The Lichens of North Central Oklahoma

Over 1,000 specimens of lichens were collected at 78 collecting stations in 11 counties of North Central Oklahoma during 1959 and 1960.The objectives were to identify lichens collected in the area; to establish a record of lichen distribution for each county in the area; and to analyze the ecological relationships.One hundred eleven species and varieties were identified, representing 34 genera and 20 familiies.Species occurring in each county were Candelaria fibrosa, Parmelia bolliana, Physcia syncolla, Teloschistes chrysophthalomus, and Xanthoria candelaria.Only ten other species occurred in eight or more counties, while 64 species were found in three counties or less and 30 of these were found in only one county each.The number of species per county varied from a low of 19 in Kingfisher County to a high of 77 in Osage County.The variation was very closely correlated to the two physiographic regions of the area.The five counties largely contained in the Sandstone Hills varied between 41 and 77 species with an average of 50.The six counties in the Redbeds Plains had between 19 and 33 species with an average of 26.This variation between regions is correlated to rainfall which averages near 40 inches per year at the eastern boundary of the Sandstone Hills, but only 30 inches at the western boundary of the Redbeds Plains.Other factors, conditioned by rainfall, and also having an influence on lichen growth are the presence of trees, the kinds of rock, and the acidity of the soil.