SD86 - 20 - SD8260 - Long Preston Moor - Gritstone wall, wooden gate and willow tree lichens

Pseudevernia furfuracea - growing on exposed gritstone walltop  - that would have had more SO2 pollution on the past.

SD86 - Hectad (10km by 10 hm) - Settle, N Yorks

Year Three of surveying Lichens in hectad SD86

i.e. I am starting my third 1km x 10 km strip of 10 monads, at SD8260 

Starting it three days early (Dec 28) to get a good start for 2021

On a bright sunny afternoon with a light sprinkling of snow on the higher ground. 

A link to the first post in this SD86 project at Rathmell at SD806O - explains the project So far I have seen a total of between 114 and 118 different species (need to sort all my data carefully). If I can record 18 species in a monad, then the map can be shaded yellow for that monad.  (or pale orange if I record 29 species)

Location:  "Long Preston Moor" - where the tarmac ends as you drive up Edge Lane from Long Preston

This is a long narrow triangle of heather and purple moor grass on either side of the lane. the walls are millstone grit. Several other people are out walking 273m 896ft above sea level. SD82826008

The available habits are:-

1. Millstone grit walls, 

2. Wooden gate,  

3.Three trees/bushes. The willow tree is quite productive lichen wise.

1.Wooden Gate:

Fuscidea lightfootii is shining bright green on the old wooden gate - moist from the melting snow,  and reflecting the light of the low sun shinning directly at the vertical gate bars.

2. Millstone grit walls,

I was happy to find two new species, and several others of interest to me: Pseudevernia furfuracea on the grit capstones of the wall (and Platismatia glauca, and near the bottom of the wall Fuscidea cyathodes ; 

There are also two unknown species.

3. Willow Tree

A hawthorn bus, a very small rowan and this small willow tree seem to be the only trees in this part of the monad, and the Willow is the most lichen diverse. Parmotrema perlatum with its smooth pastel green thallus , powdery soredia along its curley edges, and a few dark cilia sticking out at the edges is worth a photograph.

It had Ramalina farinacea and Ramalina fastigiata.

1. The Gate and Wall

The gate

Fuscidea lightfootii on the gate

Fuscidea lightfootii on gate and on nearby wall.

2. The Millstone Grit Wall

Pseudevernia furfuracea ssp furfuracea (because bleach on the medulla did not go pink).

Pertusaria corallina - 
Two chemicals applied - left NaOH, right bleach. The NaOH did very slowly turn orange. (But it did not turn red quickly)

Fuscidea cyathoides

Here are two mystery lichens growing on the top part of the wall 

The first is the same as the lichen I found on the sandstone wall outside Settle Swimming Pool: It has a white/pale grey thallus and  greeny yellow soredia.  And a dark prothallus. 

I have applied two chemicals - NaOH near my finger tip and bleach centre right - the latter has turned red.

The second looks a bit like Pertusaria pertusa but I am not sure.

3. The Willow Tree:

Below:

Willow tree, cars in distance, two people returning home after walk

Parmotrema perlatum

Parmotrema perlatum

Nice view over the Purple Moor-grass and snow.

 

The moon was rising above Ryeloaf Hill, whilst ... 

The gate

whilst .. looking i the opposite direction.. the sun was setting above the Forest of Bowland, its light reflecting in the the flooded areas of Long Preston Deeps.

Looking down from near the car to Long Preston Deeps.

15:37 and it is still light on 28 Dec

Happy New year

More Lichens Posts