Far above my head, the branches hang heavy with lungwort. And sometimes they break off and fall on my trail.
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| Lungwort, Lobaria pulmonaria |
It had rained recently; the upper surface is a pale grey-green when it's dry.
Although lungwort’s main photobiont is a green alga, it is also a type of cyanolichen, which means that it contains nitrogen-fixing bacteria. When these lichens fall to the ground after a storm or wind event, they decompose into the forest floor, contributing their nitrogen reserve to the soil. (from US Forest Service)
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Muy por encima de mi cabeza, las ramas llevan grandes hojas del liquen pulmonaria. A veces rompen la rama y caen al suelo.
Foto: El liquen pulmonaria, Lobaria pulmonaria. Hace poco que llovió. Cuando se seca el liquen, la capa superior se vuelve de un color pardusco.
Aunque el fotobionte principal es un alga verde, también es un cianoliquen, lo que significa que contiene bacterias que fijan el nitrógeno. Cuando estos líquenes caen al suelo después de una tormenta o viento fuerte, se descomponen en es suelo del bosque, y contribuyen sus reservas de nitrógeno a la tierra. (De US Forest Service)
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