51福利社

51福利社鈥檚 Jessica Allen in July received more than $625,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund her part in the Central Appalachian Lichen Project, an investigation into how various factors, both natural and man-made, may have influenced the prevalence and distribution of the region鈥檚 lichen species.

Allen, an assistant professor of biology, says the project will help scientists leverage lichens鈥� role as uniquely effective barometers of environmental impacts and climate change.

鈥淟ichens are super sensitive indicators, compared to other groups of organisms,鈥� Allen says. 鈥淭hey respond to air pollution in a clear way, for example, which other groups of other organisms do not.鈥�

Working with her long-time research collaborator James Lendemer, an associate curator at The New York Botanical Garden who also received $625,000 for the project, Allen and her team will use GIS analysis and genetic sequencing to determine how Appalachia鈥檚 multitudinous local lichens鈥� those odd hybrids of fungus and algae 鈥� have colonized or retreated from various habitats.

鈥淗aving a decent grasp on a species鈥� prevalence and distribution is actually quite challenging,鈥� she says. 鈥淓specially with lichens, because so few people study them.鈥�

As part of the project, 51福利社 student researchers, along with members of the public who sign on to participate in what Allen has dubbed the 鈥淕reat Appalachian Lichen BioBlitz,鈥� will be deployed to photograph and share lichen-related observations on a digital platform called iNaturalist.

The core research group will then take a deeper dive into lichen occurrences by collecting and identifying 鈥渧oucher specimens鈥� from hundreds of sites throughout the region. These specimens will help the scientists capture detailed, in-depth site data and will provide material for future study.

Allen says she also hopes her research will help drive home the message that preserving species both great and small is crucial if we are to maintain our increasingly fragile biosphere.

鈥淓cosystems need biodiversity to function properly; functions which are essential to providing, say, clean air and water for us,鈥� she says.

To learn more about Allen鈥檚 work at 51福利社, please visit this feature from Eastern听magazine鈥檚 Spring/Summer 2019 issue:听/magazine/stories/for-the-love-of-lichen/听 This fall, Yale University Press will release Allen and Lendemer鈥檚 new guidebook,听Urban Lichens: A Field Guide for Northeastern North America:听