![Lichen of the slowest pace [HDR] My first go at HDR: 3 pictures shot at 100ISO and long exposure times, plus and minus 2 EV, 13sec, 2.5sec,30sec). It's reindeer lichen, a very slow growing lichen eaten by mainly Reindeer/Caribou.
This lichen I found while hiking up in Norway with my wife. It is highly protected and it is absolutely forbidden to break off. This loose piece photographed here I found on the ground in a swamp, it was partially eaten. I did not have to break it off, only pick it up, so I was kinda in the clear.
I did not know the reason for it having such a protected state. Years later I read about their very very slow growth rate.
Reindeer lichen is slow growing (only 3–5 mm per year) and may take decades to return once overgrazed, burned, trampled, or otherwise consumed. This piece is about 4cm in radius, so about 10 years old. I did not know that..
This piece is about 10 years in my possession now, residing in one of our book shelves. It is battered a bit, discoloured too. I'll have to make due. Cladonia rangiferina,Geotagged,HDR,Norway,macro,reindeer lichen,soligor 36mm](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/240/4837_small.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1770854410&Signature=%2FJ6Ao6IdEia3wQwUUIHZhGoWhl4%3D)
Appearance
Thalli are fructicose, and extensively branched, with each branch usually dividing into three or four ; the thicker branches are typically 1–1.5 mm in diameter. The color is grayish, whitish or brownish grey. ''C. rangiferina'' forms extensive mats up to 10 cm tall. The branching is at a smaller angle than that of ''Cladonia portentosa''. It lacks a well-defined cortex , but rather, a loose layer of hyphae cover the photobionts. The photobiont associated with the reindeer lichen is ''Trebouxia irregularis''.It grows on humus, or on soil over rock. it also grows mostly in taiga and the tundra.
Status
''Cladonia rangiferina'' often dominates the ground in boreal pine forests and open, low-alpine sites in a wide range of habitats, from humid, open forests, rocks and heaths. A specific biome in which this lichen is represented is the Boreal forests of Canada.In certain parts of its range this lichen is a threatened species. For example in the British Duchy of Cornwall it is protected under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
Habitat
''Cladonia rangiferina'' often dominates the ground in boreal pine forests and open, low-alpine sites in a wide range of habitats, from humid, open forests, rocks and heaths. A specific biome in which this lichen is represented is the Boreal forests of Canada.In certain parts of its range this lichen is a threatened species. For example in the British Duchy of Cornwall it is protected under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
Uses
This lichen can be used in the making of aquavit, and is sometimes used as decoration in glass windows. The lichen is used as a traditional remedy for removal of kidney stones by the Monpa in the alpine regions of the West Kameng district of Eastern Himalaya. The Inland Dena'ina used reindeer lichen for food by crushing the dry plant and then boiling it or soaking it in hot water until it becomes soft. They eat it plain or, preferably, mixed with berries, fish eggs, or lard. The Inland Dena'ina also boil reindeer lichen and drink the juice as a medicine for diarrhea. Due to acids present in lichens, their consumption may cause an upset stomach, especially if not well cooked.A study released in May 2011 claims that some species of Lichens including the Cladonia Rangiferina are able to degrade the deadly prion through the enzyme serine protease.
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