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SEM of Lichen
Caption:
A scanning electron micrograph shows a section through the fruiting body and the thallus of the lichen Buellia dispersa. In this micrograph, fungal hyphae have been artificially colored as brown. The fruiting body is a darker brown. The symbiotic algae are green.
Lichens are actually made up of two plants—an algae and a fungus, living in a symbiotic relationship. In desert environments, lichen will dry out completely and remain dormant until rain or dewfall provides enough moisture to make them active again. This ability allows lichens to survive some of the harshest environments on the planet. Lichens are very sensitive to air pollution. Scientists rely on them as a bioindicator species, like a natural early warning system. [One of several related images; see also, Colorful Lichens on Baja Coast, Lichen Species Caloplaca ignea, Lichen Species Teloschistes crysophthalmus, and Lichen-Covered Boulders.]
More about this Image:
Plant biologist Thomas Nash has spent a career studying lichens, the crusty mats of blue and green and orange often seen covering desert rocks. The Lichen Herbarium at Arizona State University is home to 90,000 specimens collected over 30 years by Nash and his colleagues. Supported by the National Science Foundation, Nash and 70 scientists from 16 countries have spent more than 14 years documenting all the lichen species found in the Sonoran Desert region. More than 40 percent of the lichens known to North America live in the Sonoran Desert and surrounding regions. They recently completed volume I of the first comprehensive account of all lichen species known from the Southwest, including large parts of northwest Mexico.
Volume I of the Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region covers nearly 600 species of lichen in more than 140 genera. The volume is co-edited by Nash, Bruce D. Ryan, Corinna Gries, and Frank Bungartz. The book offers identification keys and descriptions for each species treated, as well as maps showing species distribution. For details, visit "http://ces.asu.edu/ASULichens".
(Preview Only)
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| Credit: |
©Frank Bungartz, Ph.D., Arizona State University Lichen Herbarium |
| Year of Image: |
2002 |
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Categories:
BIOLOGICAL / Plant Science
Formats Available:
TIFF Format - 4.7M - 1042 x 1182 pixel image - 300 DPI
Restrictions:
Please pay particular attention to the following restrictions regarding the use of this image. 1) Under no circumstance can this image be used without first obtaining permission from the owner Dr. Frank Bungartz; by e-mail, frank.bungartz@asu.edu. 2) Like all images in the NSF Image Library, use of this image is restricted to personal, educational, and nonprofit/non-commercial purposes only. 3) This image is copyright and must be credited accordingly whenever used (see credit line above). For more information about NSF's general restrictions for all images in the library, see the section "Conditions".
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