Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest: Lichen grazing assessment on valleywide plots

Herbivory by terrestrial gastropods, particularly Arion sp. (a
non-native slug), can alter epiphytic lichen communities; however,
little is known about this interaction in forests of North America. We
used surveys of grazing damage to lichen thalli in the field on 52
plots within Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH. Grazing damage by
terrestrial gastropods was widespread, though few sites had severe
grazing. Grazing damage was significantly higher on flatter terrain
and on broadleaf trees. Overall, lichen communities in the HBEF were
moderately impacted by terrestrial gastropod grazing, but potential
effects of the non-native slugs at higher elevations and impacts on
lichen health of widespread, moderate grazing deserve further study.

These data were gathered as part of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study
(HBES). The HBES is a collaborative effort at the Hubbard Brook
Experimental Forest, which is operated and maintained by the USDA
Forest Service, Northern Research Station.

These data were analyzed and published in: Clyne, Ailís B, Natalie L
Cleavitt, and Timothy J Fahey. 2019. “Terrestrial Gastropod Grazing On
Macrolichens In A Northern Broadleaf–Conifer Forest”. Northeastern
Naturalist 26(2): 261 - 274.
https://bioone.org/journals/Northeastern-Naturalist/volume-26/issue-2/045.026.0203/Terrestrial-Gastropod-Grazing-on-Macrolichens-in-a-Northern-BroadleafConifer-Forest/10.1656/045.026.0203.full.