Cabin fever? Prepare to get outdoors this spring at the Aleza Lake Research Forest…

ALRFS just published two new trail maps on our Maps page. We are also preparing a trail brochure which will have maps and more information about how to get to the Research Forest and what you can find on the trails…so stay tuned!

Not interested in going out for a walk on your own? Arrange for a guided tour for your group! For more information see our Education page.

Lobaria pulmonaria grows on a mature tree (photo: Wikipedia).

Congratulations to Jocelyn Campbell (UBC PhD Candidate) and her co-authors on their recent publication in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research. The research took place at various locations within Aleza Lake Research Forest and surrounding ecosystems.

The paper describes a study on cyanolichens, a type of lichen that grows in wet climates and old forest conditions. Cyanolichens that grow on trees are picky about where they live. For example, this paper cites other studies that have shown cyanolichens are more abundant and diverse on sub-alpine fir trees (Abies lasiocaropa) then they are on hybrid spruce (Picea glauca x englemanii). In fact this paper shows that one of the places that cynolichens are happiest is on conifer saplings that grow under aspen (Populus tremuloides) or cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa). This unexplainable association was even stronger in study sites where conditions for cyanolichens were marginal, including those at ALRF.

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