The aim of this research is to gain an understanding of positive and negative lichen growth factors in order to aid in the future research of lichens. The research site was Tumbling Creek Woods, Gainesville, Georgia, United States. We observed that foliose lichen appeared to grow the most in patches on Quercus and Pinus trees (whose primary difference was bark texture). Quercus trees appeared to possess a rougher texture of the bark, potentially making it easier for lichens to anchor and access moisture, which is important for lichens to photosynthesize. A secondary observation suggested lichens preferred the southern cardinal direction for receiving optimal sunlight. Our observations led us to hypothesize that 1) Quercus trees would have a higher average percent cover of lichen than Pinus trees and 2) the highest percent cover of lichen would be found on the south side of trees. We compared 19 Quercus and 19 Pinus trees by measuring diameter at breast height (DBH), bark depth, and canopy cover, along with taking photographs (analyzed with image J) at each cardinal direction. We used t-tests and ANOVA to test our hypotheses and regression analyses to assess the effects of DBH and percent canopy cover on percent lichen cover. We did not find any significant differences in the gathered data. Similar environments may be responsible for the lack of differences. For future studies, we would like to delve into lichen identification and their microhabitat to see if we can observe any new trends.
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