Research
My research is centered on the taxonomy and ecology of saxicolous and terricolous, crustose lichens of high-rainfall, oceanic regions, which are most abundant in the high elevation/latitude ecosystems of both hemispheres.
Europe:
My graduate work was carried out in the British Isles (mostly in the Scottish Highlands), with my doctoral dissertation on The ecology and taxonomy of montane lichens in the British Isles. This gave me a firm understanding of the diversity and importance of lichens in arctic-alpine ecosystems in northern Europe and resulted in several publications on taxonomy (including numerous undescribed species and region revisions of the non-yellow species of Rhizocarpon and Porpidia) and ecology, including phytosociology of alpine lichen communities, the ecology of areas of late snow-lie, and the effects of grazing on terricolous lichen communities. This research also emphasised the previously unrecognized importance of the saxicolous lichen biota of the western Highlands (see Publications).
My graduate work was carried out in the British Isles (mostly in the Scottish Highlands), with my doctoral dissertation on The ecology and taxonomy of montane lichens in the British Isles. This gave me a firm understanding of the diversity and importance of lichens in arctic-alpine ecosystems in northern Europe and resulted in several publications on taxonomy (including numerous undescribed species and region revisions of the non-yellow species of Rhizocarpon and Porpidia) and ecology, including phytosociology of alpine lichen communities, the ecology of areas of late snow-lie, and the effects of grazing on terricolous lichen communities. This research also emphasised the previously unrecognized importance of the saxicolous lichen biota of the western Highlands (see Publications).
Southern Subpolar Region
Since moving to the Michigan State University herbarium in 1999 and having access to Henry Imshaug's extensive collections from the Southern Hemisphere, I have become increasingly interested in the rich, and largely undescribed crustose, saxicolous lichen biota of the Southern Subpolar Region. Recent publications in this area have included describing new species from the Falkland Islands, Iles Kerguelen, Tasmania, and New Zealand as well as a regional revision of the genera Tephromela and Calvitimela (see Publications). An archived version of a separate web-site dedicated to the lichen biota of this region is available here.
I am currently concentrating on the lichen biota of the Falkland Islands, having visited the islands twice in 2015. I have, with colleagues, subsequently produced an annotated checklist of the islands lichens and several papers describing new species. An annotated species list including images, descriptions of the species and vouchers is currently under construction as part of the Symbiota web portal. Provisional keys to the lichens of the Falkland Islands can be downloaded here.
Since moving to the Michigan State University herbarium in 1999 and having access to Henry Imshaug's extensive collections from the Southern Hemisphere, I have become increasingly interested in the rich, and largely undescribed crustose, saxicolous lichen biota of the Southern Subpolar Region. Recent publications in this area have included describing new species from the Falkland Islands, Iles Kerguelen, Tasmania, and New Zealand as well as a regional revision of the genera Tephromela and Calvitimela (see Publications). An archived version of a separate web-site dedicated to the lichen biota of this region is available here.
I am currently concentrating on the lichen biota of the Falkland Islands, having visited the islands twice in 2015. I have, with colleagues, subsequently produced an annotated checklist of the islands lichens and several papers describing new species. An annotated species list including images, descriptions of the species and vouchers is currently under construction as part of the Symbiota web portal. Provisional keys to the lichens of the Falkland Islands can be downloaded here.
South Africa
In April 2023, I spent a month in South Africa as part of a team that included Danielle Ward, Madeleen Struwig, Sutapa Adhikari and Nish Rajakaruna investigating the lichen biota of two nature reserves: Grootbos in the far south of the continent and the Tswalu Kalahari in the sub-tropical north-west of South Africa.
The two reserves, lie within two distinct southern African biomes.
Grootbos has a Mediterranean-type climate and is characterized by its pristine fynbos communities with exceptionally high plant diversity and endemism but is also dotted with small pockets of southern coastal afromontane and milkwood forests. The cool and damp forests on the reserve host a suite of corticolous macro and microlichens and one foliicolous genus, whereas the rocks, which are hard quartz sandstone, are less species-rich, being dominated by species of Buellia and crustose Teloschistaceae.
In April 2023, I spent a month in South Africa as part of a team that included Danielle Ward, Madeleen Struwig, Sutapa Adhikari and Nish Rajakaruna investigating the lichen biota of two nature reserves: Grootbos in the far south of the continent and the Tswalu Kalahari in the sub-tropical north-west of South Africa.
The two reserves, lie within two distinct southern African biomes.
Grootbos has a Mediterranean-type climate and is characterized by its pristine fynbos communities with exceptionally high plant diversity and endemism but is also dotted with small pockets of southern coastal afromontane and milkwood forests. The cool and damp forests on the reserve host a suite of corticolous macro and microlichens and one foliicolous genus, whereas the rocks, which are hard quartz sandstone, are less species-rich, being dominated by species of Buellia and crustose Teloschistaceae.
In contrast, Tswalu experiences arid and semi-arid conditions that are favorable to a diverse assemblage of saxicolous crusts including yellow Acarospora sp., crustose Teloschistaceae sp. and Diploschistes sp. along with the foliose genus Xanthoparmelia, but relatively few epiphytic lichens, corticolous communities being dominated by foliose Physciaceae spp.
At both reserves the two main objectives were to provide each reserve with basic knowledge about the lichens on their properties, and also to gather basic data on the diversity, frequency and abundance of lichens in the main habitat types. Although a thorough inventory of the lichen biota of the reserves was not possible, numerous collections were made at both reserves. Many of these were identifiable only to genus and these will be undergoing genetic analysis with the probability that several new species, and possibly genera, will be discovered
North America:
I also maintain my interest in Northern Hemisphere (especially North American) regions and have been involved in floristic studies of Katahdin (Maine), Mt Washington (New Hampshire), Yosemite National Park (California) and Glacier Bay National Park (SE Alaska). I have also studied the lichen biotas associated with stressed habitats (e.g., heavy-metal mine tailings, serpentine) in Maine and California. (see Publications).
I also maintain my interest in Northern Hemisphere (especially North American) regions and have been involved in floristic studies of Katahdin (Maine), Mt Washington (New Hampshire), Yosemite National Park (California) and Glacier Bay National Park (SE Alaska). I have also studied the lichen biotas associated with stressed habitats (e.g., heavy-metal mine tailings, serpentine) in Maine and California. (see Publications).
Nunavut
I recently visited Rankin Inlet on the west shore of the Hudson Bay, where, with colleagues from the Canadian Museum of Nature and Eastern Washington University, we were engaged in an inventory of the lichens occurring in Iqalugaarjuup Nunanga Territorial Park. Thanks to Troy McMullin for allowing me to upload many of his photos.
I recently visited Rankin Inlet on the west shore of the Hudson Bay, where, with colleagues from the Canadian Museum of Nature and Eastern Washington University, we were engaged in an inventory of the lichens occurring in Iqalugaarjuup Nunanga Territorial Park. Thanks to Troy McMullin for allowing me to upload many of his photos.
Ecology:
On a wider level, I am interested in the phytosociology of crustose lichens and integrating them into vegetation analyses, as well as the lichen biotas of different rock mineralizations and stressed habitats (e.g., mine tailings, serpentine). In 2015 and 2016 I visited South Africa to participate in a project comparing the lichen biotas of ultramafic and non-ultramafic rocks in Mpumalanga and also collected lichens in the Northern Cape Province, which is rarely visited by lichenologists.
On a wider level, I am interested in the phytosociology of crustose lichens and integrating them into vegetation analyses, as well as the lichen biotas of different rock mineralizations and stressed habitats (e.g., mine tailings, serpentine). In 2015 and 2016 I visited South Africa to participate in a project comparing the lichen biotas of ultramafic and non-ultramafic rocks in Mpumalanga and also collected lichens in the Northern Cape Province, which is rarely visited by lichenologists.
Biogeography:
I am also fascinated by lichen distribution patterns and the contribution they can make to biogeography and associated disciplines. A particular interest is the distribution of lichen species in the Weddellian Geobiographic Province, which encompassed the coasts of Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, western Antarctica, and southern South America. These areas formed a contiguous land mass during the Cretaceous through Eocene and current lichen distribution patterns reflect this. Current lichen distributions can be further sub-divided into species that had an oceanic Weddellian distribution, and are known from southern Chile and the islands of the Campbell Plateau (New Zealand), and those with a continental Weddellian distribution, that are more widespread throughout the Southern Subpolar Region.
I am also fascinated by lichen distribution patterns and the contribution they can make to biogeography and associated disciplines. A particular interest is the distribution of lichen species in the Weddellian Geobiographic Province, which encompassed the coasts of Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, western Antarctica, and southern South America. These areas formed a contiguous land mass during the Cretaceous through Eocene and current lichen distribution patterns reflect this. Current lichen distributions can be further sub-divided into species that had an oceanic Weddellian distribution, and are known from southern Chile and the islands of the Campbell Plateau (New Zealand), and those with a continental Weddellian distribution, that are more widespread throughout the Southern Subpolar Region.
Recent and Current Collaborators:
Sutapa Adhikari (Mahikeng, South Africa) Lichens of southern Africa
Brian Coppins (Edinburgh, UK) - Taxonomy of British lichens & nomenclature
Karen Dillman (Petersburg, Alaska) Lichens of recently deglaciated terrain
Gintaras Kantvilas (Tasmania, Australia) - Taxonomy of Tasmanian lichens
Alan Orange (Cardiff, UK) - Lichens of the Falkland Islands
Madeleen Struwig (Mahikeng, South Africa) Lichens of southern Africa
Dag Øvstedal (Bergen, Norway) - Taxonomy of Southern Subpolar lichens
Nishanta Rajakaruna (San Luis Obispo, CA) - Lichens of ultramafic rocks and mine tailings in California, Maine and South Africa
Ulrike Ruprecht (Salzburg, Austria) - Systematics of Lecideaceae
Stefan Siebert (Potchefstroom, South Africa) Lichens of ultramafic rocks in South Africa
Toby Spribille ( Edmonton, Canada) - Lichens of Glacier Bay National Park, Placopsis
Måns Svensson (Uppsala, Sweden) - Lichens of Glacier Bay National Park and crustose Arctic lichens
Danielle Ward (Berkeley, CA) Lichens of southern Africa
Sutapa Adhikari (Mahikeng, South Africa) Lichens of southern Africa
Brian Coppins (Edinburgh, UK) - Taxonomy of British lichens & nomenclature
Karen Dillman (Petersburg, Alaska) Lichens of recently deglaciated terrain
Gintaras Kantvilas (Tasmania, Australia) - Taxonomy of Tasmanian lichens
Alan Orange (Cardiff, UK) - Lichens of the Falkland Islands
Madeleen Struwig (Mahikeng, South Africa) Lichens of southern Africa
Dag Øvstedal (Bergen, Norway) - Taxonomy of Southern Subpolar lichens
Nishanta Rajakaruna (San Luis Obispo, CA) - Lichens of ultramafic rocks and mine tailings in California, Maine and South Africa
Ulrike Ruprecht (Salzburg, Austria) - Systematics of Lecideaceae
Stefan Siebert (Potchefstroom, South Africa) Lichens of ultramafic rocks in South Africa
Toby Spribille ( Edmonton, Canada) - Lichens of Glacier Bay National Park, Placopsis
Måns Svensson (Uppsala, Sweden) - Lichens of Glacier Bay National Park and crustose Arctic lichens
Danielle Ward (Berkeley, CA) Lichens of southern Africa