Lichens

[BenR]

I think that the current view is that all species of lichenizing fungi cannot survive in a free state in any form other than as a spore, thus they do not grow into mycelium or fruiting body. The phtosynthezing organism can be in a free state and many are extrememly common in nature.

Sorry, I should have made myself more clear. :001_rolleyes:In nature I would think you are right that they cannot exist in a free state. In culture, under lab conditions they can grow separately however.

 

Just as another aside.. Lichens present on a tree can also be influenced by the pH of the bark. However, whether this is significant enough to deter certain species from certain trees has come under much debate recently.

Edited March 5, 2011 by BenR

[sean]

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/picture-forum/12718-epiphytes.html

 

One that was started earlier:001_smile:

[BenR]

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/picture-forum/12718-epiphytes.html

 

One that was started earlier:001_smile:

 

Cheers Sean, I enjoyed that thread. Aiming for specifics about lichens on this one as I don't know much about mosses etc

[Wolfie]

Just ordered Lichens by William Purvis, but shigo's Modern Arboriculture and Matthech's updated VTA arrived the other day so it will have to join the queue.

[RobArb]

why has the green lichen (or is it a moss??) made way for the pink stuff?

 

and what is the pink stuff?

 

both were on a diseased oak that was unfortunately removed:thumbdown: (and not by me)

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

why has the green lichen (or is it a moss??) made way for the pink stuff?

 

and what is the pink stuff?

 

both were on a diseased oak that was unfortunately removed:thumbdown: (and not by me)

 

maybe the bark chemistry changed and the lichen died, it also looks like possibly some plasmodia from lycogala? maybe this killed off a patch of the lichen:001_cool:

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

one from today just for our benR:thumbup1:

 

[WeeDee]

Lichens present on a tree can also be influenced by the pH of the bark. However, whether this is significant enough to deter certain species from certain trees has come under much debate recently.

 

In what way might these lichens be influenced, Ben?

[Bart]

Great thread Ben

[mrtree]

Bark pH varies between tree species, ie. pines and oak are acidic and maples and elms are basic. Bark pH also varies with age and growing conditions (high rain fall can leach nutrients from bark and move pH towards basic). Lichens have certain preferences and pH is one preference we can easily identify.