Lichens of heaths and moors guide
WildID Lichens of heaths and moors guide is a photographic guide to 62 species of lichen.
- Lichen identification guide for heathland and moorland habitat: from dry sandy heaths to wet peaty moorland
- No special equipment needed (although a x10 hand lens is useful)
- Practical for use outdoors: lightweight, rucksack-sized, splash-proof
Heaths and moors look similar, and often they share many of the same lichens. These lichens can be found all year round, so you can go looking anytime. Once you start, you’ll soon spot a surprising variety of species. Lichens thrive in nutrient-poor areas, especially where grasses don’t smother them. Try searching patches of bare soil and under heather stems at the edge of open ground. On rocks and pebbles, look for the greatest variety on sunlit, exposed surfaces.
This guide groups the colour photographs of each species by growth form and substrate. Growth forms include crustose, foliose and fruticose. Substrates include the ground, among grasses and mosses, heather, and rocks or pebbles. On the reverse side, there’s an identification table highlighting key features for each species. All you need is a hand lens to get started.
Lichens are highly sensitive to changes in their surroundings. This makes them excellent natural indicators of environmental health. In the past, sulphur dioxide from coal burning and industry was the main threat, causing acid rain and killing many lichens. Today, nitrogen compounds from farming and traffic have become the bigger problem. While some lichens die off from pollution, others can tolerate it. This guide shows which lichens are acid-tolerant, nitrogen-tolerant or found mainly in clean, unpolluted places.
