Micro to mega-landscapes: scaling arboreal lichen pattern and processes in the boreal rainforest

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As a landscape ecologist, I want to know why species are found where they are. Landscape ecologists use observations about species occurrences together with GIS data (digital maps) to develop distribution models to aid with this understanding. A challenge with these models can be lack of data on organisms. As well, robust scientific experimentation requires experiments to be replicated. However, in landscape ecology it is very difficult to have replicate landscapes on which to experiment. My goal is to overcome these challenges. I will use arboreal (tree-dwelling) lichens on the island of Newfoundland as a model system (with high numbers of individuals) to better understand what drives spatial patterns of biodiversity across scales. Newfoundland is known as the “boreal rainforest” because of its high lichen diversity. I will overcome the challenge of lack of replication using stands and trees as “landscapes” at multiple spatial scales. This will allow for validation and improvement of statistical models and thereby help to improve habitat models for other species. This will contribute to my on-going research to gain insights into species-habitat dynamics for boreal species. Finally, I will investigate how arboreal lichens can be used as an indicator for forest ecological integrity. The proposed program will include field work, GIS analysis and statistical modelling projects at three different spatial scales to investigate spatial diversity patterns and habitat requirements for multiple arboreal lichen species. The program will involve 9 HQP (2 PhD, 2 MSc, 5 Undergraduates). At the micro-scale I will treat individual trees within a stand as replicate landscapes and test how fine-scale changes along the trunk of a tree affect lichen distribution. At the meso-scale I will work within and between stands to compare stand level attributes that influence lichen distribution. At the mega-scale I will compare lichen distribution patterns in two geographically separated lichen “hot-spots”. Finally, an integrative, desk-based project will use predictive distributions at multiple scales to determine how lichens can function as ecological indicators. This work is novel in that it adopts a cross-scale perspective and applies explicit landscape ecology principles to lichen ecology. The cross-scale sampling design allows for a very clear examination of how spatial scale influences diversity patterns. These insights will contribute to statistical modelling techniques for analysing diversity patterns of other species across scales. Lichens are an important organism for study because they are indicators of atmospheric pollution and forest integrity. The work will break new ground in our understanding of arboreal lichen diversity patterns in the boreal region and help provide information that can be used in forest management to ensure forest ecology is not negatively affected by human activities.