Cladonia: a “Mystical” Lichen Forest

I love fantasy, mythical, mystical heroic adventures. So I hope you will forgive my fancying the Cladonia Lichen landscapes captured here as the stuff of myth and magic. The snail pictured here certainly perceived its landscape much as I perceive my local forest. Imagine being shrunk to size in this snail’s world among these lichens, mosses and mushrooms. The stuff of fancy indeed.

All imagination aside, these lichens have a major impact on the real world.  Some  lichens of this group are a major forage food for caribou and many other insects and animals. And they provide material for some nice photo opportunities, as I hope you will agree.

A Snail in Cladonia Forest

Various Cladonia

Cladonia cornuta

Cladonia Lichen in moss, and with Mycenid mushroom

Cladonia chlorophaea in snow

Cladonia fimbriata

Snail working its way through a  Cladonia Lichen Forest

all writing and photos copyright Joanne Siderius 2014.