The cold, damp and
wet conditions prevalent in Hatfield Forest during February favour the growth
of lichens. During our last coppicing session on 7th February there were not
only pieces of lichen on the forest floor, presumably broken off from trees
along with the twigs on which there were growing, but also on a large Field
Maple that had been felled as part of the coppicing process. The bark of the
latter tree seems to particularly favour the growth of lichens. I have given
photographs of several species found with a tentative identification! As might be expected in this situation all
the lichens found are nitrogen and acid rain tolerant. I think that the first one is a fruticose lichen Ramalina farinacea.
The second one is a
species of Lecanora showing the reproductive structures or sordaria. This is a
crustose lichen.
The next is a type
of Parmelia, a foliose lichen.
And the last one has
got me stumped but it could be a type of Cladonia.
