The current status of Boreal Felt Lichen (Erioderma pedicellatum) in Nova Scotia
Brad Toms1
1Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, Kempt, Nova Scotia
Lichens have a complex biology which we largely still do not understand, especially their habitat needs and the inter-species interactions that they need to reproduce successfully. Boreal Felt Lichen (BFL) has acted as a sentinel species for lichen conservation both locally and globally. The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute (MTRI) has undertaken a long-term survivorship study of all known BFL host trees in Nova Scotia. Host trees were flagged when they were found and were revisited regularly in order to measure survivorship, the percent grazing of each thalli, the percent necrosis of each thalli, and the lichen health score (1-5) for each thalli. BFL numbers have been on a downward trend since 2014 and is currently known to occur on only 87 host trees. This poster will present the results of ongoing monitoring of the population and threats to it such as slug grazing and adjacent forestry.
Keywords: Lichens, Boreal Felt Lichen, threats, habitat monitoring
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