Cryptogam Distributions on Pseudotsuga menziesii and Abies lasiocarpa in the Front Range, Boulder County, Colorado
Abstract
Forty-six lichens, two mosses and one fungus were studied on the trunks of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco and Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. at five elevations in Boulder County, Colorado. Arthonia mediella Nyl., Cladonia bacillaris (Ach.) Nyl., Lecanora expallens Ach., L. hypoptoides Nyl., L. piniperda Kirb., Lecidea plebeja Nyl. and Rinodina pachysperma Magn. are reported for the first time from Colorado. The vertical, horizontal (aspectual) and elevational distributions of the cryptogams were ascertained both quantitatively and qualitatively. Eleven taxa were exclusive to P. menziesii, 17 taxa were exclusive to A. lasiocarpa and 19 taxa were common to both. The rate of bark scaling appeared to be the most important substrate feature governing the abundance of epiphytic growth on different conifer tree species. The study of distribution and ecology of corticolous cryptogamic epiphytes on specific tree species has been approached in the following ways: 1) species lists with notes on preferred substrate have always been a part of the general lichenological literature; 2) horizontal and vertical distributional studies of individual corticolous epiphytes, coupled with ecological notes, have appeared within the past forty years (Raup, 1930; Hale, 1952, 1965; Culberson, 1955; Coleman et al., 1956; Pearson, 1969; Kalgutkar & Bird, 1969; Jonescu, 1970; Hinds, 1970; Adams & Risser, 1971; Yarranton, 1972); 3) synecological studies have emerged within the past 20 years relating community structure to environment (Szczawinski, 1953; Barkman, 1958; Hoffman & Kazmierski, 1969); and 4) pioneering ecophysiological studies have only recently appeared (Harris, 1971). The latter are hampered by inability to grow lichens easily in the laboratory (Ahmadjian, 1967). There are large geographical areas that have been excluded in studies similar to those listed above, including many areas in the Rocky Mountains. Weber and Shushan (1955), Anderson (1962, 1964, 1974), Weber (1965, 1968), Shushan (1966), Shushan and Anderson (1969) and Egan (1971) have all published taxonomic works on lichens in the southern Rocky Mountains of the United States. Kalgutkar and Bird (1969) have extensively studied the autecology of corticolous lichens in the Canadian 1 This article is based on a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Ph.D. in biology, University of Colorado, 1973. I thank Dr. Sam Shushan for guidance throughout the study, Drs. John Thomson, J. W. Sheard, Antonin Vizda and Wilhelm Solheim for consultation and Mr. Dwight Hamilton, Chief Park Naturalist, for courtesies extended in Rocky Mountain National Park. Financial assistance through the Department of Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology at the Unversity of Colorado is gratefully noted. 2 U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado 80225. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.102 on Mon, 03 Oct 2016 04:19:16 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 1975] GOUGH: CRYPTOGAM DISTRIBUTIONS ON CONIFERS 125 105 40 300 20 0 m0les OOES PAR9qRK I Lake Estes 0I5 ,F 0_IF0 r7, kil ometers r0 ,2745, 4001 Bonld
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