A look inside the redwood forest’s secret world
onDiscover intimate, close‑up views of forest plants and wildlife in this macro photo gallery, revealing the hidden textures, colors, and tiny creatures of the woods.
Newly Discovered Lichen Living in the Redwood Canopy
onAnother secret of the world’s tallest forest is revealed today with the discovery of a new inconspicuous lichen — Xylopsora canopeorum.
Lichens in the News
onYou cannot spend time in a redwood forest without coming across lichen. Only a few lichen species will catch your eye on the bark of a redwood but up in the canopy and on the forest floor an abundance of these organisms will surround you. A few years ago we conducted canopy research at Muir Woods looking at lichen diversity at the tops of the trees.
Amazing Knitted Canopy Creatures Coming to Muir Woods
onAlthough you will not see a great abundance of lichen on the trunks of redwood trees, high up in the canopy the branches are covered with a rich variety of lichen species, adding to the complex habitat the redwoods are …
Introducing Our New State Lichen!
onAs many people know, each state has selected symbols to represent its natural and cultural heritage. In California, these symbols range from the state rock, serpentine; to the state marine mammal, the grey whale; to the state tree, the mighty …
Giant Sequoia Cones Provide an Unexpected Home for Lichen
onWolf lichen (bright green) and tube lichen (gray-green) on a sequoia cone I often think of lichen as slow movers. Although they may be the first organisms to colonize a new area, they need a stable substrate to grow on …
Redwood Canopy Video
onClimbers took to the coast redwood treetops at Muir Woods National Monument for the first time this spring. Their canopy exploration was part of BioBlitz 2014, a massive effort to learn about and celebrate the biodiversity of Golden Gate National Recreation. …