BFS Lichens – Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station

NOTES:

The BFS Lichen species list was developed from two surveys, conducted on 17 Janurary 2005 and 26 April 2009, by Kerry Knudsen, mycological researcher at Prague University of Life Sciences and former Curator of Lichens for the University of California Riverside Herbarium, with 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.

Although some lichens are found throughout the BFS, the greatest concentration, especially of lichens on rocks, is found in the relatively undisturbed sage scrub community in the upper part of the ‘Neck’ (designated as Riversidian Alluvial Fan Sage Scrub in the 1996 EIR).

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.

A Google map 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.

Photos. ‘BFS’ links lead to iNaturalist lichen observations made at the BFS that are included in the Bernard Field Station Biota Project. If you wish to use any of the photos, please refer to the copyright information on each photo for permissible uses. If you have questions or need higher-resolution images, please contact the photographer. Note that no photos taken at the BFS may be used for commercial purposes without the express permission of the BFS Director.

‘CP’ links will return all photographs of the listed taxon in the CalPhotos, Digital Library Project database. Note that you must check the stipulations with each photograph for permissible uses of the CalPhotos images. ‘Jep’ links will return the treatment and bioregional distribution for a taxon from Jepson eFlora.

Validation. Voucher specimens were deposited in the UCR Lichen Herbarium, which is currently being transferred to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden (SBBG). Links to specimen records are shown in the list below. If no online herbaria data are available, “photo” indicates that photos of the plant are available via the “BFS” link under “Photos”. If neither voucher specimens nor photos exist, but the identification is from a reliable source, initials indicate the source.

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]

NOTE: BFS Photo links are not yet working

Common name

Scientific name

Photos*

Validation*

Notes

Dusty Cobblestone Lichen

Acarospora americana H. Magn.

*Key: