Diversity of Lichens at Satree Phuket School Waratchaya Poonthong, Sean Sutjarittanarak, Jeffrey Villegas, & Andrea Warnnisorn
Introduction
Results/Findings
Satree Phuket School is more than just a center of academic excellence; it's also a thriving hub of curiosity. This academic year 2023-2024, The Outdoor Science Club delved into an exploration of lichen diversity on campus. Lichens, which represent symbiotic organisms comprising mycobionts (fungi) and photobionts (algae and/or Cyanobacteria), were meticulously identified and documented by club members. Each student successfully identified a specific lichen species. This newsletter highlights the lichens uncovered by the club, revealing the diverse lichen world within the school grounds and its environmental significance.
This study identified three lichen species: two were crustose and one was a foliose lichen. All three species belong to the phylum Ascomycota, with two falling under the class Lecanoromycetes and one under the class Dothideomycetes. More information on these lichens is provided in Table 1.
Study Site The lichen specimens were collected from trees within the confines of Satree Phuket School butterfly garden. The school is situated at 1 Damrong Road, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Thailand. It sits at an elevation of around 10 meters above sea level, with geographic coordinates at longitude 98.3905131 and latitude 7.8912155. During collection, the barometric reading was 101 kPa, and humidity was recorded at 81.7%.
Methodology
Pyxine cocoes
Graphis dendrogramma
Marcelaria benguelensis
Table 1. Lichen species found at Satree Phuket School
The presence of Pyxine cocoes, Graphis dendrogramma, and Marcelaria benguelensis in the school vicinity offers insights into the environmental conditions of the area. P. cocoes and G. dendrogramma thrive in tropical regions worldwide (Nakanishi et al., 2001), while M. benguelensis is typically found in Thailand, India, Cambodia and Myanmar (Niranjan & Sarma, 2018). This suggests that the school habitat is suitable for the growth of these particular lichen species. However, it's important to consider that the chemical makeup of lichens can be affected by environmental contaminants. Studies indicate that foliose lichens tend to accumulate higher levels of metals, followed by crustose varieties (Singh et al., 2019). The presence of these lichens nearby might raise concerns regarding the environmental quality of the school surroundings.
Conclusion Three lichen species - Pyxine cocoes, Graphis dendrogramma, and Marcelaria benguelensis were found thriving within the vicinity of Satree Phuket School, indicating favorable local environmental conditions. However, their susceptibility to environmental contaminants and metal accumulation could potentially raise concerns about the area’s environmental quality. Continuous monitoring of these lichen species are essential to maintain a healthy environment for the school community. Advocating sustainable practices and raising environmental awareness remains crucial.
References: Gupta, V., Gupta, N., Nayaka, S., Lavania, S., & Srivastava, P. K. (2023). Pyxine cocoes (Sw.) Nyl. as an ideal lichen species for biomonitoring studies: A systematic review. Niranjan, M., & Sarma, V. V. (2018). New records of lichenized fungi in the family Trypetheliaceae from Andaman Islands, India. Current Research in Environmental and Applied Mycology, 8(4), 438-445.