Lab 5- Fungi Journal Entry

One of the species I observed was Physia caesia, commonly known as Rosette Lichens. Rosette lichens are a robust species and can tolerate a vast range of environmental conditions. Accordingly, they are found worldwide, from Oceania to North America and even Antarctica (Olech, 1996). The combination of fungi and green algae grows on weekly acidic to alkaline rock and the bark of certain trees, enabling it to receive its essential nutrients (Hauck, 2009). These nutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (Hauck, 2009). Rosette lichens have an intermediate response to pollution; this means it is less common in areas with high levels of pollutants (Rains, 2018). For this reason, the species is used to determine the cleanliness of the environment. These lichens also absorb some of the heavy metals in the air (Rains, 2018), benefiting the entire ecosystem, including humans.

Hauck, M., Paul, A., & Leuschner, C. (2009, November 25). Element uptake in thalli of the lichen physcia caesia from sandstone and calcareous substratum. Wiley Online Library. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jpln.200900059?casa_token=guaNzV1ljw4AAAAA%3AcRalK9o6_o9JgvtMJ5-XafFKyn5e9BO9_-mDXR0O9n3G1vSkGmRT18OD3PuSFoXjaQZMAEc_UEC0IWM.

Olech , M. (1996). Human Impact On Terrestrial Ecosystems in West Antartica. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.991.496&rep=rep1&type=pdf.

Rains, T. (2018). Lichen - The Little Things That Matter . National Parks Service. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from https://www.nps.gov/articles/lichen-and-our-air.htm.

Posted on October 16, 2021 04:51 PM by sophierc123