Lichens

by William Purvis

From the rain forests of Costa Rica to the frozen deserts of Antarctica, lichens are a familiar part of the landscape. Widespread and long-lived, yet vulnerable to environmental disturbance, lichens are useful to scientists in assessing the effects of air pollution, ozone depletion, and metal contamination. Illustrated with more than 150 color photographs, Lichens reveals the varied and intriguing world of organisms that have been used in natural remedies and are becoming key indicators of the earth's environmental health.

Genres: Science, Nature, Nonfiction, Biology

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

William Purvis (O.W. Purvis) became a lichenologist at The Natural History Museum in London in 1988. He is actively involved in using lichens as bioindicators of environmental health.

Reviews

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pitch perfect for inquisitive non-scientists. Author gives you the basics of this life form in plain language with beautiful images.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introductory book to the study of Lichens. If it has a fault it is written for the British audience and I wonder will North Americans be able to find the same Lichen as those that grow on the British Isles.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and easy to comprehend. I read this book in two days -- couldn't put it down. Great photos, too!

[Jonáš Gruska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing introductory read for all lichen-curious.