PONE-D-22-08912Impacts to lichens and other tundra vegetation from heavy metal-enriched fugitive dust on National Park Service lands along the Red Dog Mine haul road, Alaska.PLOS ONE

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

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Reviewer #1: This manuscript expands upon existing work to assess the effect of fugitive dust on lichen community richness. It expands upon previously published work by focusing primarily on lichen communities and corroborating a spatial model with past results.

The study area, target organisms, and management challenge are highly relevant. The study design provides a good attempt to answer research questions. Data is handled thoroughly and fairly with appropriate statistical methods and species community treatments. The authors place appropriate bounds on their analyses and how it may be applied. They do an excellent job placing their work into context of other similar studies and highlight how this study area, although small, is an excellent case example that allows an interpretation approach near “experimental”.

To the best of my knowledge and experience, I recommend this manuscript for acceptance to PLosOne with minor revisions.

In the attached file, I’ve included general comments requiring standardization throughout parts of the manuscript and specific comments relevant only to one or few lines. I am encouraged by the inclusion of background on this area (i.e., the land ownership and private easement issues) that sometime are omitted in scientific studies even if those issues are what instigated the funding of the research.

Reviewer #2: This title is very wordy, I suggest simplifing the title.

Impacts of heavy metals along the Red Dog road in Alaska.

The current title focuses too much on lichens and not on the other taxa and many readers interested in vascular plants might not bother with an article with the current title.

The differences in response to fugitive dust contaminants among the different vegetation components

170 (i.e., lichens, bryophytes, vascular plants) is unique for this study and should be of interest to a very wide audience.

In the Taxonomy section of the Methods.

It would be clearer to state;

Specimens of known genus and unknown species—and for which all species likely to occur at

335 the site were already present—were lumped with the most common species in the data set.

336 Examples of this included "species with in the" Sphaerophorus and Bryoria :genera:

559 species in plots close to the road was visible to observers and in photos (Fig 5). While most

560 lichens species were eliminated at distances close to the road (10–50 m), those present included:

561 (> 50% frequency) Thamnolia subuliformis, Flavocetraria cucullata, Cladonia amaurocraea,

562 and (33–50% frequency) Cladonia stygia, Cladonia arbuscula, Cetraria laevigata, Cladonia

563 maxima, Cladonia rangiferina, Peltigera aphthosa. These are presumably the most pollutant5

Given the data set it seems that there should be a qualifier of what type of pollutant these lichens species are tolerant of? not all pollutants? just these heavy metals?

Figures are well done. Figure captions are well donce and complete.

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes: Roger Rosentreter

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Attachments

Attachment

Submitted filename: Comments_to_authors.pdf

Impacts on tundra vegetation from heavy metal-enriched fugitive dust on National Park Service lands along the Red Dog Mine haul road, Alaska.

PONE-D-22-08912R1

Dear Dr. Neitlich,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements. Congratulations! This is a highly rigorous study that significantly moves the field forward. Nicely done!

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