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!