SEASONAL GROWTH DYNAMICS IN THE LICHEN LOBARIA-PULMONARIA

We monitored growth (as change in biomass) of Lobaria pulmonaria for a pproximately 3 years in western Oregon, re-weighing thalli eleven time s over the 3 years. Thalli were grown as Pendant transplants in a Frax inus latifolia forest. Most transplants survived for the full 3 years, with only 12 out of the 60 thalli missing by the end; another 9 were eliminated from the data set die to breakage. While growth rates were highly variable most thalli grew rapidly; mean biomass increases were 28%, 47%, and 69% over the first one, first two, and all 3 years, resp ectively. Growth rates were not correlated with starting sizes of tran splants, which ranged from 0.18 to 0.56 g, but differences among indiv iduals' growth rates were consistent over time. Growth rates were stro ngly seasonal. Thalli did not grow significantly during summer and ear ly fall, which are dry seasons in the study area. Thalli grew througho ut the wet seasons (November to June) and, in the year during which gr owth was measured most frequently, growth rates were maximal in spring , contrasting with our expectation that rapid growth would begin with the onset of autumn rains.