Habitat associations of macrolichens on a boreal island in the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada

Compared to the mainland, boreal oceanic islands would be expected to have a depauperate lichen biota because of their isolation, small area, exposure to salt spray and structurally simple habitats. We surveyed the macrolichens (non-crustose lichens) and quantified habitat associations on Kent Island, an 80-hectare island that lies at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada. A total of 43 species in 13 genera were identified, which represents 19% of the macrolichen species richness of Fundy National Park on the mainland coast of New Brunswick. Cyanolichens were not found on Kent Island. Nearly 75% of Kent Island’s macrolichen species had boreal biogeographical affinities, despite the island’s temperate latitude (44u359N) and low elevation, due to the chilling influence of the locally upwelling Labrador Current. Multi-response Permutation Procedures and Indicator Species Analysis demonstrated non-random habitat associations among Kent Island’s macrolichen species and moderate but significant differences in lichen communities among five forest types on the island.