Volunteer Enrichment- Lichens

1. Daniel Stanton
Research Specialist
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Lichens!

2. What is a lichen?

3. Cladonia vulcani – a fructicose “reindeer lichen”
Mycobiont: Cladonia vulcani
[Myco = Fungus]
Photobiont: Trebouxia excentrica
[Photo =Light]

4. Fungi Algae Cyanobacteria
Mycobiont
“Fungal partner”
Photobionts (one of both)
“Algal partner”
Lichen Symbioses

5. Lichens have
evolved many
different times

6. Yuan et al.
2005
Science
600 million year
old lichen?

7. Prototaxites: a prehistoric giant lichen?
www-news.uchicago.edu

8. Lichens have
evolved many
different times

9. Lichen Morphology
Thallus
Haustorium

10. Divided into tissues with (we think)
different functions
Cortex “bark”:
Protection against
drying and UV
Photobiont layer:
Photosynthesizing
Medulla “marrow/pith”:
Storing water

11. Growth forms
● Basic:
– Crustose (flat, crusty)
– Foliose (leafy)
– Fruticose (3-D)
● Bonus:
– Leprose
– Squamulose
– Bipartite
– Byssoid
– etc

12. Crustose

13. Foliose

14. Fruticose

15. Bipartite:
-squamules (scales)
-podetia (stalks)

16. Gelatinous
Leprose

17. Chimeric (alga and cyanobacteria)

18. Caloplaca orthoclada

19. Reproductive structures
● Sexual
● Asexual

20. Sexual
Fungus-only
Two common:
– Apothecia (Disks)
– Perithecia (Vases)

22. Asexual
● Fungus + Photobiont
● Specialized structures:
– Soredia (Powder balls)
– Isidia (Fingers)
● Fragmentation
Santessonia cervicornis

23. Identifying lichens
● Morphology
– Thallus shape
– Cilia
– Reproductive structures
● Color
● Chemistry
– Spot tests
– Thin Layer
Chromatography
● Spores

24. Lichen physiology
● Desiccation tolerance (different from drought
tolerance)

27. Atmospheric water sources
● Fog
● Dew
● Humid Air

28. Lichen shape responds to fog
Fog frequency
Stanton and Horn, 2013, The Bryologist

29. • Antarctica: 2 plant
species, over 350 lichen
species!
Where Do Lichens Live?
Lichens dominate more
land surface than tropical
rain forests.
Present in all types of
land ecosystems –
deserts to rainforests,
poles to tropics.
Most abundant in
extreme environments
(high/low temp, low
precip, high light).
Parmelia
sulcata

36. Lichens in space
Elegant Sunburst
Lichen (bright orange
lichen on rocks on the
North Shore) survived
18 months in outer
space!

38. Nitrogen fixation

39. Lichen Growth
• Typically very slow =
mm/yr – why?
• Depend on air and rain
for all nutrients (no
roots).
• No outer cuticle layer =
very sensitive to
moisture changes.
• Being
poikilohydric/thermic,
growth is opportunistic.

40. Pollution & Lichen Distributions

41. Cislaghi and Nimi 1997 Nature
Lichen diversity is a good indicator of air quality and
health risks

42. National Lichens and Air Quality Database
http://gis.nacse.org/lichenair

44. Roles of lichens in ecosystems
● Soil formation
● Nitrogen fixation
● Microclimate impacts
● Forage
● Materials

45. ● Nitrogen
Fixation
● Soil
Formation

47. “Maicillo”

49. ● Biological soil crusts

51. ● Forage lichens:
– Elk
– Reindeer
– Voles
– Snub-nosed monkeys

53. Human uses for lichens
● Dyes
● Food
● Medicine
● Other?
Evernia spp.
Perfume fixative

56. ● Famine foods
● Local specialties
● Additives
● Sugar production
Edible lichens

57. Dyes
● Orchil/Cudbear
● Litmus
● Protousnea

58. Lichens in Minnesota
● Bruce Fink's 1910 Lichens of Minnesota
● Clifford Wetmore

59. A few common species

60. Cladonia

61. Cladonia

63. Cladonia

64. Peltigera leucophlebia
http://www.waysofenlichenment.net

66. Arctoparmelia centrifuga

67. Rhizocarpon geographicum
http://www.stridvall.se/

68. Umbilicaria muehlenbergia
http://www.waysofenlichenment.net

69. Xanthoparmelia cumberlandia
http://lichenportal.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=54737&taxauthid=1#

70. Xanthoria elegans
Elegant Sunburst

71. On Trees

72. Flavoparmelia caperata Common Greenshield

73. Melanelia/Melanelixia subaurifera
http://www.waysofenlichenment.net

74. Phaeophyscia adiastola
http://www.waysofenlichenment.net

75. Xanthoria parietina

76. Candelariella
Ways of enlichenment

77. Lecanora allophana
http://www.waysofenlichenment.net

78. Evernia mesomorpha Oak Moss
http://www.waysofenlichenment.net

79. Usnea

80. Bryoria trichodes
http://www.waysofenlichenment.net

81. Lobaria pulmonaria
http://www.waysofenlichenment.net

82. Thanks!
Email:
● stan0477@umn.edu