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The fall 2008 foray of
the Ohio Moss and Lichen Association was organized by Diane Lucas and
conducted at two separate preserves in Erie County, Ohio: Edison
Woods (September 27th) and Castalia Quarry (September 28th). The foray
was attended by 20 people, including several from surrounding states.
OMLA Castalia Quarry Reserve, Erie
County, Ohio. September 28, 2008.
On the first day we spent the morning and early afternoon exploring Edison Woods Preserve.
This 1300 acre park was once slated to become a nuclear power plant,
but has been protected by the Erie County Metro Parks as an important
ecological area, consisting of sandstone cliffs, woods, meadows, and
wetlands.
John and Dave explore the steep woods and sandstone cliffs at Edison Woods Preserve in Erie County, Ohio.
In the evening of the 27th, a microscope room
was set up to identify specimens collected during the day. A total of
41 bryophyte species were recorded from Edison Woods, including a new
Erie County record, Tortella mucronifolia. An additional 21 species of lichens were recorded, 12 of which were county records.
Ray and Don ponder a lichen specimen collected during the afternoon at Edison Woods Preserve.
Brian discusses an interesting vascular plant find at Edison Woods - the rare Goldie's Fern
( Dryopteris goldiana).
The second day of the foray was
spent at Castalia Quarry. This quarry began operation on the early
1870's and the limestone collected from the site was used as Lake Erie
shoreline walls and general building purposes. Operations ceased in
1929 with the advent of the Great Depression. Twenty-five years later,
the quarry was re-opened to supply stone for the construction of the
Ohio Turnpike, which was completed in the mid-1960's. From that time,
the quarry has remained undisturbed and is slowly returning to its
natural state. Since 1987, the area has been protected as an Erie
County Metro Park.
Panoramic view of Castallia Quarry, taken from the southern rim trail, showing the barren and scarred landscape left when
quarrying operations ceased in the 1960's.
Surprisingly few lichens were
encountered on the exposed rock areas, indicating the very slow rate of
recovery for this sensitive group of plants. Most of the species
reported occur on tree bark, with only two found on soil ( Cladonia macilenta and Collema tenax). A total of 25 lichen species were recorded from the site, including two new Erie County records.
Foliose lichen Punctelia rudecta on tree trunk in Castalia Quarry Reserve, Erie County, Ohio.
Dave gets up close and personal with a lichen gracing the trunk of a tree at Castalia Quarry.
In contrast to the relative
paucity of lichen species, bryophytes appear to have adapted to the new
environment fairly well. A toal of 39 species were recorded, including
4 new records for Erie County.
Close-up of Bryoandersonia illecebra taken at Castalia Quarry Reserve, Erie County, Ohio.
For a full list of all moss and lichen species recorded from this two-day foray, please check out the most recent issue of the Obelisk. Descriptions of 2009 forays can also be viewed on the OMLA website's Upcoming Forays page.
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