Taking a Likin’ to Lichens — Visiting Scientists Identify Rare Lichens at Mima Mounds

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    LITTLEROCK — Identifying something as small and varied as the many species and subspecies of lichens that seem almost to carpet much of the ground at Mima Mounds can be a real challenge.

    Bruce McCune, professor from the department of botany and plant pathology at Oregon State University, wanted to be absolutely sure of his findings during a recent trip to the state natural area.

    He had a sample of the lichen, which, unlike moss, are symbiotic organisms made up of a relationship between microscopic algae and a filamentous fungus, mailed to Teuvo Ahti at the University of Helsinki in Finland, who is the world’s leading authority on this group of lichens.

    McCune had an attentive audience Saturday morning to whom to make his report, a group of scientists including members of Northwest Lichenologists from the annual Northwest Science Association meeting held last week at Centralia College.

    This just in today, he said. Finland confirms our tentative identification of the lichen as Cladonia ciliata.

    “This particular species of reindeer lichen has not previously been reported from Washington,” McCune reported. “Only a few locations are known in British Columbia. The Mima prairie is the southernmost location known for this species in western North America.”

    Finding reindeer lichen on the valley floor is very unusual, McCune said. Scientists now know of four species of reindeer lichens here.

    This news was exciting to Katherine Glew, botany professor and associate curator in the herbarium at the University of Washington.

    Glew, a member of Northwest Lichenologists leading Saturday’s foray into the mounds as part of the four-day conference at Centralia College, commented that she herself had never seen carpets of lichen like those present at the mounds outside of boreal forests in Canada.

    “Lichens are important because they are indicators of air quality and soil conditions,” Glew said.

    Roger Rosentreter, of Boise, Idaho, compared lichens to the “canary in the coal mine” for their ability to alert scientists to contaminants.

    Students and scientists from as far away as Latvia, in Europe, and Thompson River University in British Columbia, spread out over the unusual mound formations Saturday to take small samples of their own and to observe this irregular display of lichens and moss.

    “It’s like a little hidden world,” explained Hazel Cameron-Inglis of British Columbia.

    Her colleague, Christine Petersen, agreed. Both women were attending the association conference to present their own research to the gathered scientists. They, like several others among the 25 to 30 people who chose to attend this particular field trip among several others occurring Saturday, wanted to learn more about moss and lichen — subjects they find fascinating.

    “I’m drawn to learn more about moss and lichens out of a desire to understand what’s going on in the biology of an area,” said Jeanne Ponzetti of Olympia. “They are so small, not many people know about them. It seemed like an area where I could make a real contribution.”

    Ponzetti is a biologist and editor currently working with a team to publish a field guide to rare plants of Washington, several of which are found right here at Mima Mounds, where Ponzetti’s husband, David, works as a scientist for the state.

    Many among the group Saturday wanted to know how these discoveries of rare lichens and moss at the site will impact management practices — primarily with regard to the use of controlled burning. Ponzetti said she thought this was an under-studied aspect of the natural area.



    Birdie Davenport, site manager, was overseeing a work party in another location on the mounds Saturday. She said that currently these controlled burns were an important means for maintaining the native diversity on the prairie.

    “Small-scale burns were how the Native Americans here kept the prairies in check,” she said. “It’s not that we hate the moss and the lichen, but it’s so thick that nothing can penetrate it. Seeds won’t grow. Prescribed burning allows the native flowers and grasses a chance to grow.”

    McCune already has discussions underway with David Wilderman of the Washington Department of Natural Resources regarding how to preserve both the native biodiversity and this rare collection of lichens.

    “The most important issues are how Cladonia ciliata and the other reindeer lichens at Mima Prairie respond to burning and whether they can be re-established by sowing fragments of the lichen on recently burned or disturbed soil,” McCune said.

    Members of Saturday’s expedition supported this idea.

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    Dian McClurg is a freelance writer living in Centralia. She can be reached at dlmcclurg@comcast.net.

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Crews Needed to Save the Prairie

    Save the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve from aliens — alien plant species, that is. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 24, work crews are needed to help pull Scotch Broom from the prairies of this unique south Puget Sound site.

    Scotch broom, an invasive and noxious yellow-flowering shrub introduced to the Northwest from Europe as an ornament and for erosion control, is a nitrogen-fixing plant, according to site manager Birdie Davenport, who was working with an Olympia high school crew Saturday pulling the shrubs with special weed wrenches.

    “It changes the landscape by changing the soil structure,” Davenport said. “The native species here have evolved under a low-nutrient program. Without our help, the broom would take over and eliminate the prairie. The work we’re doing is to save the prairie.”

    Scotch broom, also known as Scot’s broom, grows quickly. One plant can spew seeds in a circle up to 15 to 20 feet around. These seed pods are persistent in the soil and are stimulated to germinate by disturbances in the ground, from fire or construction, for example.

    Mima Mounds, so named for the low, round or oval, dome-like mounds that rise from the native prairie land, are home to camas lily, lupine, paintbrush, blue violet and buttercups. These are just some of the plants threatened by Scotch broom, tall oatgrass and other invasive species.

    “We’re making amazing progress, though,” said Doug Whitlock, a volunteer with Friends of Puget Prairies out Saturday to help Davenport and her work crew. “Fifteen years ago you couldn’t get through here on a horse, the broom was so thick. Now we’re walking eight to ten feet before we find a plant to pull.”

    Volunteers are encouraged to bring work gloves. Noon refreshments are provided and prairie tours, if requested, are available in the afternoon.

    For more information, contact Davenport at (360) 596-5144 or roberta.davenport@dnr.wa.gov.