Entries tagged "lichenologist"

Frost Shadows and Compasses

2012-12-03

It is that time of year when nature likes to get out her frost compasses for us to admire. I took this photo last Friday in the middle of the day. We are looking due west. The southern sun has thawed the areas it can get to, but unlike other suns, it cannot refresh the parts it cannot reach. (My apologies, I think a retro marketing slogan tried to creep in there.) The frost shadow on the sand itself is quite straightforward, but the shadows and frost on the logs are more interesting, particularly when…

A Lichen Compass

2010-12-09

After the rather disgusting photograph a few days ago I thought it was time to right the balance with something more pleasing on the eye. The snow has finally begun to thaw in this freezing microclimatic corner of West Sussex, but I did manage a fair amount of stomping around in the snow over the past week. This is a picture I took in my local beech woodland a couple of days ago. Lichens are very sensitive to their environment - moisture levels and air quality in particular - but also the surface they grow on.…