The Amazing World of Woodland Lichen
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- Опубліковано 16 січ 2025
- In this film by Tom Hartwell, April Windle of the British Lichen Society introduces us to some amazing lichen in one of the UK's temperate rainforests. Meet the 'map lichen' that's even been to space, the stubble-like 'Desperate Dan', ancient woodland indicator 'barnacle lichen' and many more. This is the first of a series of 3 films over 3 months on lichen and our temperate rainforests. britishlichens....
Twitter: @aprilwindle @BLSLichens; Instagram: @aprilwindle.nature.
For more insights into the amazing properties of lichen see our blog: www.woodlands....
What a wonderful exposition. The passion and love for lichen really came through. Thanks very much for creating and sharing this.
Funny you'd talk about clean air, i work in a building with lichen on the sills and roofing, and we're on a busy road, there's a pirrelli tyre factory, an edible oils factory, cement works and an incinerator nearby. When it doesn't rain there's this fine patina of gritty dust on everything.
Different lichen species are sensitive to different environmental conditions and pollutants. Many rarer species are only found in small pockets within the UK precisely because the air is cleanest there and they are unable to survive elsewhere. Other lichens are hardier, such as those that have attached themselves to your work building. The fact that some species are highly sensitive to pollutants makes them a good environmental indicator, however - where said species are present, this is a good indication that the air is largely free of pollutants.
WOW nature in miniature great video content 🐶🐶🐶👍like 117
That is a really fancy hand lens!
April taught me everything I know about lichen, as I attended her introductory class at Nettlecombe court the other day.
That's great to hear! I don't know if she mentioned it but this is the first of three films we have with her. The other two will be coming out over the next two months. The next will be on the 22nd of June to coincide with World rainforest day!
Lichens ARE absolutely wonderful. Thank you for saying it. x
I attended an introductory course to lichenised fungi that April led at Slapton Ley a couple of years ago. She is an exceptional teacher and so enthusiastic about her field of study. It was one of the best courses (on any subject) that I have attended.
Thank you for your comment. Yes we agree, April has a fantastic wealth of knowledge on lichen and a wonderful way of sharing her knowledge with people. April has kindly done two further films for WoodlandsTV, one on the temperate rainforests of the UK (which will be released on 22 June to coincide with World Rainforest Day), and another film on the chemical, medicinal and biofluorescent properties of lichen (coming out on 22 July). We hope you enjoy them :-) .
So beautifully filmed! How interesting😍 thank you for sharing!!
Absolute gem of a video thank you
Great video.
I'm surprised you didn't mention Evernia prunastri and its use in embalming in Ancient Egypt, and it's more modern usage in fighting tuberculosis bacillus.
Thank you for your comment. We've got another film presented by April coming out on 22 July in which she provides insights into the various chemical and medicinal properties of some of the UK's lichens. Thank you for highlighting the specific properties of oakmoss (Evernia prunastri)- lichens are amazing!
Would love to identify lichen, I have a plantation which also contains many broad leaf, stream and rocks here in west of Ireland. It is abundant with lichen everywhere. Thanks for sharing
Finger lichen good .
Seriously .. I love lichen! Really nicely done ❤..about time it had such a great bit of pr like this .
I use similar lichens to make clothing dye (steeped in stale urine) here in Canada. We have different names for the Usnia for example, and I am wondering how many common lichens we have between these two northern hemisphere countries. Thanks for encouraging me to bring a magnifying glass into the woods and for educating me on two lichens which I would have always thought were features of the tree rather than a separate species. The barnacles/ script.
Desperate Dan: I am an ex SAffer, who found these delightful "comics" in Zimbabwe in the 80's. Desperate Dan had an outsized square jaw replete with a good whisker growth at all times. Strong man portrayed in the series. Hence the name of that particular lichen :)
That woman must have a lot of Viking genes. Nice to see, Scandinavian that I am.
We have similar (or same) lichen here in California. Must be really old, like from Pangea to get around the world like that?
😊
Just discovered this great channel and subscribed - thank you! I've long found Lichens to be fascinating. Some questions: If Lichens are a symbiotic combination of fungi with cyanobacteria and/or algae, then how come they are considered as a species in their own right? Or are they biologically considered to be fungi for the purposes of identification, genomes etc? And how are those combinations reproduced over a wide area, rather than happening at random?
Thank you for your comment and I'm really pleased you enjoyed this film. In case you haven't seen them already, April did a couple of other films on the theme of lichen for us: 'The Chemical, Medicinal and Biofluorescent Properties of Lichen' (ua-cam.com/video/AEc263aQ1rQ/v-deo.html) and 'Temperate Rainforests of the UK' (ua-cam.com/video/lO1H_iFFZJY/v-deo.html) which looks at these specific ecosystems where our lichen thrives in more detail.
I have sought to get answers to your questions from an expert as my knowledge doesn't extend beyond enthusiastic amateur! I'll post any answers I receive here in due course. I do know that the taxonomic classification of lichens is based on the fungal component of the symbiotic relationship.
Thank you for subscribing and we welcome suggestions from our subscribers about future woodland-related topics for our films.
Never knew…
Im lining my space suit with Map Lichen
Glad you're enjoying the fascinating stories behind these lichens!
Are there any postgraduate courses?
Hello. Thanks for your question. A couple of universities that specifically focus on mycology research are the University of Helsinki (www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/mycology-and-bryology/research) and Cranfield University (www.cranfield.ac.uk/centres/magan-centre-of-applied-mycology).
More generally, universities tend to offer more general courses but postgraduate students can specialise within those courses on lichenology, mycology etc. Have a look at opportunities in biological science, botany, ecology, and natural and environmental science faculties. The University of Nottingham, Bristol University, the University of Newcastle and Durham University might give you some ideas of what is on offer.
Beyond universities, there are a few organisations that may offer short courses or ideas on where to study this field: The Lichenologist journal (www.cambridge.org/core/journals/lichenologist/information/about-this-journal); the Field Studies Council (www.field-studies-council.org/); the British Lichen Society (britishlichensociety.org.uk/); and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (www.rbge.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/staff/cryptogamic-plants-and-fungi/).
Best of luck in your search!
Integrity!?