Date Creek Lichen colonization data

Conservation of epiphytic lichens in managed forest landscapes relies on understanding limitations to their dispersal and establishment after harvesting. A hot-spot for cephalo- and cyanolichens, the Kispiox inland temperate rainforest of British Columbia, Canada, is an example of where forest managers seek silviculture options that allow for forest harvesting to continue, while also conserving threatened species. To characterize colonization of these lichens (including the nationally-threatened Nephroma occultum and Lobaria retigera), we quantified thalli on 25-year-old regenerating spruce trees at varying distances from forest edges in logged openings of different sizes surrounded by mature (160 years) or old-growth (≥350 years) forest. This dataset records colonies observed along with the tree they were observed on and their size. The second dataset has information about each opening that was sampled.