A geographical analysis of alpine lichen in Rocky Mountain National Park

摘要

In high alpine ecosystems, landscapes often seem barren to the naked eye due to intense exposure from UV light, temperature fluxes, and desiccation. Species present are only those resilient enough to have adapted to such harsh conditions, and these are usually ground-hugging species such as those in Biological Soil Crusts (BSCs). Consisting of various species of cyanobacteria, algae, lichens, and mosses, BSCs have been studied for decades in dry land environments all over the world, yet little BSC research focuses on high altitude ecosystems. This study set out to analyze BSC distribution and characteristics. In situ, however, lichens dominated rocks and soil at the chosen sites and thus became the focus for the study. The four sites (three high alpine, one subalpine) utilized were already under study in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) with the Rocky Mountain Inventory and Monitoring Network (ROMN) in conjunction with the Global Observation Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA). Implementing field techniques outlined by GLORIA, species were photographed, identified, inventoried and then analyzed using SPSS statistical software. It was suspected that findings would show correlations between aspects, soil, and rock types. Relationships between some species and specific rock types, such as siliceous and granitic, were initially discovered, as well as variability in types among other species.