UBC Undergraduate Research

Impact of English Ivy on Moss on Trees in Pacific Spirit and Jericho Beach Parks Forsyth, Sophie; Stonehouse, Freya

Abstract

Moss communities play an integral role in many ecosystems. However, these moss communities are often negatively impacted by the introduction of invasive species, such as English ivy, into their ecosystems. Unfortunately, ecological restoration efforts often fail to consider moss communities, particularly those found on trees. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between English ivy and moss communities present on trees, by quantifying and comparing the abundance and species richness of moss on the trunks of trees with and without English ivy (Hedera helix). Although no significant difference in the number of moss species per 10 cm2 was observed, a significant difference in the number of moss species per tree, and the percent coverage of moss, on trees with and without English ivy was found. A significant difference in the percent coverage of total area and percent coverage of available area (not occupied by ivy) by moss was also found.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International