Lichen diversity in Muir Woods National Monument – Final report 3 April 2015 Dr. Rikke Reese Næsborg Contractor for Save the Redwoods League, 1411 Hearst Ave., Apt #3, Berkeley, CA 94702 Deborah Zierten Save the Redwoods League, 111 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94104 Introduction Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, either a green alga or a cyanobacterium. This relationship is called a symbiosis. Older literature sources estimated some 13,500 to 17,000 lichen species worldwide (Hale 1974; Hawksworth & Hill 1984). However, recent estimates suggest a total of 26,000 to 28,000 species (http://www.fieldmuseum.org/100‐new‐lichenized‐
fungi‐described), and new species are regularly described. Lichens occur across a very wide range of environmental conditions; from sea level to high mountain peaks and from poles to tropics. They grow on numerous natural substrates such as bark, wood, leaves, rock, and soil as well as on artificial surfaces such as metal and glass (Brodo et al. 2001). Lichens produce their own food via photosynthesis and obtain water and nutrients from the ambient air; they are not parasitic to the live organisms on which they grow. Lichens are often classified according to their growth form even though this does not reflect true phylogenetic relationships. The growth form describes the vegetative body of the lichen (thallus) which comes in three main shapes (Nash 1996). Foliose lichens have flattened, leaf‐like, two‐dimensional thalli with well‐defined upper and lower surfaces. Fruticose lichens are three‐dimensional, they grow erect like a little shrub or hang pendant so that their upper and lower surfaces are indistinguishable. Crustose lichens grow firmly attached to the substrate and cannot be removed without removing the substrate as well; they lack a lower surface. Lichens perform many important ecosystem services. Some are considered pioneer species responsible for initiating soil formation over bare rock and sand. Cyanolichens (lichens that are associated with cyanobacteria) fix nitrogen from the air and thus contribute ammonium to the nitrogen cycle. Lichens also provide food, nesting material, and shelter to many animals. Many lichens are sensitive to changes in their environment which makes them useful as monitors of environmental changes such as air pollution. Lichens cannot distinguish between nutrients and harmful pollutants, so they readily absorb substances deposited onto their thalli. The sensitivity to common pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide varies by species, and lichen community composition can be a strong indicator of the air‐quality in a given area (McCune & Geiser 2009). The lichens in Muir Woods National Monument have been briefly explored on four previous occasions (unknown author 1966; Hanson & Stewart 1996; Carlberg & Benson, pers. comm.; Reese Naesborg & Williams 2014) with 15, 11, 22 and 55 species reported, respectively. While results from these cursory investigations included several interesting finds, we were convinced that the lichen biodiversity of Muir Woods National Monument was largely unexplored and uncommunicated. Therefore, our objective was to conduct a thorough investigation of lichen biodiversity in the monument as well as generate outreach material to educate the general public on lichen biology. Methods Save the Redwoods League and contractor Rikke Reese Naesborg conducted a thorough terrestrial investigation of the lichen biodiversity in Muir Woods National Monument. Muir Woods was visited six times in November 2014, when the forest floor in the monument was examined for lichen diversity (Fig. 1). Lichens were collected for identification, curation, and photography. Nomenclature follows Esslinger (2014). Figure 1. Map of lichen inventory of Muir Woods National Monument showing approximate survey route in blue. Results and discussion A total of 103 species of lichens as well as one lichenicolous fungus (Stenocybe clavata; a fungus growing on a lichen) were identified and photographed. Thirty‐four of these species were also found during the 2014 BioBlitz in Golden Gate National Recreational Area (Table 1). The vast majority of lichens were chlorolichens (i.e., those containing a green algal photosynthetic partner). Only five species of cyanolichens were encountered (Collema furfuraceum, C. nigrescens, Peltigera canina, P. collina, and Sticta fuliginosum). The most abundant lichens in the monument were three species of Parmotrema (P. arnoldii, P. perlatum, and P. stuppeum) as well as Tuckermannopsis orbata. Coloring the trunks of many conifers in the monument were lichens such as different species of Lepraria (a green, white, or gray powder dusting the trunks) and Cladonia (tiny greenish scales interrupted by tiny stalks that sometimes are topped by red or brown fruiting bodies). Interesting finds include one species (Fellhanera bouteillei) that grew on live huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum) leaves. The infrequent occurrence of the genus Teloschistes, including T. chrysothalmus and T. flavicans is also of interest, since these lichens are warm climate specialists that are relatively rare in California, and neither tolerate air pollution. The forest interior was dominated by species considered either sensitive or somewhat sensitive to air pollution, whereas several pollution tolerant species (Collema furfuraceum, Collema nigrescens, Physcia adscendens, Physcia aipolia, Polycaulonia polycarpa, and Xanthoria parietina) were discovered in the vicinity of the parking area. However, these pollution tolerant species were not abundant, and pollution sensitive species were also encountered near the parking area. Predominant westerly winds may dampen the negative effect of tailpipe emissions on epiphyte community composition near the parking area. Despite the thoroughness of this survey, it is unlikely that all lichen species in Muir Woods National Monument were registered. A study of epiphyte communities on coast redwood in Northern California found only 33% of canopy lichen species during a litterfall survey underneath the study trees (Williams & Sillett 2007), suggesting limited effectiveness at detecting epiphyte biodiversity using solely a terrestrial survey approach. During the 2014 BioBlitz when one Douglas‐fir and one coast redwood were investigated for epiphyte biodiversity via tree‐climbing, we found a total of 55 lichen species, but only 34 of these were encountered during the present terrestrial survey. For example, the lichens Usnea longissima and Loxosporopsis corallifera were found during the BioBlitz tree‐climbing investigation, but they were not encountered during the terrestrial survey despite the much larger survey area. This suggests that rare canopy species are infrequently encountered on the forest floor. Table 1. Lichens found in Muir Woods National Monument. Symbology: bold = species encountered both during the terrestrial survey in November and the BioBlitz in March; underline = species found only during the terrestrial survey; regular font = species found only during the BioBlitz.
Alectoria imshaugii Brodo & D. Hawksw. Alyxoria varia (Pers.) Ertz & Tehler Arthonia ilicina Taylor Bryoria fremontii (Tuck.) Brodo & D. Hawksw. Buellia muriformis A. Nordin & Tønsberg Calicium spp. Pers. Arthothelium norvegicum Coppins & Tønsberg Calicium abietinum Pers. Athalia pyracea (Ach.) Arup, Frödén & Søchting Caloplaca cerina (Ehrh. ex Hedwig) Th. Fr. Blastenia ferruginea (Hudson) Th. Fr. Carbonicola myrmecina (Ach.) Bendiksby & Timdal Chrismofulvea dialyta (Nyl.) Marbach Lecanora strobilina (Sprengel) Kieffer Chrysothrix granulosa G. Thor Lecanora symmicta (Ach.) Ach. Chrysothrix xanthina (Vainio) Kalb Lepraria sp. Ach. Cladonia bellidiflora (Ach.) Schaerer Lepraria cf. finkii (B. de Lesd.) R. C. Harris Cladonia pyxidata (L.) Hoffm. Lepraria cf. pacifica Lendemer Cladonia squamosa (Scop.) Hoffm. Loxosporopsis corallifera Brodo Cladonia transcendens (Vainio) Vainio Megalaria columbiana (G. Merr.) S. Ekman Cliostomum griffithii (Sm.) Coppins Melanelixia subaurifera (Nyl.) O. Blanco et al. Coenogonium luteum (Dicks.) Kalb & Lücking Melanohalea exasperatula (Nyl.) O. Blanco et al. Collema furfuraceum (Arnold) Du Rietz Melanohalea subelegantula (Essl.) O. Blanco et al. Collema nigrescens (Hudson) DC. Menegazzia subsimilis (H. Magn.) R. Sant. Cyphelium inquinans (Sm.) Trevisan Micarea micrococca (Körber) Gams ex Coppins Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. Ochrolechia spp. A. Massal. Fellhanera bouteillei (Desm.) Vězda Ochrolechia arborea (Kreyer) Almb. Flavoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale Ochrolechia juvenalis Brodo Flavopunctelia flaventior (Stirton) Hale Ochrolechia laevigata (Räsänen) Verseghy ex Kukwa Fulgidea oligospora (Timdal) Bendiksby & Timdal Ochrolechia oregonensis H. Magn. Graphis elegans (Borrer ex Sm.) Ach. Ochrolechia subpallescens Verseghy Gyalolechia flavorubescens (Hudson) Søchting, Frödén & Arup Ochrolechia upsaliensis (L.) A. Massal. Heterodermia leucomela (L.) Poelt Parmelia hygrophila Goward & Ahti Hypocenomyce scalaris (Ach. ex Lilj.) M. Choisy Parmelia sulcata Taylor Hypogymnia apinnata Goward & McCune Parmotrema arnoldii (Du Rietz) Hale Hypogymnia enteromorpha (Ach.) Nyl. Opegrapha herbarum Mont. Parmotrema perlatum (Hudson) M. Choisy Hypogymnia heterophylla L. Pike Parmotrema stuppeum (Taylor) Hale Hypogymnia imshaugii Krog Peltigera canina (L.) Willd. Hypogymnia inactiva (Krog) Ohlsson Peltigera collina (Ach.) Schrader Hypogymnia occidentalis L. Pike Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl. Pertusaria sp. DC. Pertusaria leioplaca DC. Hypogymnia tubulosa (Schaerer) Hav. Phaeographis dendritica (Ach.) Müll. Arg. Hypotrachyna revoluta (Flörke) Hale Phaeophyscia hirsuta (Mereschk.) Essl. Fulgidea oligospora (Timdal) Bendiksby & Timdal Physcia adscendens (Fr.) H. Olivier Lecania cyrtella (Ach.) Th. Fr. Lecania naegelii (Hepp) Diederich & van den Boom Physcia aipolia (Ehrh. ex Humb.) Fürnr. Physcia caesia (Hoffm.) Hampe ex Fürnr. Lecanora sp. Ach. Physcia dimidiata (Arnold) Nyl. Lecanora caesiorubella ssp. merrillii Imshaug & Brodo Placynthiella uliginosa (Schrader) Coppins & P. James Lecanora confusa Almb. Lecanora jamesii J. R. Laundon Platismatia glauca (L.) W. L. Culb.. & C. F. Culb. Platismatia herrei (Imshaug) W. L. Culb.. & C. F. Culb. Protoparmelia ochrococca (Nyl.) P. M. Jørg., Rambold & Hertel Trapeliopsis flexuosa (Fr.) Coppins & P. James Polycaulonia polycarpa (Hoffm.) Frödén, Arup, & Søchting Usnea ceratina Ach. Punctelia jeckeri (Roum.) Kalb Punctelia perreticulata (Räsänen) G. Wilh. & Ladd Pyrrhospora quernea (Dickson) Körber Ramalina dilacerata (Hoffm.) Hoffm. Ramalina farinacea (L.) Ach. Ramalina leptocarpha Tuck. Ramalina menziesii Taylor Ramalina pollinaria (Westr.) Ach. Ramalina subleptocarpha Rundel & Bowler Scoliciosporum chlorococcum (Stenh.) Vězda Sphaerophorus tuckermannii Räsänen Sphaerophorus venerabilis Wedin, Högnabba & Goward Stenocybe clavata Tibell Sticta fuliginosa (Hoffm.) Ach. Teloschistes chrysothalmus (L.) Th. Fr. Teloschistes flavicans (Sw.) Norman Thelotrema lepadinum (Ach.) Ach. Tuckermannopsis orbata (Nyl.) M. J. Lai Usnea chaetophora Stirton Usnea cornuta Körber Usnea diplotypus Vainio Usnea filipendula Stirton Usnea flavocardia Räsänen Usnea hirta (L.) Weber ex F. H. Wigg. Usnea intermedia (A. Massal.) Jatta Usnea longissima Ach. Usnea pacificana P. Halonen Usnea rubicunda Stirton Usnea subfloridana Stirton Unknown spp. Variolaria amara Ach. Xanthomendoza fulva (Hoffm.) Søchting, Kärnefelt & S. Y. Kondr. Xanthoparmelia coloradoënsis (Gyelnik) Hale Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr. References Brodo, I.M., S.D. Sharnoff & S. Sharnoff. 2001. Lichens of North America. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. Esslinger, T.L. 2014. A cumulative checklist for the lichen‐forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi of the continental United States and Canada. 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