Saturday, September 13, 2008

lichen

I have always had a bit of a thing for lichen.

At uni we did an assignment to map the distribution of lichen species around the suburbs of Adelaide. There are various forms, ranging from the crustose (ie flat moss like lichen) to fruticose (i think thats the correct spelling, the frilly fragile species). Apparently there is a direct correlation between traffic density and lichen distribution, as the frilly species cannot survive when carbon monoxide levels reach a certain level. A similar indicator of urban pollution as frogs i guess.

Anyhow i am happy to report, i have the entire range of lichen species on my property. I took load of pics, but this is my favourite as it captures the varieties.

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