data from Teakettle indicate a positive association between Bryoria and red fir that increases with proximity to perennial water. This research explores the ecological requirements of Bryoria 1) in relationship to overstory vs. understory strategies of forest fuel reduction and 2) its positive association with red fir in the Teakettle red fir/mixed-conifer ecotone. The study will quantify the degree of this association, explore its nature, and compare effects of the two patterns of forest thinning on the establishment and growth of Bryoria transplants in relationship to changes in stand openness and humidity. When thinning and reducing accumulated fuels in this ecotone, retention of riparian-influenced red fir may be important for fostering Bryoria populations. Conservation of Bryoria in turn has implications for the conservation of sensitive species and broader ecosystem biodiversity in these forests.

Key words: red fir, Teakettle, Bryoria, epiphytes