Any site with trees / Corvallis, OR: public land collection/close approach only where permitted
Lichen air-quality bioindication survey (growth-form presence/absence) — Corvallis, OR.
A surveyor near Corvallis walks a stand of Douglas fir, photographing fruticose and foliose lichen growth on the north-facing bark of each sampled tree before logging the substrate and species. Read all of it
Not funded yet. Settles as earned credit, $115 proposed.
Proof it takes, the deadline, the level
- Proof5 to 10 trees surveyed for lichen growth form + Fruticose, foliose, crustose presence photographed per tree + Substrate, tree species recorded for context + Pollution gradient noted as possibility, never determination + Confident IDs submitted to iNaturalist or a lichen project + Uncertain IDs flagged as uncertain
- Open until2027-02-24
- Levelentry
All of it: the words, the place, the proof
Survey lichen growth forms on trees near Corvallis as a free air-quality bioindicator. This standard's own nitrogen-deposition co-author works from the US Forest Service program based here.
Offer to pay $115. The receipt lands onchain once the proof is approved.
Safety, read before you claim
This is observation and photo documentation only, and it is never represented as a calibrated air-quality index, which needs certified-lichenologist species identification. No edibility claim is made about any lichen, and a documented concern routes to public air-quality data or the local extension office.
The full safety list for this job:
- A calibrated air-quality index needs certified-lichenologist-level species identification, such as the USDA Forest Service FIA program's own annual certification standard.
- The edibility question is out of scope for this packet entirely.
- Never a substitute for checking public air-quality monitoring data or contacting the local extension or air-quality office directly, for example after an apparent lichen desert near a known emission source.
- This packet is independent of and not affiliated with the US Forest Service, Oregon State University, or Dr. Geiser: named as the real, verified home of this standard's own nitrogen-deposition co-author, not an endorsement or partnership.
How this work is done
How this work is done
A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it.
Bring
- A phone camera for photographing each lichen growth form found
- A hand lens (10x) for close examination of growth form and substrate attachment
- A defined survey area or a fixed set of trees (e.g. 5-10 trees of the same species where possible, to control for bark-chemistry differences)
- A free iNaturalist account (or Mushroom Observer) for photo submission
Steps
- 1. Choose a defined survey area (e.g. a park, yard, or block) and select a sample: ideally 5-10 trees of the same or similar species, since bark chemistry (pH, texture) affects which lichens grow independent of air quality.
- 2. At each tree, examine the trunk from ground level to about head height and record which lichen growth forms are present: fruticose (shrubby, 3-D, attached at a single point), foliose (leaf-like, flattened, loosely attached), crustose (paint-like, fused tightly to the bark), or none (bare bark — a possible 'lichen desert').
- 3. Photograph each growth form found, including a close-up with the hand lens where possible, plus a whole-trunk context shot.
- 4. Record substrate/tree species and general site context (proximity to roads, industry, or agriculture) as observational context only — never a causal claim from this packet.
- 5. Write an honest note on which gradient the pattern COULD reflect: a scarcity of fruticose/foliose lichens (a 'lichen desert') is consistent with the classic SO2-pollution pattern (Hawksworth & Rose 1970); a site dominated by crustose or visibly 'weedy' species near traffic or agriculture could instead reflect nitrogen-favoring dominance (Geiser & Neitlich 2007) — record this as a POSSIBILITY, never a determination, and never as a calibrated index.
- 6. For any lichen photographed with enough diagnostic detail for a confident species-level guess, submit it to iNaturalist (or the FunDiS/regional lichen project) for community and expert verification; record uncertain IDs as uncertain.
- 7. Repeat the same defined survey area/trees on a seasonal or yearly cadence to build a comparable trend, rather than treating a single visit as a conclusion.
What counts as done
- A defined sample (e.g. 5-10 trees of the same or similar species) surveyed for lichen presence/absence by growth form (fruticose, foliose, crustose) with photographs of each growth form found
- Substrate and tree species recorded for context (bark chemistry affects which lichens grow, independent of air quality)
- An honest note on which gradient the pattern might reflect (SO2-legacy 'lichen desert' vs nitrogen-favoring dominance of nitrophilous species) -- recorded as a POSSIBILITY, never a determination
- Any confident species-level photo submitted to iNaturalist (or a FunDiS/lichen-focused project) for community/expert verification, with uncertain IDs flagged as such
Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.
What is promised, and what is not
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Packet WORK_1790539267485_o98gc39