Churchyard lichens guide
WildID Churchyard lichens guide is an identification guide to over 50 of the commonest lichens found in this habitat.
- Illustrated with photographs of each lichen species
- Reverse side includes straightforward visual identification key
- Practical for use outdoors: lightweight, rucksack-sized, splash-proof
Churchyards are a great place to look for lichens. They bring together many different types of stone, often helpfully dated, all within a small area. Because lichens grow very slowly (often only 1–2 mm per year) they can flourish in churchyards, where they are usually left undisturbed. Over the centuries, this allows them to reach impressive sizes.
The lichens are grouped according to growth form. Text on the reverse side includes straightforward lichen identification keys. Concise accompanying text introduces the main features of lichen fruiting bodies, as these are sometimes essential for identification.
Lichens are sensitive to air pollution. More species are likely in an unpolluted country churchyard than a site in the centre of a city. However, even in a town churchyard you may find old gravestones on which more sensitive lichens have managed to survive from a time before the worst pollution occurred.
Field Studies Council worked with the British Lichen Society to produce the Churchyard lichens guide.
