SafePlants

Soot Lichen

Soot lichen refers to several species of lichenized fungi, often associated with sooty environments. These lichens are known for their ability to indicate air pollution levels, highlighting their ecological role.

Considerations for Pets

• The text mentions instances where soot and pollutants adhere to trees and buildings, potentially affecting the lichen. It may be prudent to prevent pets from consuming lichens growing in areas with potential industrial pollutants.

Scientific Names and Common Names

• Accepted Scientific Name: Several Cyphelium species, including:
  • Cyphelium notarisii
  • Cyphelium pinicola
  • Cyphelium lucidum
  • Cyphelium tigillare
  • Cyphelium brunneum
  • Cyphelium inquinans
• Common Name: Soot Lichen (applied to multiple species)
• Other Common Names: Notaris' Soot Lichen, Yellow Soot Lichen (for certain species)

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Kingdom: Fungi
• Phylum: Ascomycota
• Family: Caliciaceae
• Synonyms: Cyphelium inquinans (Sm.) Trevis. is a synonym for soot lichen.

Distribution and Habitat

• Found in Europe and North America.
• Grows on wood, often in areas with smoke or soot deposits.
• One species, Cyphelium lucidum, has been found on the North Shore of Lake Superior, Ontario, Canada.
• Cyphelium pinicola has been found growing on charred pine stumps.
• Some varieties are circumboreal.

Ecological Role

• Soot lichens are natural indicators of air pollution. Their presence or absence can reflect the level of air quality in a particular environment.
• They can be negatively impacted by soot and other pollutants, leading to their disappearance in heavily industrialized areas.

Morphological Characteristics

• The fruiting bodies are small and disc-shaped.
• They can be solitary and black.
• Some species, like Cyphelium tigillare, have yellow areoles and black apothecia immersed in the thallus.
• They are often crustose (forming a crust-like layer on the substrate).
• Many lichens are small, sometimes requiring a magnifying glass for observation.

Quirky Facts

• Soot Lichen is associated with industrial melanism in peppered moths, as the moths adapted to darkened tree trunks after the lichens died off due to pollution.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Their presence can affect the coloration of tree bark, influencing the survival of other organisms like peppered moths.

Further Information

• Catalogue of Life: 2012 Annual Checklist
• Lichens and Allied Fungi of The Arboretum, Guelph, Ontario