Studies on lichen-dominated systems. XX. An examination of some aspects of the northern boreal lichen woodlands in Canada

Abstract

The existence of two major types of lichen woodland in Canada, Cladonia stellaris woodland and Stereocaulon paschale woodland, is discussed in relation to their seral nature and their rarely developed theoretical climax type.Our own observations, coupled with previous descriptions from a wider area, suggest that Stereocaulon paschale woodland replaces Cladonia stellaris woodland in a more or less continuous zone from just west of Churchill across to Great Slave Lake, immediately north and south of latitude 60° N. Both woodland types are often typical of sandy soils (pH 6 or less) and almost always represent the final recovery phase after fire. Rarely, the lichen surface is replaced by a continuous moss cover as the spruce canopy closes. The lichen surface is thus dependent on the lack of competition from higher plants, the absence of which is characteristic of the climate of this northern boreal region. Cladonia stellaris woodland also occurs on palsas and peat plateaux where, again, lack of higher plant competition and a suitable pH exist.The recovery sequence after fire is a highly complex process and as yet only the following parameters have been categorized. In the early recovery phases, limited soil moisture and hence a reduced summer latent heat flux enhance the sensible heat flux. The surface conditions are analogous to those of a hot desert with very high surface temperatures and extremely large diurnal temperature fluctuations. The physiology of these initial moss and lichen colonizers presumably enables them to tolerate these harsh conditions. The establishment of a few spruce seedlings and the subsequent development of open lichen woodland modulates the harsh summer temperature regime and allows the further development of a vegetated surface. After humus accumulation, which acts as an effective mulch, summer soil moisture is elevated, enhancing the latent heat flux and correspondingly reducing the sensible heat flux. This probably allows the full development of mature lichen woodland with its almost monospecific ground cover of either Cladonia stellaris or Stereocaulon paschale. Limited data suggest that the net photosynthetic responses of these two species is favoured by the relatively warm mesic conditions established by the open spruce canopy. Good accumulation of snow in the winter is probably also important for protection of the lichen surface from low temperatures. The open nature of mature lichen woodland is apparently maintained by an active inhibition of spruce seedling establishment by the lichen mat, although the mechanism is not entirely clear.