Fungi & Lichen

It wasn't too long ago that Fungi became their own kingdom of life. Fungi are the key component of decomposition...a key component for an environment that only partially decomposes life. Since an overwhelming majority of fungi are too small for the naked eye to see, only a few will be shown.

Lichen is a synthesis of algae or bacteria and fungi but aren't well-understood by the scientific community. Algae uses photosynthesis to supply nutrients while the fungi absorbs nutrients from its host. Lichen are found almost anywhere and are principally on rocks and trees. They are sensitive to air pollution but can live for centuries in the proper environment, which ranges from arctic cold to the tropical heat.

Fungi

Below are a few commonly-sighted fungi found in the Caribou Bog area. Fungi can grow as "shelves", as "puffballs" and many other forms.

Destroying Angel (Amanita Bisporigera)

Among the most deadliest of all mushrooms. Stands upwards of 6 inches with a head of about 2-3" in diameter. Grows on the edge of forests and is ghastly white, thus readily identifiable.

Giant Puffball (Calvatia Gigantea)

Unmistakeable white, puffball more than 20" across. Prominent in late summer and early fall and turn tan or brown when releasing spores. Found in open woodlands, such as uplands.

Witch's Broom

This is a disease, caused by a fungi interfering with with the regulation of auxin, a growth hormone in woody plants. The result is a cluster of branches that grow hyper-locally on the host, resembling a witch's broom. While it is a disease, it is desirable by craftsmen to make wooden bowls from.

Lichen

Identifying lichen is typically done in a lab and requires analyzing the microscopic relationship between With that said, it is easier (and more practical) to identify common lichen with their noticeable structures. Lichen fall under 3 broad structures: crustose (crust-like), foliose (leaf-like), and fruticose (no shape).

Usnea Lichen (Usnea)

Known as "Old Man's Beard", grows on branches and trunks in a beard-like scruff. Seafoam green. Good example of another fruticose lichen.

Map Lichen (Rhizocarpon geographicum)

Black with green speckles on top. Found typically on rocks. At a first glances, it looks like a map. Crustose lichen for its crusty shape.

Dog Lichen (Peltigera)

Leafy appearance, generally grown with blackish underside. Grows on rocks and in soil, looking to ''peel away" from the surface it grows on. Foliose Lichen.

Sources:

1. Kaufman, Kenn, Kimberly Kaufman, and Eric R. Eaton. Kaufman Field Guide to Nature of New England. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. Print.

2. Marchand, Peter J. Nature Guide to the Northern Forest: Exploring the Ecology of the Forests of New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Boston, MA: Appalachian Mountain Club, 2010. Print.