1811_0312 Lichen
Have to admit that I can't I.D. most lichens by species, and generally view them from a purely aesthetic standpoint. Here is an ultra-close macro shot of a rock lichen on the prairie; at the bottom you'll see a small critter, possibly a springtail, looking up. I didn't even see it while setting up the shot. Often my glasses are fogged or frosted or my eyes are tearing from the wind. This might actually be an advantage, as the world can look kind of abstract to me. Often, when I get the RAW files into Photoshop, I am amazed at the details. Or, as some famous photographer summarized it years ago, I take photos to find out what things look like photographed.
Lichens are fungi in a symbiotic relationship with a species of algae. The fungus provides structural support and some nutrients from the substrate, while the alga can provide carbohydrates via photosynthesis, and a mutually beneficial balance is thus achieved.
I found this on the surface of a glacial erratic in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2018 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
1811_0312 Lichen
Have to admit that I can't I.D. most lichens by species, and generally view them from a purely aesthetic standpoint. Here is an ultra-close macro shot of a rock lichen on the prairie; at the bottom you'll see a small critter, possibly a springtail, looking up. I didn't even see it while setting up the shot. Often my glasses are fogged or frosted or my eyes are tearing from the wind. This might actually be an advantage, as the world can look kind of abstract to me. Often, when I get the RAW files into Photoshop, I am amazed at the details. Or, as some famous photographer summarized it years ago, I take photos to find out what things look like photographed.
Lichens are fungi in a symbiotic relationship with a species of algae. The fungus provides structural support and some nutrients from the substrate, while the alga can provide carbohydrates via photosynthesis, and a mutually beneficial balance is thus achieved.
I found this on the surface of a glacial erratic in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2018 James R. Page - all rights reserved.