| A unit of Lasting Forests
evolving since March 30, 1999 |
|
A Total Forest Management Plan
|
|
|
Lichen Communities Lichens are formed, as the old saying goes, when a fungus and algae take a "lichen" to each other. Most lichen are made up of fungal and algal partners. The fungal partner provides the delicate algae partner shelter from the elements. The algae photosynthesizes carbohydrates used by both partners for food. Some species are curiously hardy (some even inhabiting frozen rock in Antarctica!) whereas others are exceptionally sensitive to environmental change, especially to air quality. There are many epiphytic ("tree-dwelling") lichens and each seems to have different susceptibility to air pollution. The declining richness of species is an indicator of pollution. The richness or number of species and abundance of each are poorly quantified phenomena. The area occupied within plots on rock surfaces can also be used for monitoring changes of interest. Analysts may use the lichen community data to build models for estimating air quality and for mapping patterns across the landscape. Essentially these models work by comparing the presence and abundance of characteristically pollution-tolerant and pollution-sensitive species living on a plot.
Under development. Sampling first done on Explorer Park about 1997
---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 09:37:40 -0500
From: Ippolito.Teresa@epamail.epa.gov
Pathfinder Science is located at http://pathfinderscience.net
Pathfinder Science community is creating a lichen coverage map of North America and we need your help. The project was featured in last month Science Scope magazine (NSTA) and is available to everyone. Research indicates that lichens (and the tardigrades living on them) can be used to assess atmospheric levels of sulfur dioxide, SO2. The data needed to create this base map of coverage is easy to collect and each winter the Pathfinder community does a lichen survey. We have all the information online for how to sample, report the data, and we even have the mapping up online so that we all can begin looking for patterns in the lichen data. The work that has been done has created some really interesting maps that you can see at; http://pathfinderscience.net/maps/lichen but we need is more data to create a really great broad scale map.
If you have not uploaded data before you will need to register your classroom - there is not cost or commitment to registration. We just want to know where the data is coming from! Registration for the project is at http://pathfinderscience.net/teachers/registration/
Students should begin the project by looking at the research focus.
Background information is located at http://pathfinderscience.net/so2/cbackground.cfm.
Lots of good information and links from here.
Sampling Protocol
The protocol for how you do the lichen survey is http://pathfinderscience.net/so2/cproto1.cfm
If this is all you want to do then you can stop here. The survey used to take me one class period. I had several groups of students measuring and taking data in each hour. It is not necessary to do the Tardigrade part of this project if all you want to do is the lichen coverage. If you want to do more great, I would love to see some student research grow out of the collaboratively collected data but first......We need to generate the data on lichen coverage!
All of the data that has been submitted or any new data is always available to participants at: http://pathfinderscience.net/so2/cdata_results.cfm If you want to see all of the data, leave "All Teachers" in the School ID box and all of the data will be returned to you.
Data is submitted online at http://pathfinderscience.net/so2/cdata_sub.cfm
If you want to do more there is much more available to you at the site, but Pathfinder Research community really needs you to take these measurements and upload them. This can be done any time during the winter. Do not forget to have students leave some tracks in our discussion area http://pathfinderscience.net/guided/directorylist.cfm?PROJECTNAME=SO2
Thanks for your help on this project and I hope to see you online.
Steven B. Case Ph.D., Pathfinder Science, 8311 Maple Lane, Overland Park. KS 66207, scase@pathfinderscience.net, http://pathfinderscience.net 913.488.8787
A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise. - Aldo Leopold
| Quick Access to the Contents of LastingForests.com |
|---|
This Web site is maintained by R. H.
Giles, Jr.
Last revision February 16, 2003.