UW Farm area 5/10

Weather: Sunny, clear skies
Time: 2:30 PM

Today we did a tour of lichen and moss around the farm UW farm. I learned that one of the most common lichen are Parmelia silcata, which looks very similar to another lichen I saw called hypogymnia physodes. Both lichen are a light minty green color. Sulcata is distinguishable because it has a darker green spot in the middle, while physodes does not. These lichen were both found growing on a bench near the entrance to the greenhouse. A Lichen is a combination of either fungus and alga, or fungus and cyanobacterium. Lichen are a perfect example of a mutualistic relationship. The fungus provides shelter for the alga, or cyanobacterium and the fungus is provided with glucose. I also learned of another mutualistic relationship that takes place on the ends of plant roots where ectomycorrhiza help plant roots obtain more food and nitrogen. I also learned that the most common moss is red roof moss, which can be found all over campus and has a distinctive red veil. While we were learning about lichen, I happened to see a honey bee hanging on a plant. I then came across a bumble bee resting on a leaf on my way to the library after class near Heron Rookery. Bumble bees are a lot bigger than honey bees, and they can also sting multiple times where honey bees die after they sting once.

Species List:
Paper Birch (betula papyrifera)
Physcia
Azalea (Genus Rhododendron)
Bumble Bee (Genus Bumbus)
Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Parmelia sulcata
Hypogymnia physodes
ectomycorrhizae
fly (order diptera)
holyhock rust (Puccinia malvacearum)
powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis)
red roof moss (Ceratodon purpureus)

Posted on May 28, 2012 06:23 PM by lmcthe01