Chris Nelson

@chrisnelsonsdog@mstdn.social
1,015 Followers
953 Following
415 Posts
Socially awkward penguin, rollin' hard in the land of fediverse chicks and reply guys.
Chris Nelson5h ago
I've been blessed with a lot of neat things in my life, but this pile of iron and wood is definitely in the top three.
#BabyGrand
Show threadChris Nelson6h ago
Y'all smiling way too much, go cry for a while.
#Pride
Chris Nelson6h ago
https://youtu.be/D9GhaCdLtd4?si=_fQt-Ce0hHOC_jWn
Mina Caputo - Got Monsters Official Music Video - Directed by .NK.

YouTube
Chris Nelson6h ago
Deep Breath; Start Again6h ago
#Monsterdon
Chris Nelson6h ago
squirrelygirl7h ago
OMG. WHAT?! What did I do, bird?
Show threadChris Nelson6h ago
@JamesNielsen my oven is old, cranky, and unreliable, similar to its owner. Temps I give might be off by a factor of ?
Show threadChris Nelson6h ago
@JamesNielsen sealing the aluminum foil envelope is the key, it slow steams everything. Try turning the temperature down a little
Chris Nelson6h ago
Far too pretty to be givin it cheap,
That's why I'm makin six figures working three days a week.
#Smores
Chris Nelson7h ago
Jen C Mars9h ago
First of our urban garden butterflies took off this morning after making a brief stop
Chris Nelson7h ago
Stella C πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦8h ago
I need a #silentsunday pic today
Γ—
Hans19h ago

On two adjacent rocks I found this Hidden Goldspeck (Candelaria aurella) lichen.
It's interesting how this lichen only spreads out on one of the rocks in straight lines.
It is probably a matter of different layers of rock, of which I unfortunately understand nothing.
Does anyone know anything about this?

#lichen #lichensubscribe #naturephotography #rocks #closeup

Show threadΠ½Π° ​ꙋдСлкꙋ​ πŸ„19h ago
@Hagukh I don't know anything about it, but the lichen looks very pretty!
Show threadStill Nmyownworld19h ago

@Hagukh ☝️

Request, please, for lichenologists, mycologists, and geologists who know the answer of why the lichen in the photos have such distinct growth patterns on these rocks.

#lichen #geology #mycology

Show threadArtemis18h ago
@Still_Nimmy @Hagukh I know nothing about lichen, but it's likely due to the rock. The lichen is probably growing along the tiny crevasses in the rock because they provide a tiny bit more shelter/water/foothold.
The other option is the rocks are banded with striated minerals and the lichen preferentially grows on one mineral over the other.
I don't see obviously mineral banding, so I'd lean towards the first explanation
Show threadArtemis18h ago
@Still_Nimmy @Hagukh for the one with linear lichen, it looks like it's following the more granular texture. I'd bet it's easier to stick to the rock in those regions. The larger granules may also have larger pore sizes, which means more water retention.
For the second one, the texture is already very rough all over. Seems like the whole area is pretty good for sticking to and getting water. Perhaps this one just started in the center and is growing outwards?
Show threadStill Nmyownworld18h ago

@Artemis201 Thank you for responding, and for the explanation!

@Hagukh

Show threadHans18h ago
@Artemis201
Thanks for you reply!
To be honest, I'm not sure if the lichen in the second photo is growing in the center of the rock.... Maybe where more water is dripping down. I'll have to check that out.
But those straight lines are very interesting I think.
It is known, that this C.aurella lichen grows on calcareous rocks, concrete. etc... so, maybe there are thin calcareous layers in this rock?
Show threadArtemis10h ago
@Hagukh ah sorry by "the center" I meant the center of the patch, not the center of the rock.
If that's where water drips, pretty good reason for lichen to be growing there
Show threadMike Malaska12h ago

@Still_Nimmy @Hagukh This is way cool!

Are you able to chip off a small piece of that rock for a detailed look?

My guess is either induration/impermeable zones in rock (lichen can't get a foothold, except in certain foliation zones that are different.

OR

Rock in some zones is super friable. Lichens only get a slight toehold, but then get sloughed off. Except in certain foliation zones.

Getting a fresh surface and then peek for mineral grains/foliations with 10x loupe might give clue.

Show threadHans12h ago

@mike_malaska @Still_Nimmy

Thanks for your respone!
Chip a small piece off this rock?
Hmm.. I'm not sure if I can get to the rock, there's a deep ditch in front of it if I remember correctly. I can take a look at it again, however, I don't have the tools to examine rocks, not to mention judge them.

Show threadMike Malaska12h ago

@Hagukh @Still_Nimmy oh, bummer.

Is there a way you could a macro shot focusing on the surface grains of the rock? Your pix of the lichen were great! But maybe just a little higher resolution would help.

(It looks like the smooth rock was pretty fine grained, maybe flint?)

Any geological clues in area? (The free Rock'd app can tell you what types of rocks you expect here. Its a fun app. Recvomend.)

Show threadHans11h ago

@mike_malaska @Still_Nimmy

I'll try to get some macro shots in the next few days and let you know.
By the way, here's another shot, more from a distance... also very interesting, I think.
Area: Canadian shield

Show threadMike Malaska10h ago

@Hagukh @Still_Nimmy OK. These pix helped. Can tell what is NOT the reason.

Can see some little tiny lines running down some of those rocks. Little dissolution runnels. They are cutting across the layering/foliation. They can trap water make little microhabitats. But...the lichen is totally ignoring those structures. So it is not based on surface water from microkarren.

Show threadMike Malaska10h ago

@Hagukh @Still_Nimmy As a guess, you need fine-grained rocks to hold microkarren structures. So maybe this is an inclusion of limestone, dolomite, chert?, flint?.

Am thinking the mineral structure in that fine grained rock is so tight the lichen just can't break into it.

Show threadHans9h ago

@mike_malaska @Still_Nimmy

Thanks a lot!

Show threadSiobhΓ‘n Greaney (Shivers)12h ago
@Still_Nimmy @Hagukh I don't have the expertise to answer but as well as the wonderful #LichenSubscribe I am aware of another hopefully helpful hashtag ro reach the right audience: #Mosstodon
Show threadKimen πŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈ18h ago
@Hagukh The fine lines that the lichen is following in the first two photos are more porous rock that admits water.
Show threadJohn Faithfull 🌍πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊπŸ΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ ΏπŸ§‘βœŠπŸ»βœŠπŸΏ18h ago
@Hagukh Lovely! And very interesting distribution on the rock surface. Lichens often seem to have strong views about their rocky substrates. I've often thought it would be good to know more 😁
Show threadHans18h ago
@FaithfullJohn Oh yes, I see so many different rocks here and realize that I'm going from having little to more and more interest in them...
Show threadJohn Faithfull 🌍πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊπŸ΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ ΏπŸ§‘βœŠπŸ»βœŠπŸΏ17h ago
@Hagukh I think some of the factors may be chemical (ie the tastiness or toxicity of the underlying minerals in the rock), but I suspect that surface morphology of mineral grains, and crack density/depth distribution, might also be things they care about. If only we could ask πŸ€“. Or rather, if only they could tell us! 😁
Show threadJohn Faithfull 🌍πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΊπŸ΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ ΏπŸ§‘βœŠπŸ»βœŠπŸΏ1h ago
@Hagukh ...also I think that banded patterns of distribution can arise by self-organisation even where the substrate is homogenous. πŸ€”
Show threaddillyd16h ago
@Hagukh
My dad, a rock scientist, says It has layering. Black micah, also known as biotite, which has more chlorine. Maybe this variety of lichen likes chlorine. He calls this his WAG, wild ass guess.
Show threadHans14h ago
@dillyd Thanks to you and your dad, I think I've to read about miotite now...
Show threadquixote15h ago
@Hagukh The lichen growth patterns might also have to do with where the water seeps are when it's wet.
Show threadfALk13h ago
@Hagukh the lichen eats the one type of rock but not the other.
Show threadSpaceLifeForm10h ago

@Hagukh

Seems to follow the cracks where nutrients may be more accessible due to rain.

Show threadRadio Free Trumpistan10h ago

@Hagukh
I'm not a geologist per se but I did pay attention in early science class which covered different basic types of rock, one of which is sedimentary and that's likely to apply in this case. Sedimentary rocks were produced in layers because the initial sediment was deposited in layers, and I suspect your lichen found some of those layers tastier than the other layers.

When I did a search on that species of lichen, I found this li'l tidbit: "Substrate and ecology: mostly on calcium-rich rocks, sometimes on bark or wood "...and as it happens, sedimentary rocks are most likely to have layers that are calcium rich due to marine creatures with shells whose remains settled in any given layer of sediment.

Just a thought.

Show threadHans9h ago
@claralistensprechen5th Thank you very much, I already mentioned the calcareous rock, that's what I thought too, calcium ground is the preferred ground for this lichen.