Abstract
Image analysis software was used to obtain various measures of thalli in crustose lichen communities. Lichens growing on flat-faced quartzite boulders in two glacier forefields were photographed and the images were transferred to a computer. Barren rock was digitally removed using Adobe Photoshop and Idrisi geographic information system (GIS) software was used to measure thallus size, perimeter, compactness, and total lichenized area. Replicate analyses show that the technique produces reproducible results that allow a user to distinguish very small differences in lichen coverage and obtain other quantitative measures of a lichen population. The technique is suitable for use with smooth, evenly illuminated surfaces where there are clear color differences between the various lichens and the substrate is a uniform color. Excellent results can be obtained using a 35 mm film camera, inexpensive flash units, a film or print scanner and DOS based versions of Idrisi that permit batch processing of images. The technique can be used to examine lichen colonization patterns and explore new approaches in lichenometric dating.
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