Experiments in Prairie Lichen Restoration

This quarter our group explored the importance of lichen restoration for the ecosystem and our community. While on this adventure, we made many  discoveries and are hopeful for the future of restoration. It may be a long road but for us and other passionate lichenologists, there is hope. Through research, experimentation and community outreach, we intend to make progress for future scientific advancements.

Mima Mounds. Photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mima_mounds#/media/File:MIMA_MOUNDS.jpg

Lichens play an integral part in the prairie community. They retain moisture and increase the boundary layer, provide habitat for invertebrates, nesting material for birds, and are a food source for multiple animals. Trevor Goward maintains that lichens are the glue that holds the bunchgrass community together. While most prairie restoration efforts are for native plants and organisms such as the Taylor’s Checkerspot that depend on this bunchgrass community, looking at the lichen is an important step in overall prairie restoration.

Photo from https://www.flickr.com/photos/jh_fin/2760155416

Many studies have been conducted on lichen restoration, although few have been conducted in Washington or looking at fire restoration. However, we can take pieces of research from around the world to put together a lichen restoration plan for specific sites in Washington such as the Mima Mounds.

Possible courses of action:

Lichen fragmentation: Reindeer lichens are used to being grazed and trampled by reindeer. When the lichens are not overgrazed, the reindeer nibbles and tramples can actually increase the lichen mat size because of fragmentation. Each little piece of lichen has the ability to grow a whole new plant, genetically identical to the parent plant. Different methods of fragmentation have been tried, from leaf blowers to mimicking reindeer trampling. This is a possible course of action at the Mima Mounds to increase/restore lichen populations after burning.

One experiment that we plan to implement in the prairies is to test the pH of the soil. The soil that would be tested is burned and unburned plots, and also looking at locations where lichens are high in population.

Photo from http://www.soil-net.com/album/Equipment/pH%20testing/slides/Soil%20pH%20testing%2010.html

This is important in the prairies because it is known that change in the pH of substrates can change the lichen growth. The study will be performed by making a slurry of multiple soil samples, and then testing them. Over a period of time, the same areas would be tested again and observations would be made about species of lichen in the area. An experiment like this, is a stepping stone in a great understanding of prairie lichens.

During this quarter our group decided to perform an experiment with growing lichens from Formula 29. We used milk, flour, yeast, spirulina, fertilizer and jello, then boiled them over a stove. Then lichen thallus was added and we were able to paint this mixture onto substrates (tree bark) in a wooded area.

Painting of the formula on substrate. Photo by Stephanie P.

After 7 weeks, growth was found and we took a scrapping. Under the microscope algae was found. This method could be attempted in the prairies, and we could try to grow certain reindeer lichens in the burned areas. 

Microscope Slide from scrapping. Photo by K. Carpenter.

Lichen Awareness:

We are going to design and implement various research and restoration projects that are fun and engaging to the public. There are no opportunities for the public to get engaged with lichen restoration currently, but things such as a lichen fragmentation scattering day or lichen formula painting parties could easily be arranged. In addition Evergreen students could lead field walks giving communities the ability to recognize what is in their own backyards, as well as highlighting the importance of classes that teach lichen taxonomy and ecology.

Community outreach is an important part of getting people to care about and understand lichens. Going into classrooms, retirement homes, or setting up booths at prairie appreciation day will bring lichen awareness to people of all ages. Connecting awareness to action by going into the field and surveying or dispersing lichen is informative and fun for children and adults, as well as helpful for lichen restoration. Follow-up monitoring of the lichen dispersal can be coordinated with interested parties.

Some alternate ideas we’ve come up with to make lichens more exciting:

• Lichen fashion line utilizing lichens both for dye and the thalli themselves as garments.
• Days of Our Lichens syndicated daytime drama; One Lichen to Live
• GMO supreme lichen master race -> human symbiosis
• Lichen comic books/coloring books
• Songs about lichen

Works Cited
Goward, T. 1991. The Enlichenment: Lichens and the Vanished Grasslands. B.C. Naturalist (29) 6; 8-9.

The crisp air of the mountain fills my lungs as I make my way down to the desolate creek. Pushing through the thick water-laden ferns, an awareness of freedom that is the outdoors washes over me. Picking up a branch covered with a myriad of lichen species, I am overcome by a feeling of satisfaction and peace.  How fortunate am I to discover tranquility. As I sat with the lichens listening to the trickling creek it occurred to me that the only way lichen restoration was possible was if people cared. Without passionate individuals willing and wanting to dedicate their time to the noblest of causes, restoration was not a possibility.

Hello!! Welcome to my blog about lichen restoration! When assigned the task of researching lichen restoration there were many routes to explore. Join me on a leg of this journey as my classmates and I at the Evergreen State College delve into the abyss that is extreme excitement about science. We have spent the better part of the semester learning and brainstorming about the great task of restoration.

Giving a great deal of thought to how I myself had ended up in a love affair with lichens I realized the correlation between restoration of a species and restoration of the human spirit. We live in a world where there is no shortage of people seeking a path, needing satisfaction and peace. For a moment clarity was my friend and I decided that education was the underlying foundation to our restoration solution.

So whats next?

The Children and Nature Network has a long list of the benefits of what they call “Vitamin G”. Ranging from decreasing the symptoms of ADD to enhancing cognitive abilities the list gives an eye opening account of the possibilities held within nature. Alongside of children there are many health benefits associated with elderly and the environment. A study done through the University of Rochester showed that a connection with nature makes you “feel more alive” and decreases your chances of illness. These possib
ilities do not just end with children and the elderly, everyone can be positively affected. An article in the American Journal of Community Psychology suggests that activities in open spaces are associated with greater social integration and stronger social networks among neighbours (Kuo, Sullivan, Coley and Brunson, 1998). This, coupled with the chance of restoration is not only an interesting idea, it’s a movement that can spark change and opportunity.

Realizing the importance of education, the only plausible path was to brainstorm and design a lesson plan that could be implemented into classrooms, camps, and community. The fact that we as Evergreen students have the opportunity to take a class about lichens and bryophytes is actually a privilege and a rarity. Much like the symbiosis of a lichen it would be mutually beneficial for us as students to lead walks throughout our community educating everyone about the wonders in our own backyards. The community would learn to sight-identify important species and students would reinforce their knowledge by teaching others. According to John Nestojko, a researcher in psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, “When compared to learners expecting a test, learners expecting to teach recalled more material correctly, they organized their recall more effectively and they had better memory for especially important information.” In the words of the ever inspiring rapper Rampage, it’s time to take it to the streets.

This semester we also learned about the method of FIA plotting and how it opens the doors for an average community member with no background in biology to go into the field and record valuable data on ground cover and species richness. Allowing youth access to this type of data collection would increase the amount of information we have at any given area while developing a skill set on an individual level.  Teenagers with no positive outlet could find themselves enthralled by what the prairies have to offer and the prairies would reap the benefits.

After our group attempted to make our own lichen paint based off of Formula 29, it became increasingly certain that creating an educational program was not only doable, it had the potential of being a great success.  What kind of person doesn’t want to make a concoction, boil it down and crush lichens into it and then paint it on trees?! Once all the mixing, chanting, and ooohhhing and ahhhhhhing have been completed allow your mixture to cool. Now would be an excellent time to go over the different substrates you could potentially apply your paint to. What kinds of lichens grow on each substrate? Which substrate would your choice lichens thrive on best? Once the paint has cooled enough transfer to a container and prepare for the epic adventure that is painting the world with the awesomeness of lichens!!

Alright, alright lichens are important, we get it. Now let’s wrap it up!!

There are several organizations in the immediate area like ECOS dedicated to environmental education. Continuing the idea of community connection we could create a lesson plan outlining the significance of lichens, why restoration is crucial, and what we can do to save them. The US forest service even has a really great resource for teachers to find lesson plans and share different ideas regarding lichens. If you are interested in other resources for lesson plans and educational materials please check out some of the links at the bottom of my blog!

By creating a curriculum that shows the importance of restoration of lichens, giving children and community members the skill set to search and record data using FIA plotting, and having them do a kick-ass project that is fun and informative, we are bringing science to the community. This coupled with possible lichen walks and presentations is the beginning of formulating change and opportunity and giving both species a better chance at a healthier life!

Additional Educational Resources

Lichenland

Geobotany

Lichen Ecology

Resources

Kuo, F. E., Sullivan, W. C., Coley, L. Brunson, L., 1998. Fertile ground for community: Inner-city neighborhood common spaces. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26, pp 823-851.

Bernstein, K. Brown, L. Mastella, M. Gagne, 2010. Spending time in nature makes people feel more alive, University of Rochester.

Everding, 2014. Students learn more if they’ll need to teach others, Washington University in St. Louis.

“Magnificent Lichen Growth Formulas.” Magnificent Lichen Growth Formulas. <http://lichenlovers.org/lichen_growth_formula.phtml>.

Lichens and Air Quality Monitoring. Lichens and air quality monitoring..USDA Forest Service

The Predicament

We find ourselves now in the grip of a dilemma:

How can we maintain prescribed burning practices and, at the same time, reduce the amount of damage to lichen populations?

This blog post outlines what we know about the current state of research on lichen recovery after fire and how this relates to the complex management strategies implemented in the South Puget Sound Prairies. In previous posts, we touched upon the importance of lichens, challenges and methods of restoration, and current research into the subject. This post aims to summarize existing literature on prairie lichen restoration after fire and discuss future possibilities and opportunities for increasing healthy lichen populations after prairie burning, which is an integral part of management of the remaining prairie habitats in the Puget Sound bioregion.

Due to the sluggish growth rate of these peculiar and beautiful organisms, current research and findings concerning prairie lichen communities and their resurgence after fire treatments are only in their early stages. We do know however that the presence of lichens in prairies is important on many levels.

There is much yet to be understood regarding prairie lichens and their role in maintaining native species populations of certain grasses, wild flowers, insects and small mammals, but there are several studies that allude to their importance and we are just at the tip of the iceberg. Burning too is an important function in maintaining certain populations. While healthy for the prairie, burning immediately destroys the delicate lichen among other species that habitate in the prairie. More research needs to be done into the relationship between fire and lichens. Proposed methods for minimizing species loss include the establishment of fire refuges for vulnerable species, the practice of mosaic burning rather than large plot burning, and efforts to ensure low fire intensity. (Smith et al., 2012; Calabria et al., 2015).

Check out another great blog by our cohorts for more in-depth dicussion on the effects of prairie fires on bryophyre and lichen communities:

Prairie Fire…

Closeup of the lichen Cladina rangiferina collected by plant physiologist Joanne Romagni. Click the image for more details.

WTF can be done, you ask?

As has been said, lichens facilitate the conversion of CO2 to  O2 via photosynthesis by providing a shelter to the algae contained within the thallus, thus allowing this process to occur much more widely than just the algae alone which wouldn’t survive in certain conditions without the protection of the fungal hyphae. Also, due to the lack of a waxy cuticle, lichens absorb everything from the surrounding air directly through the thallus. They are able to absorb pollutants as well as indicate the air quality of the surrounding environment. Studies have shown that some species of lichens are
extremely sensitive to environmental change, making them a major reason for their popularity as bioindicators for natural resource assessment (e.g., Nimis et al. 2002). By observing the lichens, we could eventually learn much more about the ecological impacts of air pollution by assessing certain trends in lichen populations.

We have already proposed that in order to better understand the growth process of lichens, chemical analysis of soil and other substrates must be undergone before and after burning, rain, snow, etc. In addition, pH levels should be tested to observe what best conditions are required for optimum revival? Could there be  an optimal time of year in which to experiment with lichen transplanting. There are no trees in the prairie so the lichens would be fully exposed at certain times of the year depending on the height of the grasses or other vascular plants.

Patiently, we must continue to research the problem at hand for years to come so that hopefully we come to a more thorough grasp on the benefits of lichens in general and the role they play in prairies, the post-burn recovery process and improved methods for how we can continue to aid in the restoration and maintenance of the prairie lichen population of the Pacific Northwest as well as other populations around the world.

For a wealth of fascinating and related information on Lichens, check out any of the following links:

• Wanna get involved? Click here——-> South Sound Prairies Center for Natural Lands Management – Washington Program
• Grow your own! Lichen Lovers
• Other cool blogs our classmates participated in: Opal Creek Wilderness Annotated Checklist Project, Evergreen Parking Lot Bioblitz, and once again, Fire effects on Prairie Bryophyte and Lichen Communities

Works Cited

• Calabria, L. M., Arnold, A., Charatz, E., Eide, G., Hynson, L. M., Jackmond, G., … Villella, J. 2015. A Checklist of Soil-Dwelling Bryophytes and Lichens of the South Puget Sound Prairies of Western Washington. Evansia,32(1): 30–41. doi:10.1639/079.032.0106

• Nimis, P. L., Scheidegger, C. & Wolseley, P. A. 2002. Monitoring with lichens – monitoring lichens. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 408 pp.

What follows is a cocktail of tall tales and imaginings, peppered with pictures of lichen transplant methods as interpreted from scholarly lichenological articles.

Any lichness to real persons, events or experiments is not very likely.

1994: Willamette Valley. Bruce McCune, Stephen Sillett and pals collectively wonder, “How does forest succession affect epiphyte biomass?” Of course, they’re already aware that epiphyte biomass tends to be higher in older forest ecosystems.

“But how does that translate to lichen propagation via thallus fragments? What sort of niche is best for a developing thallus fragment?” The table buzzes.

Bruce McCune takes a long, slow swig of grog, his eyes downcast as the table squabbles.

“I think they favor an open environment. No No No, over exposure will destroy the developing thallus!” They fall silent as McCune’s gaze sweeps across the group. There’s an audible slurp as he finishes his tankard. He slams it on the table with one hand, while simultaneously flicking the froth from his beard with the other.

“We settle this…..” His eyes burn them. “With science.”

Thus, “Lichen Pendants for Transplant and Growth Experiments” was founded.

Fig. 1.

thallus pieces with at least two young lobes are collected, cleaned and attached to loops of nylon monofilament with silicone (1).

• Branch sections were selected, both with and without moss, in young and old-growth forest avoiding heavily shaded branches. (A rack was built to serve as substrate in the clearcuts.)
• Moss removed in old growth and added to moss-positive treatments in young forest and clearcut sites
• Lichen thalli were attached to the rack (clearcuts) or branch (forest) with 3mm nylon cord

Findings

Sillett and McCune found that cyanolichen transplants Lobaria oregana and Pseudocyphellaria rainierensis grew better in young and old-growth forests (20-30% increase in mass) than in clear cuts (<10%). Clear cuts also had much higher mortality rates (50-90%). Pseudocyphellaria rainierensis thalli grew 30% better when transplanted on moss than on bare bark, but after one year 25% more thalli were healthy on bark than moss. This may mean that moss is good for initial transplant– possibly for support and/or moisture retention– but may be detrimental to long-term health– possibly due to competition.

Meanwhile….East-central Sweden: Top-secret Headquarters of De Dåliga Åsnor för Träd–

The Arch-mage Lena Gustafsson, Knight of Fedrowitz and Princemeistress Hazell strategize about how to convince a power-mad tribe of ogres to leave a few trees when logging an entire forest.

These ogres are fierce, but not evil– just ignorant. De Dåliga Åsnor decide to develop an experiment that will illustrate to the ogres the value of remnant trees. It’s common knowledge in Sweden, that ogres are easily swayed by scientifically backed tables and graphs.

“Oh we’ll give ‘em a graph…”

And so, De Dåliga Åsnor transplanted 1120 Lobaria pulmonaria thalli on 280 aspens at 35 sites incorporating clearcuts and remnant forest habitat.

Fig. 2.

Lobaria pulmonaria thallus pieces are attached to north and south sides of aspen trunks using 6×6 cm plastic 1×1 cm mesh and staples.

Fig. 3.

Proportion of transplants with ⩾50% vitality on north and south sides of trees, respectively, in clearcuts and forests, two and 14 years after transplantation. 22.3% survival after 14 years. (Gustafsson et al. 2013)

After two years, The logging ogres could not dispute the evidence clearly illustrated by the graph. Survival rates of transplanted thalli were clearly higher in north-exposed clearcuts.  De Dåliga Åsnor continued to monitor the plots for another 12 years. Figure 3 is an updated graph illustrating survival rates at 2 and 14 years. The survival rates of northern exposed thalli would eventually even out, but the ogres’ appetite for scientific graphs had been satiated–the survival of the remnant trees ensured.

“But what about McCune and company? Their results showed higher mortality in clearcuts!”

McCune’s Lobaria oregana and Pseudocyphellaria rainierensis are more sensitive to air quality than Lena Gustafsson’s Lobaria pulmonaria. All of these are cyanolichens, which tend to prefer low pH, nitrogen poor environments like old-growth forests.

“What the hell does that mean,” you ask?

Lichens are poikilohydric, meaning they absorb moisture kinda like a sponge– soaking up pollutants from the atmosphere and leeched from rain, then drying out and concentrating these pollutants. The main culprits of loss of lichen biodiversity are presumed to be nitrogen (as NO and NO2, produced by combustion of fossil fuel and NH3, produced mostly by agriculture) and sulphur dioxide (largely from coal-burning power plants and large ocean vessels).

… … … …

The following is a top secret Swiss document regarding the propagation of lichen propagules.

I really shouldn’t be showing you this…

TOP SECRET Propagation of propagules TOP SECRET

1995. Swiss lichenologists.***REDACTED*** Top secret message!! Uh, yeah… so, they’re swiss. and uh, they wanna use propagules to start new lichens. They wanna plant ‘em in gauze to help them stick.

• Harvested vegetative propagules of Sticta sylvatica, Lobaria pulmonaria and Parmotrema crinitum with a wet paintbrush
• transferred to a petri dish of distilled water
• 8mm diameter surgical gauze discs stapled to tree trunk or moss mat
• apply propagules variously, depending on size

Fig. 4

Lichen propagules affixed to a tree trunk

(Frey et al. 1995)

Fig. 5

Frey et al. reported 1.3% survival of propagules in the first 6 months, but said this increased to 9% survival when propagules were placed carefully between the meshes

It’s a conspiracy, maaan!

It would seem that spawning a lichen from a propagule is not as easy as it sounds. Propagules take 2 months to attach to substrate and will likely fall out of mesh or gauze. The swiss experiment only noted lobule formation from propagules dispersed from transplanted adult thalli (after 30 months).

Japan, 2010: Yoshiaki Kon: a faculty member of Tokyo Metropolitan Hitotsubashi High School, and his long time friend,  Yoshihito Ohmura: Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, are waaay into cutting edge lichenology. They go to all the conventions. Total fanboys. This year their project is gonna revolutionize the way we transplant lichens.

A mind-blowing game-changer.

Are you tired of your thallus sagging and your propagules fallin’ all out?

Have mesh and gauze left you with high mortality rates?

Has the slow nature of a lichen’s growth got you saying, “Dang these lichens, they’re so slow growing and they just won’t stick!”

We’ve all been there.

Don’t you wish there was a better way?

Well wish no more! YoshiCorp® has heard your prayers!!

• using sterile needle, scrape lichen soredia onto cartridge paper
• apply soredia to 7mm adhesive tape™ circles
• apply 6 tapes to a plastic plate
• apply plate to tree with stainless steel nails

It’s just that easy!*
*The adhesive tape method is more effective than gauze or mesh for propagule retention. Not all species will form thalli on adhesive**.

**YoshiCorp® are unsure why Ramalina yasudae doesn’t form thalli on adhesive, but they did have very limited success with R. yasudae using the mesh method, even though over half fell out.

Alright, kids, what’ve we learned?

Lichens need a firm anchor. Artificial methods of anchoring have high rates of failure. They also may require protection from competitive bryophtyes, though some moss may be beneficial initially for moisture retention. Choose the right lichen for the environment. Sensitive species have low tolerances for pollutants. Lastly, patience. Lichens are incredibly slow growing. It may take several years to notice a change in some species. Even longer for substantial growth. Something to think about next time you’re out of TP and you decide to wipe with an Usnea.

References

McCune, B., C. Derr, P. Muir, A. Shirazi, S. Sillett, W. Daly. 1996. Lichen Pendants for Transplant and Growth Experiments. The Lichenologist 28 (02), 161-169

Gustafsson, L., K. Fedrowitz & P. Hazell. 2013. Survival and vitality of a macrolichen 14 years after transplantation on aspen trees retained at clearcutting. Forest Ecology and Management 291, 436–441

Frey, B., C. Scheidegger & S. Zoller. 1995. Transplantation of Symbiotic Propagules and Thallus Fragments: Methods for the Conservation of Threatened Epiphytic Lichen Populations. Mitteilungen der Eidgenössischen Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft 70, 41-62

Kon, Y., Y. Ohmura. 2010. Regeneration of Juvenile Thalli from Transplanted Soredia of Parmotrema clavuliferum and Ramalina yasudae. Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science 36(2), 65-70.