Friday, May 11, 2007

Learning About Lichens

I haver tried to learn a little more about lichens, they interest me. I recently read Lichens by William Purvis. I found Antartic cryptoendoliths, organisms living within rocks to be fascinating.

Also of interest

Teloschistes fields in the Namib desert

USDA- Forest Service PNW Lichens and Air Quality

LICHENS, LICHENOMETRY AND GLOBAL WARMING

A Study of Lichens and Lichenometry

Here is a relevant article.
Cryptoendolith Communities in Antarctic Dry Valley Region Sandstones: Potential Analogues of Martian Life-Formshttp://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2003/pdf/1576.pdf
Rebecca L. Blackhurst, A. Verchovsky, K. Jarvis, M. M. Grady, Lunar and Planetary Science
This Lunar and Planetary Science article provides information about cryptoendolithic life (microbes living within rocks on the Earth's surface) in Antarctic sandstones. The purpose of the study was to use chemical and isotopic methods to determine what influence the cryptoendoliths have on the rocks they live in. These cryptoendoliths are predominantly lichen that live in the pores between sand grains in sandstone. The article features a color photograph of the cryptoendolith as well as an image and diagram of data.