Ecological Dynamics of Boreal Forests and Lichen Woodlands

The boreal zone encompasses vast coniferous forests interspersed with lichen woodlands, low‐productivity ecosystems shaped by climate extremes, fire regimes and soil processes. Closed‐canopy stands dominated by black spruce and jack pine store substantial carbon, regulate hydrology and support diverse understory communities. In contrast, lichen woodlands are characterised by sparse tree cover and a continuous mat of fruticose and crustose lichens, leading to poor moisture retention, low nutrient availability and inhibited tree regeneration. Successional trajectories in these systems are governed by interactions among ground‐layer biota (lichens, mosses, ericaceous shrubs), soil development and disturbance severity. Post‐fire habitat heterogeneity creates microsites that either foster conifer establishment or promote ericaceous shrub dominance, potentially reinforcing lichen‐dominated states. Climate warming and shifting disturbance patterns threaten to alter the balance between closed forests and open woodlands, with consequences for carbon dynamics, timber resources and wildlife habitat. Effective management requires understanding these feedbacks and the thresholds that control transitions between alternative stable states.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Ecological Dynamics of Boreal Forests and Lichen Woodlands publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in ecological dynamics of boreal forests and lichen woodlands across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Lichen woodland: An open‐canopy boreal ecosystem where ground cover is dominated by fruticose and crustose lichens beneath sparse trees.

Feather moss: Bryophytes such as Pleurozium schreberi that form dense carpets, retaining moisture and enhancing nutrient cycling in boreal soils.

Soil scarification: A forestry treatment that mechanically exposes mineral soil to improve seedbed conditions and promote natural regeneration.

Ericaceous shrubs: Understorey plants of the Ericaceae family whose dense growth and tannin‐rich litter modify soil chemistry and inhibit tree seedlings.

Alternative stable state: An ecological configuration that persists under given environmental conditions and resists change without significant external intervention.

References

1. Initiating the transition from open-canopy lichen woodland to productive forest by transplanting moss, results from a 10-year experiment. Plant and Soil (2023).
2. Natural regeneration potential and dynamics in boreal lichen woodlands of eastern Canada following soil scarification. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change (2023).
3. Post-Fire Habitat Heterogeneity Leads to Black Spruce–Kalmia L. Shrub Savannah Alternate State. Forests (2022).