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Lichens

BFS Lichen specimen locations.
Red pins = 2005 survey; yellow = 2009 survey.
Click here to view a larger map.

The BFS Lichen species list was developed from two surveys, conducted on 17 Janurary 2005 and 26 April 2009, by Kerry Knudsen, Curator of Lichens for the University of California Riverside Herbarium, and a couple of subsequent incidental observations. Thirty-seven taxa have been recorded. Three additional genera have been observed, but they could not be identified to species. Voucher specimens are deposited in the UCR Herbarium, and specimen numbers with links to records are shown in the list below.

Although some lichens are found throughout the BFS, the greatest concentration, especially of lichens on rocks, is found in the relatively undisturbed Riversidian Alluvial Fan Sage Scrub community in the upper part of the ‘Neck’.

Lichens are very sensitive to atmospheric nitrogen pollution, and not surprisingly, the lichen populations in the Los Angeles basis have been adversely affected by air pollution (see, for instance Fenn et al. 2008). The BFS lichens are no exception, and many of the lichen species found at the BFS are nitrophytes – fast-growing species associated with nitrogen deposition. Nonetheless, a number of soil lichens characteristic of intact sage scrub survived the LA Basin’s worst period of nitrogen pollution at the BFS and are persisting in the ‘Neck’, including one rare species.

The Google map to the right shows areas surveyed (darker shading) and the locations of the voucher specimens — red pins mark the locations of specimens from the 2005 survey, and yellow pins mark the 2009 specimen locations. Click on a pin for more information.

 

Literature Cited

Fenn, M.E., S. Jovan, F. Yuan, L. Geiser, T. Meixner and B.S. Gimeno. 2008. Empirical and simulated critical loads for nitrogen deposition in California mixed conifer forests. Environmental Pollution 155: 492-511. [article]



Species name Notes Photos &
Descriptions*
UCR No./
(Col. No.)

Acarospora americana H. Magn. On granite in the Neck. Formerly listed as Acarospora veronensis A. Massal. BFS 147999 (2183.2)
Acarospora badiofusca (Nyl.) Th. Fr. On granite in the Neck.   147928 (2183.1)
Acarospora scleicheri (Ach.) A. Massal. On soil and mosses in the Neck. Rare at the BFS. BFS 204395 (10938)
Acarospora socialis H. Magn. Yellow crust on rocks in the Neck. Nitrophyte. BFS 147996 (2143)
Aspicilia sp. Observed on rock in the Neck, but not found fertile. BFS --
Buellia alboatra (Hoff.) Fr. With submuriform spores on granite rocks in the Neck. Uncommon.   153172 (2152)
Buellia badia (Fr.) A. Massal. Juvenile parasite on other lichens becoming independent and squamulose, occurring on granite.   147959 (2177)
Buellia punctata (Hoffm.) A. Massal. On Artemisia. BFS 204400 (10939.1)
Buellia ryanii Bungartz. Small specimen of crust. Type locality: east end of Santa Cruz Island. Known from scattered locations near coast. The Bernard Field Station is the farthest inland site documented so far. Formerly listed as Buellia sp., but has now been identified to species.   148003 (2182)
Buellia sequax (Nyl.) Zahlbr. On granite rocks.   --
Caloplaca bolacina (Tuck.) Herre Orange crust on granite. Rare. A common coastal species; this represents its most inland location. BFS 147952 (2161)
Caloplaca cerina (Ehrh. ex Hedwig) Th. Fr. On Artemisia. 204390 (10934)
Caloplaca crenulatella (Nyl.) Oliv. On granite. BFS 204389 (10943)
Candelaria concolor (Dicks.) Stein. Common yellow lichen on bark throughout station. A good indicator of high nitrogen pollution when dominant in lichen community. BFS 147924 (2178)
Candelariella aurella (Hoffm.) Zahlbr. Yellow endolithic crust with yellow apothecia, growing on concrete footing. Calciphile. BFS 147997 (2173)
Circinaria arida Owe-Larss., A. Nordin & Tibell Rare at the BFS. On granite rock in shade of shrub on edge of shallow seasonal drainage in western CSS (area owned by Harvey Mudd College). Formerly listed as Aspicilia desertorum. 204390 (10941)
Cladonia hammeri Ahti. Endemic southern California species and component of soil crusts. BFS 147967 (2146)
Collema sp. Growing on soil with moss and liverworts. BFS --
Dimelaena radiata (Tuck.) Mull Arg. White effigurate crust on rock. Another common coastal species found inland in several locations. BFS --
Diploschistes muscorum (Scop.) R. Sant. Parasitic on Cladonia eventually becoming independent; cosmopolitan member of soil crust communities.   147962 (2180)
Endocarpon pusillum Hed. Cosmopolitan lichen in soil crusts common in washes in southern California. It has muriform spores, hymenial algae, and long black rhizines. BFS 147958 (2170)
Lecania crytella (Ach.) Th. Fr. On bark of dead branch. Nitrophtye and adapted to moderately acid surfaces. Rare at the BFS. BFS 147917 (2156)
Lecanora crenulata Hook in Smith. On a hard carbonate rock. A calciphile. Several carbonate rocks were scattered among the alluvial deposit.   147998 (2174)
Lecanora hagenii (Ach.) Ach. On dead wood of Cylindropuntia californica. Formerly listed as Lecanora albellula Nyl., but now determined to be L. hagenii based on chemistry.   147979 (2140)
Lecanora munzii Common on dead wood. New species discovered at the BFS. BFS 149698 (2139)
Lecanora muralis (Schreb.) Rabenh. Most common lichen on rock in Bernard Field Station. BFS 147980 (2148)
Lecanora strobilina (Spreng.) Kieffer Common on dead wood. Another species usually found closer to the coast. (Formerly listed as Lecanora sp., but now identified as L. strobilina based on chemistry.)   147919 (2132)
Lecidea laboriosa Müll. Arg. Black apothecia with endolithic thallus on granite rocks. BFS 147960 (2160)
Physcia adscendens (Fr.) H. Olivier. Common on bark. Nitrophyte. BFS 147920 (2178)
Polysporina simplex (Davies) Vezda. Common on granite boulders and rocks, a member of rocky wash community.   147950 (2159), 147940 (2169)
Psora californica Timdal. Soil lichen endemic to western North America occurring in scattered locations with bryophytes in soil crusts in opening of sage shrub. BFS 147949 (2167)
Rinodina grennarii Bagl. Nitrophyte on granite rocks.   147983 (2181)
Sarcogyne similis H. Magn. Black apothecia common on granite and member of wash communities above high water levels.   147951 (2168), 204391 (10940)
Strangospora moriformis (Ach.) B. Stein On Artemisia. 204399 (10937)
Trapelopsis bisorediata McCune & Camacho Rare soil lichen found growing with moss in one location. Third site in Southern California; known from eight sites in Idaho and Washington. Dr. Roger Rosentreter, a specialist on soil crusts with BLM, considers T. bisorediata an indicator of undisturbed sage scrub communities (per comm.) BFS 147947 (2151)
Trapleia glebulosa (Sw.) J. R. Laundon On soil and mosses. Rare at the BFS. BFS 204396 (10936)
Verrucaria calkinsiana Servit On granite. 204394 (10933)
Verrucaria onegensis Vain. On granite. 204388 (10942)
Xanthoparmelia lineola (E.C. Berry) Hale. Foliose lichen on granite. Xanthoparmelia are rare at the BFS. BFS 147953 (2166)
Xanthoria tenax L. Lindblom On Artemisia. (Formerly listed as Xanthoria sp.; has now been identified to species.) BFS 204398 (10935)

*Key:

Links to Photos and Descriptions:
BFS = Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station

© 2001-2012 Bernard Field Station Faculty Advisory Committee
Page last updated 6 September 2012 by Nancy Hamlett.