Lung Lichens

Day 24: I've been back and forth many times on the correct identification of this common lichen because I'm too lazy to break out the chemicals to do the spot tests to determine whether it's Lobaria oregana or L. linita. Suffice to say that it is one of the "lung lichens," and that appellation applies across quite a few species. The common name derives from one of two (perhaps both) characteristics: its resemblance to lung tissue (although green), and its preference for unpolluted air. Lung lichens aren't quite as fussy as some Usneas in that regard, but they're still a good indicator. Deer and other ruminants consider lung lichens prime forage, and no wonder. Lobaria pulmonaria (another species) can provide up to one ton of browse (dry weight) per hectare.

Diversity And Cooperation

Day 361: Diversity and cooperation make the world both beautiful and complex. One has only to look at a 6" x 6" piece of tree bark in one of the Pacific Northwest's damp forests to see both principles in operation. Species co-exist in a variety of cooperative relationships, and none represents partnership any more strongly than the family of lichens. Pairing in numerous combinations of algae, fungus and yeast, lichens exhibit a wealth of forms and survival strategies. Maybe humans should take a lesson from Nature. Just sayin'.

Looking At Longmire Lobaria

Day 87: With the return of precipitation to the "Pacific Northwe't," many lichen species such as this Lobaria are at their best during the months of winter. As you already have learned, the plants we call lichens are a symbiosis of fungal and algal components, i.e., two species in a cooperative relationship which benefits both. On their own, fungi are not capable of photosynthesis and rely on other means to obtain nutrients. In lichens, this is where algae come into play. Algae are the photosynthetic partners ("photobionts") which "feed" the fungal member of the symbiosis.

Lichens are paradigms of survival. During periods of low precipitation or drought, they dry to a point that observers might assume they were withered and dead. However, when the rains return, they spring back to health readily, "greening up" in a delightful display. The photobionts responsible for this change of colour include green, blue-green or brown algae singly or in combination, so a wide range of hues is possible, from dark brown-green to bright chartreuse. The winter forest is far from being drab and dull. Just look to the lively, lovely lichens!