28 BULLETIN 1433, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Within each inclosure four plots were laid out: (1) A check 
quadrat; (2) one on which the cover was entirely removed and the 
ground trampled; (3) one on which the vegetation was half cut to 
remove the top portion; and (4) one on which the lichen vegetation 
was picked by hand or, as in one case, scraped to frost. Scraping to 
frost under winter conditions removed about the top two-thirds of 
the vegetation, leaving the plant base intact; and picking under 
thawed conditions removed most of the plant but left the soil 
undisturbed. 
Examination of quadrats following one and two years of recovery 
showed that in all cases where the lichen cover had been half cut, 
about half the vegetation had been killed and the remainder was 
still in growing condition. There was no evidence of reproduction, 
the dead and living cover being so matted that no new plants came 
in. New growth on the living plants, however, was evidenced in 
the . form of numerous small side shoots on the cut tips and 
branches. Following a two-year period these new shoots were 
numerous and averaged about an eight of an inch long; where there 
had been only one year of recovery the shoots were less numerous, 
averaging about a sixteenth of an inch long. The effect of cutting- 
lichens in this case closely parallels what takes place in pruning a 
hedge or trimming off the top of a tree. 
The scraped-to-frost quadrat was established on April 19, when 
the surface of the ground was frozen and covered with a light snow. 
The snow was lightly brushed away and the lichen vegetation 
scraped entirely off with a hand rake to the frozen surface, leaving 
the plant base intact and protected by being frozen into the ground. 
About 2 or 2y 2 inches of cover was removed. Later, upon examina- 
tion following thawing, a cover of half an inch to an inch of lichen 
plant stubs was found remaining on the area. Examination follow- 
ing recoveiy after two seasons showed two-thirds of this cover com- 
pletely killed and the remainder still showing signs of life. New 
growth in this case as in the area half cut took the form of many 
small offshoots on the cut tips and branches, a sixteenth to an eighth 
of an inch long. No new plant or reproduction was observed, the 
matted cover of dead and living vegetation probably obstructing. 
On all the denuded quadrats a scattering reproduction was found 
following one and two years of recovery, in one case about a hun- 
dred new plants showing on the area following the two-year period. 
The species occurring, in the order of their importance, were Cla- 
donia (probably sylvatica sylvestris, rangiferirba, and sylvatica), 
Cetraria cucullata, C . islandica, and Stereocaulon tomentosum. The 
reproduction seemed to spring mostly from the old remnants of 
plants left scattered over the quadrat area, appearing also along 
the sides of the area by spreading from the adjoining cover. The 
new growth measured about a sixteenth to an eighth of an inch high. 
The picked quadrats differed from the denuded quadrats only in 
degree of denudation. Such nonlichen vegetation as sedges and 
browse was left standing, with the soil undisturbed, and although 
the lichen cover was in the main removed, some of the plant base 
may have been left intact. The beginning of reproduction was 
evidenced on these areas at about the same rate as on the denuded 
quadrats. In addition, however, it was found that in a few in- 
