Lobaria
1
9.9
- proper noun
- Specialized
- In healthy forests, you can often find Lobaria growing on tree trunks, indicating good air quality.
Examples
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The presence of Lobaria species in an ecosystem serves as a reliable sign of environmental health.
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In a study just published in Molecular Genetics, Hilmo and her colleagues from NTNU's Museum of Natural History and Archaeology and the Nord-Trondelag University College report extremely high genetic diversity for individuals of one lichen species, Lobaria pulmonaria, that grow on the same tree.
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That means that populations of Lobaria are either extremely old or that, in some way or another, the species is very good at spreading, Hilmo says.
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Another surprising and counterintuitive finding was that Lobaria populations in neighboring rainforest fragments were actually fairly similar.
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There appears to be limited genetic differentiation between the different populations of Lobaria, which means that there has been some genetic exchange between the different fragments of rainforest," she says.
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The good news is that species like Lobaria have managed to maintain high genetic diversity in these small fragments, and that logging around them does not appear to be having a negative effect on the rainforest fragments.
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As a result, humidities are always very high and the forest canopy rarely dries out, making for a wholly unique habitat for humidity-loving species such as Lobaria.
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Researchers noted that Lobaria is sensitive to pollution, making it an important indicator for monitoring forest ecosystems.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Lobaria comes from the Latin root lobus, which means 'lobe' or 'a rounded leaf-like part' and points to the lichen's leaf-like, lobed shape. That's why Lobaria are called leafy lichens you can find on old trees, and why their presence helps show a forest's health.