Some of the numerous, little things in nature that go largely unnoticed

 During the leafless seasons, there isn't nearly as much to see and photograph in nature. Winter forest scenes look much like this:

 The snow is gone, at least for now, but it is still March! Nonetheless, the tree trunks and other surfaces are quite exposed, and it is where numerous elements of nature exist. I am talking about lichens.

 Lichens are a combination of algae growing with fungi, sort of as a hybrid colony. There are thousands of kinds, perhaps as many as 20,000 or more across the world's habitats from desert to tundra and everywhere in between. 

One of the things I try and do during the leafless season is to wander the trails of Rondeau, and photograph lichens that I find which may be identifiable. I don't profess to know a lot about them, but I find them interesting nonetheless.

Lichens can grow on a number of surfaces, from tree trunks, to stones, to leaves and even on other lichens. And they do not absorb nutrients from the surface they are growing on. They just use it as a substrate to grow on. They can live, growing very slowly, for many, many years. They can be a source of food for various fauna, such as reindeer (think reindeer moss of the arctic), nematodes and species of insects. 

What makes them challenging to identify is that some need to be examined under a microscope, or subjected to a type of chemical to determine what kind of a response the chemical causes. So much for just a quick identification in the field!

Some of the ones I have photographed, and are relatively sure of their identification, (thanks to a book I have, as well as iNaturalist) are as follows.

Common Dusk Lichen

These next two are Common Greenshield Lichen. They look much the same, but somewhat different from each other.

Common Powderhorn

These next two are fairly abundant, and can vary somewhat in appearance. It is the Common Script Lichen, getting its name from the little dark lines that loosely resemble script writing I suppose.

 

Powdered Speckled Shield Lichen

Orange-cored Shadow Lichen

Dilated Scalewort

This next one actually has a fungus as the most obvious part. The orange part is known as Crowded Parchment. I am not sure what the lichen it is growing on is.

White Blanket

Star Rosette Lichen

Powdery-margined Cryptic Shade Lichen

Powdery Sunburst Lichen

And then there are others that I have not been able to discover what their names are.

This next one may be related to the Common Script Lichen, although there may be another species associated with it.

What complicates things a bit, is that a single tree trunk may have many different kinds of lichens, all striving for a spot on the bark. 

So next time you are out walking in nature and wondering what to look for since the birds are few in woodlands over the winter, take a closer look at the tree trunks around you!

If you would like to subscribe, or unsubscribe, to Nature Nuggets, send an email to: prairietramper@gmail.com