Cryptobiotic Soils and Lichens of JTNP

Date/Time:	Saturday, October 19, 9 am - 5 pm, Sunday, October 20, 9 am - 4pm
Meet at:	Oasis Visitor Center, 74485 National Park Dr., Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Fee:	$100 JTNPA/PINE member, $110 non member
Credit Fee:	$150 JTNPA/PINE member, $160 non member
Instructor:	Nicole Pietrasiak and Kerry Knudsen
Hike Level:	Easy to Moderate

 

The desert floor may look like dirt and sand but it is full of living microscopic organisms vital to the park’s ecosystem. Many of these organisms live in biological highly active soil crusts that cover the first inch of the desert soil surface. In this field class Nicole Pietrasiak and Kerry Knudsen will introduce biological soil crusts with an emphasis on soil algae and lichens. Participants will study the secret life of these microscopic organisms as they demystify this thin layer of soil. Nicole and Kerry will discuss the components of crusts such as cyanobacteria (one of the oldest known life forms on earth), green algae, diatoms, bacteria, fungi, lichens and mosses. The instructors also present on why these organisms are important. During the lab session, participants will see the biodiversity of the park’s crusts up close through two different types of microscopes. The second day, the class will go into the field to identify and assess the conditions of some of the algal and lichen soil crusts found in JTNP.

If you are a member of JTNPA/PINE you will get a $10 discount off every Desert Institute class. Please enter the registrants name exactly as it appears in our membership database. If you are not a member you can become one here. Simply add membership to the cart and choose the discounted class in the options above.

Each participant is required to bring a signed Desert-Institute-Participant-Agreement.pdf to the class. Download it here.