Ohio Bryology et Lichenology, Identification, Species, Knowledge Newsletter of the Ohio Moss and Lichen Association. Volume 16 No. 1. 2019. Ray Showman and Robert Klips, Editors [email protected], [email protected] LEFT HAND CORNER and red maple. Driving there made me think COME TO THE CRUM – OR THE of the movies The Blair Witch Project, and TUCKERMAN! Groundhog Day. For miles, it was the same scene over and over again: forests and signs Each year there are two workshops in that read “Attention: Moose”. eastern North America that focus on cryptogams. These workshops are the Each workshop requires a place to stay and a Tuckerman Lichen Workshop, started in place to serve as a lab where the group 1994, and the Crum Bryology Workshop, identifies specimens. For the 16th workshop, started in 2004. These workshops most participants stayed at the Rodd accomplish three functions: 1) to collect Miramichi Hotel. The “lab” was in an cryptogams that may fill in distribution exhibition building that was part of the ranges, 2) to collect specimens from an area regional fairgrounds. The first day of the with which participants may not be familiar, workshop, participants set up their scopes, and 3) to give dedicated amateurs a chance dissecting equipment, and books. For the to work with professionals. Since I am a next four days, field collections were made bryologist, I will concentrate on the Crum in diverse habitats. For the 16th workshop, Bryology Workshop. These bryology we collected in raised bogs, exposed wet workshops have been held twice in rocks along a river, and mixed cedar and Pennsylvania, Vermont, and New York; and northern hardwood forests. Collections were once each in Ohio, Maine, West Virginia, made in the morning, and the afternoon and Michigan, Kentucky, and North Carolina. evenings were spent working on collections. There have been Canadian workshops in Consistent with previous Crum Bryology Ontario, Québec, and New Brunswick. Workshops, this was our schedule: day 1, set th up; day 2 – 4, field work and identification; In September 2019, the 16 Crum Bryology day 5, pack up and leave. A dinner with all Workshop was held in Miramichi, New the workshop participants is planned for one Brunswick, Canada. Stephen Clayden, evening. Curator Emeritus and Research Associate at the New Brunswick Museum, organized the Long hours are spent looking at specimens. workshop. From Ohio, it took three driving Participants help each other with materials. days to reach Miramichi. New Brunswick is It is not uncommon to see four or more not a heavily populated area. Instead of hovering around a microscope, trying to houses along the roads, there are many rock make a determination. I often take outcrops and forests of white pine, spruce “troublesome” Ohio specimens with me. 1 These are bryophytes that I either can’t for the state of Delaware, on November 5- identify, or am unsure of its identity. There 10. If you are interested in learning more often is laughter about our mistakes. about bryophytes, send your e-mail address to Bill at [email protected]. At least once during the workshop I take a specimen to Bill Buck, retired Senior The Tuckerman Workshop is set up with a Curator at the New York Botanical Garden. similar format as the Crum. For those I know that I will suffer humility—his interested in lichens, e-mail James teaching technique. He looks at the Lendemer at [email protected]. specimen and says “Everyone knows what – Barbara K. Andreas this is.” I am chagrined, and he roars with laughter. He then examines the material and we work on its identity. 2019 FLENNIKEN AWARD For the third straight year the Flenniken Award goes to Tomás Curtis for an excellent paper on northeast Ohio lichens. Congratulations Tomás! A STUDY OF THE LICHENIZED, LICHENICOLOUS, AND ALLIED FUNGI OF NORTHEAST OHIO Abstract Since the late months of 2016, the author has extensively surveyed the natural areas . Row 3: Marc- 2019 Crum Workshop Participants throughout Northeast Ohio for all Frédéric Indorf, Nils Ambec, Dr. Sean Haughian, Dr. Richard Harris, Dr. Tom Phillips, Dr. Stephen lichenized, lichenicolous, and allied fungi. Clayden, Dr. Bill Buck. Row 2: Dr. David This was done in order to create the first Malloch, Chris Ward, Jerry Oemig, Jean Gagnon, comprehensive baseline list for the region. Jennifer Doubt, Dr. Nancy Slack, Dr. Barb Andreas, As a result, a total of 405 recognized species Linda Ley, David Mazerolle. Row 1: (kneeling) Dr. have been discovered, and of these, 112 are Alfredo Justo, Frances Anderson, Anne Mills, Kendra Driscoll, Amanda Bremner). being reported for the first time in Ohio. Photo by Donald McAlpine Introduction The Crum Bryology Workshop (as well as Northeast Ohio is an example of a region the Tuckerman Lichen Workshop) is by that is both heavily impacted by invitation only. However, the only criterion development and biologically diverse necessary to be invited is that you have your (Crooks et al., 2004; Tuovinen & Hsu, own microscopes, as well as a commitment 1982). Though there has been much to learning more about bryophytes. The fragmentation of natural areas through workshop is a wonderful opportunity to urbanization and suburbanization, it still meet fellow amateur and professional holds a plethora of unique and diverse bryologists. The 2020 Workshop is planned habitats (Scheiring & Foote, 1973). This 2 diversity in habitat likely contributes to the referenced in the future by other experts and relatively large number of species that reside enthusiasts with the same mission. It is within the region. One group in particular, meant to be a continuation of “A STUDY lichens, has been largely overlooked even by OF THE MACROLICHENS OF the naturalist community and much about NORTHEAST OHIO” (Curtis, 2017) them has been hidden beneath a veil of published in the 2017 OBELISK newsletter. obscurity. Many of them, up to this point, Most of the noteworthy findings of this have been passed by unnoticed for centuries continuation are crustose lichens, and only now are beginning to be reported. lichenicolous fungi, and lichen allies which have never been thoroughly surveyed in the Nevertheless, Ohio has a relatively rich and region before. Ultimately, this information distinguished history of lichen collection could be used in legislation to protect these and documentation (Lendemer, 2017). In delicate organisms from further harm. more recent decades, most information regarding lichens in Ohio has been collected Materials and Methods and managed by Ray Showman who, For this study, Northeast Ohio has been himself, has done much work with the study defined as 13 counties clumped within the (Showman & Rudolph, 1971; Showman, Northeast portion of the State and are 1997; McClenahen et al., 2012; Showman, indicated by the map featured in Figure 1. 1972A; Showman, 1972B; Showman, 1981; These counties are Ashtabula, Columbiana, Showman, 1975). However, during this Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, time, macrolichens were the primary focus Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, for these scientists as the literature for these Trumbull, and Wayne. All the counties species was much more developed (Andreas within the study area have been visited at et al., 2007). least once except for Lorain County which features very few natural areas. Some The microlichens (crustose lichens) were counties, such as Portage and Summit, have notoriously difficult and not much literature been explored extensively, and nearly every was available (Wadleigh & Blake, 1999; natural area within them has been visited. Thomson, 1984). Only in recent years have microlichens been given significant attention As a casual study, there is undoubtedly some by taxonomists, and now Ohio is ready to bias regarding area visitation. Most of the add these to its list of known biological study area is within the Glaciated Allegheny diversity. Plateau, but parts of the Lake Plain and Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau are also Since the late months of 2016, the author within the study area. It is no surprise that has been conducting numerous surveys many Appalachian species are only known throughout the region in order to document from the small portions of Unglaciated lichenized, lichenicolous, and allied fungi Allegheny Plateau in Columbiana County. and form the first comprehensive baseline This is also true for Great Lakes species list for Northeast Ohio. This work is the where they are only known from counties kind that never really ends, but here, an that border Lake Erie. attempt is made to form a list that can be 3 Figure 1. Map of Study Area Verrucaria species reported here likely represent new occurrences for North America, though not all of them matched the description of any described species. Results of microscopic and chemical analyses were recorded on herbarium labels where appropriate. All specimens collected were deposited at the Tom S. and Miwako K. Cooperrider Herbarium (KE) at the Kent State University main campus. The specimens are in the process of being digitized and are now mostly accessible through an online database. Over 2,200 When surveying for lichens, the author specimens collected during this study within targeted high quality natural areas and Northeast Ohio have now been databased by obtained collecting permits when necessary. the author, and numerous others await The areas were then inventoried by foot. digitization. Various types of surveys were conducted including plots or meander surveys and Results including all-species inventories or merely The current number of recognized species collecting notable and/or interesting finds. found during this study is 405, including 19 Lichens were collected using various rock lichenicolous fungi (fungi which grow on chisels (1/2”-3/4”) and a 2.5 lb. lichens) and 22 allied fungi (fungi related to sledgehammer or a 2” wood chisel and lichenized counterparts). Of these, 112 have hammer depending on the substrate.