Blog Post for Kevin Villalobos, Kaki, and Tyler Morris for the moss and lichen fieldtrip.
The height of the string is six feet. The circumference of the tree was 52 centimeters. This tree is a big leaf maple, the best direction for moss was on the bottom of the tree, the best direction for lichen is towards the top where there are more branches. The bark for the most part is smooth but it does have its flaky spots. The north side of the tree had the most light which was the warmest. We decided as a group that the north side would receive the most wind and rain and moisture because it is the most exposed side to weather. I believe more moss and lichen grows where there is more sunlight and moisture because these organisms are photosynthetic. There were different amounts of moss and lichens in different spots depending on where you are looking. There was more moss at the bottom of the tree and more lichens towards the top of the tree. I believe you could measure light, moisture, etc by having visual observations by taking pictures from different times and comparing. The Lichen on this tree was the wolf lichen. This lichen was mostly growing on the north side that was being more exposed to light. To be honest, I am not sure if bark makes a difference on lichen or moss growth but I am guessing if the bark is smooth, lichen and moss have an easier time growing. If a tree has sun exposure, rain exposure, then moss and lichen will grow on the tree because these are photosynthetic organisms.
Questions: Tyler: Do lichen and moss grow more during the summer or winter?
Kaki: Is wolf lichen one of the most common lichen we see in the PNW?
Kevin: What are the major functions of moss and lichen in an ecosystem?
I'm curious about all of the questions you had as well, I'm not sure what the major functions of moss and lichen could be other than providing food for some organisms maybe?
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