Lichens
Packed with stunning photographs, Lichens reveals the varied and intriguing world of these fascinating organisms.
- ISBN:
- 978 0 565 09153 8
- Format:
- Paperback
- Price:
- £12.99
- Published:
- September 2000
- Size:
- 235 x 210 mm
- Extent:
- 112 pp
- Illustrations:
- Colour throughout
- Publisher:
- Natural History Museum
Details
From rocky coasts and urban churchyards to rainforests and mountain summits, lichens are a familiar part of the landscape. Each lichen is a miniature ecosystem, consisting of a fungus and one or more photosynthetic partners. This delicate balance between partners is easily upset by environmental disturbance, providing us with practical tools to assess the effects of air pollution, radioactive fall-out and climate change.
Lichenologist William Purvis explores their unusual biology, amazing diversity and ecological importance. He explains how understanding lichen biodiversity may lead to technological developments in medicine, metal prospecting and pollution control. This unique book includes new information on economic uses and outlines practical project ideas.
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Pages from Lichens
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Author
William Purvis is a lichenologist at the Natural History Museum, London. He is the principal author of Lichen Flora of Great Britain and Ireland (1992) and has carried out pioneering research into why different species accumulate metals, and the implications for biomonitoring and classification.
He is involved in using lichens as bioindicators of environmental health and carries out taxonomic research on critical groups.
Reviews
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"This superbly produced work does justice not only to the beauty of these fascinating plants but also to their uniqueness...Thoroughly recommended."
The Naturalist
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