Lichens of Iller Creek: A Checklist for the Iller Creek Unit, a Division of Dishman Hills Conservation Area, Spokane Valley, WA
Faculty Mentor
Jessica Allen
Document Type
Poster
Start Date
10-5-2023 9:00 AM
End Date
10-5-2023 10:45 AM
Location
PUB NCR
Department
Biology
Abstract
The field of biodiversity documentation encompasses a broad range of research including new species discovery and description, compilation of species present in a given area, and investigation of interspecies interaction. In an era of increasingly devastating and rapid environmental change, documenting biodiversity has become increasingly important. Anthropogenic effects on urban-adjacent natural areas are especially significant, as they can cause numerous, often drastic, responses in ecosystems. Our objective here was to document the lichen biodiversity in a large urban-adjacent protected area: the Iller Creek Unit of the Dishman Hills Conservation Area in Spokane Valley, Washington. This unit encompasses a diversity of habitat types: Ponderosa pine savannah, riparian forests, mixed mesic coniferous forests, and xeric rocky outcrops. Despite conservation efforts, no formal checklists have been assembled for this unit. To compile this checklist, our methods include collecting voucher specimens of all species from each habitat type. The identification process used relevant literature and standard techniques, including thin layer chromatography, chemical spot tests, and microscopy. Identifications were confirmed via DNA barcoding, using the nuclear Internal Transcribed Spacer region. A total of 101 species, spread throughout 55 genera of 27 families, were identified. We identified 46 crustose, 49 foliose, and 6 fruticose. Moving forward, we intend to perform comprehensive searches of areas without immediate trail access to compile a more complete checklist for use as a baseline for future lichen investigations of the inevitable anthropogenic effects that recreational use and expansion of the city will have on the lichen diversity.
Recommended Citation
Mumey, Devin, "Lichens of Iller Creek: A Checklist for the Iller Creek Unit, a Division of Dishman Hills Conservation Area, Spokane Valley, WA" (2023). 2023 Symposium. 55.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2023/res_2023/p1_2023/55
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Lichens of Iller Creek: A Checklist for the Iller Creek Unit, a Division of Dishman Hills Conservation Area, Spokane Valley, WA
PUB NCR
The field of biodiversity documentation encompasses a broad range of research including new species discovery and description, compilation of species present in a given area, and investigation of interspecies interaction. In an era of increasingly devastating and rapid environmental change, documenting biodiversity has become increasingly important. Anthropogenic effects on urban-adjacent natural areas are especially significant, as they can cause numerous, often drastic, responses in ecosystems. Our objective here was to document the lichen biodiversity in a large urban-adjacent protected area: the Iller Creek Unit of the Dishman Hills Conservation Area in Spokane Valley, Washington. This unit encompasses a diversity of habitat types: Ponderosa pine savannah, riparian forests, mixed mesic coniferous forests, and xeric rocky outcrops. Despite conservation efforts, no formal checklists have been assembled for this unit. To compile this checklist, our methods include collecting voucher specimens of all species from each habitat type. The identification process used relevant literature and standard techniques, including thin layer chromatography, chemical spot tests, and microscopy. Identifications were confirmed via DNA barcoding, using the nuclear Internal Transcribed Spacer region. A total of 101 species, spread throughout 55 genera of 27 families, were identified. We identified 46 crustose, 49 foliose, and 6 fruticose. Moving forward, we intend to perform comprehensive searches of areas without immediate trail access to compile a more complete checklist for use as a baseline for future lichen investigations of the inevitable anthropogenic effects that recreational use and expansion of the city will have on the lichen diversity.
