A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Lichina pygmaea
Black moss and lichens on a weather beaten rock. Lichina pygmaea is a tufted, brown-black lichen which grows to around 1 cm in length. The species L.confinis is much shorter, around 5 mm. This species of lichen is hair-like and upright. These fruticose lichens have a central area of loose fungal hyphae, an outer cortex of compressed fungal hyphae and an entrapped band of algae (a form of cyanobacteria) in between. Spore-bearing structures form in small swellings at the tip.
Spotted on Aug 3, 2012
Submitted on Aug 3, 2012
21 Comments
Marine black lichen is new to me, Emma. So, I am happy that you shared this spotting - something new to learn !! - thanks.
In conclusion,I think that "Range" Habitat" "Physical Characteristics "(color,plumage ect )" etc need to be redifined in the scientific world.
Examples....
1. . In my mission " Wild Flowers Of San Franscisco" 90 percent of the spottings are native to the Meditterranean.!!
2.After studying Waterfowl, I have come to the conclusion that physical characteristics of organisms change according to season,.. such as breeding,moulting, aging,fledgling,adolescence etc.....
3. The behaviour of organisms is also changing with its environment. For eg. the rattle snake has changed/is changing the way it makes use of its rattle.
4. and finally a marine habitat does not necessarily mean " salt water splashing on a rock"
Thanks for listening and Leauba and Argy thanks for your valuable feed back:)
End.
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/salinity/type...
This link discusses the types of salinity.
In the case of this spotting Secondary Salinity with irrigation and Sea water intrusion is very possible.We live in an are with less than 2to 3 inches of rainfall per year and therefore our trees are artificially watered thru undergound irrigation.Also includes Urban Salinity.One of the signs of Urban Salinity is growth of Salt tolerant species.
Leuba,I will get more pictures. I live in limeridge,named mainly for the limestone. The nearest source of sea water,is from the Delta which is 3 miles away.and Mt Diablo is 3 miles away, major mineral being limestone.This lichen is in a residential neighborhood.So if you read thru the comments when ever you can and find something not logical ,please let me know. Thanks!
This is very interesting, Emma. Do you have any more photos of this lichen? I would love to see it in context -meaning a little of the surrounding area where it grows, just out of curiosity..thanks for sharing this.
I hope I did'nt give you a headache!! Thanks for your valuable feedback!
Sounds pretty good to me Emma. Congrats on having the first Lichina in PN.
The primary source of the calcite in limestone is most commonly marine organisms like coral and sea shells.
Sea Water is alkaline.
Besides I am also researching"Lichens On Lime Stone and Marine Lichens in Contra Costa County"
TBcontd........
Argy, I am trying to figure it out. I read that limestone is made up of marine material. Also it harbors marine life. Also when Lime stone from coastal rocks seep into the water it can go up to 10 km. I live in the bay area and am 6 miles away from the nearest Marina,which we call the bay or the Delta. So essentially we are coastal. The otter which I posted swam all the way up the Delta into the nearby pond . Our water supply is from EBMUD which is water from the Delta. So could we qualify as coastal or being MArine?
Oh and limestone should make water more alkaline from memory.
The rock and salt water don't really make sea water. You would need several different salts, many other minerals and compounds and vast numbers of minute salty lifeforms and dissolved gases. I'm not sure it is impossible to create an artificial marine splash though and I can't find enough about these to determine if they is tolerant of variations. On EOL there is a map with some instances supposedly inland. There's other problems too like the association with barnacles. Amazing how plain looking things can become really interesting spottings. So much to learn.
Sodium ,bicarbonate and chloride contribute to Salinity. Lime stone dissolves more readily in regular water than sea water which is already saturated.
TBcontd........
Also I am trying to look for an answer to ,"How does limestone affect the acidity and salinity in underground water?"If it increases the salinity then could we say that it is as good as being in a marine environment?
Argy,tell me one thing. If I had a rock in my back yard and i poured salt water on it , would'nt it be the same as being splashed by sea water?
Besides we have a lime stone here. Would that make the water more like sea water?
That's amazing Emma. Your research is impressive. Visually it looks good. I had a problem with the Lichina sp. being mostly described as a coastal or saltwater thing!? I notice your map has it on top of a bush on a hillside :)) What was the true environment? Were you at the seaside? The other thing is that they say there are only 7 species but I couldn't find enough info to eliminate six (hopefully). Sure is an interesting lichen though.
Fruticose Lichen.
Argy, This spotting creates a very unusual situation. I identified this as a marine lichen.
1. because that was the closest match
2. Because this is a rock which is part of landscaping and is splashed in ample amount of water daily which does create an aquatic atmosphere.
http://www.theseashore.org.uk/theseashor...
Check the link and see if it makes sense?
They have been evolving for so long. Lately I have also been wondering about the interactions between species. They so often share common environments. There might be a whole lot of things going on that we know nothing about yet.
thnx Argy. PN got me interested in Lichen and Fungi .
Nice art work.