Lichens and Visitor Use Inventory at Lava Bed National Monument - Open Format Dataset

Lichen communities associated with cave entrances in the Monument include disjunct species that are associated with the moderated microclimate provided by caves; many of these species do not occur in the surrounding landscape. Despite the unique natural value of these communities, the impacts of visitor use on the lichens associated with the caves at the Monument are not fully known. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of visitor use of caves and other ecological drivers on lichen communities at the Monument and provide managers with insight into this unique vegetation component.