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Nitrogen in Forest Ecosystems on Vancouver Island
Lobaria is a genus of lichens that is becoming rare world wide. This species is most common in old growth Douglas fir. They have a unique ability to “fix” nitrogen from the air. That is, extract the gas from the air and incorporate it into living tissues. In a forest ecosystem, this is very important. Because most forests are deficient in this element. That is, nitrogen is the most limiting element in forest soils. So that if you ad just nitrogen fertilizer, you get a bigger growth response than if you add potassium,or phosphorus. The fixation rate is pretty significant; as much as 16 kg/ha/yr. However, another plant, Red Alder, can fix nitrogen at over double that rate. Still the fact that the lichen is often present in old growth forests when alder isn’t, is a help to the productivity of the ecosystem.
This photo was taken along the banks of the Stamp River on Vancouver Island.Lobaria oregana or Lettuce Lung