Bole Epiphytes on Three Conifer Species from Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada

To compare effects of aspect, height on tree, and host species on species richness and cover of epiphytic lichens and bryophytes on conifers, we sampled Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, Picea sitchensis, and Tsuga heterophylla on the north and south sides in the first, second, and third meters of tree trunks in Vladimir J. Krajina Ecological Reserve. A total of 11 taxa of mosses, 26 of liverworts, and 4 of lichens were recognized. Bryophytes, especially liverworts, dominated in both cover and number of occurrences, with the most common being Dicranum scoparium, Isothecium myosuroides, Bazzania flaccida, and Scapania bolanderi. Rhytidiadelphus loreus was abundant at the tree bases but not at other heights. There was no host specificity. The rough mat growth form comprised both the highest cover and greatest number of species of bryophytes on each of the three tree species. This study demonstrates that under the right bark conditions liverworts can be more abundant than mosses and both more abundant than lichens on conifer bark.