Re: Lichen Blamed for Elk Deaths in Wyoming


Posted by Amaranth Rose on Mar 24, 2004 at 02:41
(65.172.150.7)

Re: Lichen Blamed for Elk Deaths in Wyoming (Jean Pierre)

Um, Jean Pierre, I come from a very culturally disadvantaged background. I have lived all my life in the US, you see. I had one semester of Spanish in college over a quarter of a century ago. I vaguely understand that the subject of this article is the dinoflagellate that causes red tide; beyond that I am hopelessly lost. I gather that you are from Europe, where they have real civilization and people get real educations that include learning to read, write and speak more languages than just their own native tongue (which our political leaders mangle increasingly bizarrely with every passing election). I have more than a passing familiarity with German, myself. I admire people who have facility in more than one language. I admire that a lot.

It would be very nice if someone could direct me to a site that would provide a translation, or a release of the same article in English for us poor dolts that are stuck with the limitations of our educations.

As far as what you said about lichens, you are correct. A lichen is by definition a symbiotic association of a fungus and a blue-green alga. It is possible sometimes (not often) to break this assocation and culture the two separately, but this is a difficult area of Microbiology. One must be extremely patient and prone to enjoying frequent failure.

LIchens are uniquely suited to colonizing difficult environments, as they gain energy from sunlight and can adhere to and penetrate many nearly impervious surfaces. They are rather sensitive to environmental pollution They can colonize bare stone surfaces; many cemeteries are replete with examples. In fact, one of my more distasteful filial duties is to go to the local graveyard and murder, I mean scrape off the lichens from the headstones. I enjoy the graveyard, I don't like killing things. It's the price I pay for being too stupid not to move over 400 miles away like the rest of my siblings.

"I think this event is overstated."

In terms of economic impact on the states involved, it is fairly significant. Elk hunting produces a not insubstantial income for those states that have it, between the fees for licenses and the taxes and income generated by guides, outfitters, taxidermists, abattoirs, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses that cater to the hunting trade. Hunting could be thought of as tourism with take-home. Any damage to the image of wildlife as healthy, robust, noble and majestic can do a great deal of economic harm to a state that depends on it, as do some of our western mountain states. Diminished numbers in conjunction with the chronic wasting disease scare will probably depress the hunting economies of several states for five years or more, IMHO.


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