Lichens of Britain & Ireland An Introductory Guide

About this book

An intuitive introduction to 200 of the most common and conspicuous species that beginners can learn to identify with nothing more than a magnifying lens and some practice.

Lichens can be found all around us throughout the year. They colour our landscapes, adding subtle textures and hues to our environments, urban and wild alike. There are more than 2,000 species in Britain and Ireland, and working out where to begin when it comes to identifying them can be daunting.

This beautifully illustrated introductory guide provides a novel and beginner-friendly approach to lichen identification, featuring three main sections:
- habitats that are good for lichen-hunting, and the species you may encounter;
- summaries of the overarching lichen groups, and what to focus on when identifying individual species within them;
- image-rich species profiles, organised by growth form and colour, with descriptions of key physical features, habitat notes, distribution maps, and details of look-alike species.

Designed for practical use in the field, with cover flaps displaying visual reminders of the main growth forms, key identification terms and a scale bar, Lichens of Britain and Ireland is an indispensable guide for anyone wishing to know more about the diverse and colourful tapestry of lichens that can be found all around us.

The publisher will make donations to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the British Lichen Society for every copy sold.

Contents

How to use this field guide
Who is this guidebook for?
The Basics: Lichens 101
The Beautiful Intricacy of Lichens
Lichen Identification
Pathways
Lichens by Habitat
A Baker's Dozen of Important Lichen Groups
Lichens by Form and Colour
Troubleshooting
Resources
Further Reading and Next Steps
Glossary
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Dr Rebecca Yahr is a botanist, lichenologist and teacher, working as Lichen Biodiversity Scientist at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Always excited to share her enthusiasm for natural history, especially lichens and fungi, she teaches a range of audiences from beginners to academics, participating in dozens of invited walks and talks and, for ten years, the week-long lichen course at Field Studies Centre Kindrogan. Trustee and past president (2019-2022) of the British Lichen Society, Becky is also a leader of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Lichen Specialist Group.

Frances Stoakley is a lichen enthusiast, championing lichens wherever she can, especially around their role as air quality indicators. She is co-author of the Lichens: Making the Invisible Visible air pollution survey and the Royal Botanic Garden lichen safari guides. Frances has co-taught lichen courses for the Field Studies Council, run workshops in lichens as air quality indicators for facilitators and community groups across Scotland and regularly hosts lichen identification walks for beginners.