Successional pathways of terrestrial lichens in changing Swedish boreal forests

Abstract

The current decline of terrestrial lichens in Swedish boreal forests is a major challenge for reindeer husbandry, as lichens constitute essential grazing resources for reindeer during winter. Using a 30-year data set covering northern Sweden, we explore how the successional dynamics of lichen cover depend on several forest characteristics, as well as management strategies regarding both reindeer and forestry. We found a 36% reduction of plots with lichen cover, with a decrease in lichen cover becoming more likely in recent years. Year-round presence of reindeer in forests, compared to winter grazing only, had slightly negative impacts on lichens. We found increases in lichen cover in young forests following final harvest. However, increasing basal areas as forest grow older affected lichens negatively and supported dominance of mosses. Forest management that prioritizes less dense forests with larger trees would therefore improve the ability of lichens to persist as forage resource for reindeer.