OMLA 2008 Fall Foray
Edison Woods and Castalia Quarry Preserves
Erie County, OH, (September 27-28, 2008)
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. The list of bryophytes and lichens found during the foray is shown below.
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 steep woods and sandstone cliffs.
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 at Edison Woods – the rare Goldie’s Fern.
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 Castalia Quarry, taken from the southern rim trail.
Note 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 total 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.
Bryophytes of the 2008 OMLS Fall Foray, Erie County, Ohio
* = new county record
EW =Edison Woods CQ = Castalia Quarry
Mosses
Amblystegium serpens CQ
A. serpens var. juratzkanum CQ
A. varium CQ
Anomodon attenuatus EW
A. rostratus EW CQ
Astomum muehlenbergianum EW
Atrichum angustatum EW
Aulacomnium heterostichum EW
A. palustre EW
Brachythecium acuminatum EW
B. oxycladon EW CQ
B. rutabulum EW
B. salebrosum EW CQ
Bryhnia graminicolor EW
Bryoandersonia illecebra EW CQ
Bryum caespiticum CQ
B. lisae var. cuspidatum CQ
B. pseudotriquetrum CQ
Callicladium haldanianum EW
Campylium chrysophyllum CQ
C. hispidulum CQ
C. stellatum CQ
Ceratodon purpureus EW
Climacium americanum EW
Cyrto-hypnum minutulum EW
C. pygmaeum* CQ
Dicranella heteromalla EW
D. varia CQ
Dicranum fulvum EW
D. scoparium EW
Didymodon fallax CQ
D. tophaceus CQ
Entodon seductrix EW CQ
Fissidens adianthoides EW CQ
F. dubius CQ
F. taxifolius EW
Gymnostromum aeruginosum CQ
Hedwigia ciliata EW
Homomallium adnatum EW
Hygroamblystegium tenax CQ
Hypnum curvifolium CQ
H. lindbergii EW
H. pallescens EW
Leptodictyum riparium CQ
Leskea gracilescens CQ
L. polycarpa CQ
Mnium marginatum* CQ
Orthotrichum ohioense CQ
O. pumilum EW
O. pusillum CQ
Plagiomnium cuspidatum EW CQ
Plagiothecium cavifolium EW CQ
P. denticulatum EW
Platygyrium repens EW
Polytrichum ohioense EW
Rhizomnium punctatum* CQ
Schistidium rivulare EW
Sphagnum inundatum EW
S. subsecundum EW
Steerecleus serrulatus EW CQ
Taxiphyllum deplanatum* CQ
Thuidium delicatulum EW
Tortella humilis CQ
T. mucronifolia* EW
T. tortuosa CQ
Tortula ruralis CQ
Weissia controversa CQ
Liverworts
Chiloscyphyus pallescens EW
Frullania eboracensis EW
Preissia quadrata CQ
Scapania nemorea EW
Total Species 71 (EW 41, CQ 39)
Lichens of the 2008 OMLA Fall Foray, Erie County, Ohio.
* = new county record
EW =Edison Woods CQ = Castalia Quarry
Amandinea dakotensis CQ
Arthronia caesia EW
Caloplaca fericissima CQ
C. flavovirescens EW CQ
Candelaria concolor EW CQ
Canoparmelia crozalsiana* CQ
Cladonia chlorophaea sp. EW
C. coniocraea EW
C. cylindrica* EW
C. fimbriata* EW
C. macillenta CQ
C. peziziformis EW
Collema tenax CQ
Endocarpon pallidulum CQ
E. pusillum EW
Flavoparmelia caperata EW CQ
Flavopunctelia soredica* EW CQ
Heterodermia casarettiana* EW
Lecanora dispersa CQ
Lepraria caesioalba EW
L. lobificans EW
Lichenothelia sp. EW
Myelochroa aurulenta EW
Parmelia sulcata* EW CQ
Parmotrema hypotropum* CQ
Phaeophyscia adiastola EW
P. pusilloides* EW CQ
P. rubropulchra* EW CQ
Physcia adscendens EW
P. aipolia CQ
P. americana CQ
P. millegrana EW CQ
P. stellaris* EW CQ
Placidium squamulosum CQ
Porpidia albocaerulescens EW
Punctelia rudecta EW CQ
Xanthoparmelia plittii* EW
X. subramigera* EW
Xanthoria fallax = Xanthomendoza fallax CQ
Xanthoria fulva = Xanthomendoza weberi* EW
Xanthoria ulophyllodes = Xanthomendoza ulophyllodes* EW CQ
Total Species 41 (EW 29, CQ 25)