Nebraskaland

March 2026 • Nebraskaland 53 But in rural areas, especially where there's cleaner air like in the Sandhills, Niobrara Valley or along stretches of the Missouri River, you're more likely to spot a diverse mix of lichen types in all shapes, colors and textures. It's like nature's way of quietly waving a green flag, saying "things are healthy here." Scientists may use lichens to monitor air quality in places where they might not have the equipment to record data. By noting what species are present — and which ones are missing — they can get a sense of long-term environmental shifts. Due to their slow growth, lichens are like "biological journals" etched into bark and stone. Some states even use lichen studies to guide conservation decisions or track the impact of industry and urban development. While Nebraska doesn't currently have a statewide lichen monitoring program, the potential is there. These tiny organisms are like living sensors that cost nothing to maintain and can survive in the most remote places, just quietly keeping tabs on the air around them. Part of Nebraska's Wildlife Web Beyond their roles as air quality indicators, lichens are also an important — though often overlooked — part of Nebraska's wildlife web. Tiny birds, such as hummingbirds, vireos and gnatcatchers, use lichens as camouflage for their nests. They'll carefully collect pieces of foliose lichens and press them onto the outside of their homes, blending them seamlessly into tree bark. It's a natural disguise that helps hide vulnerable eggs and chicks from predators. Small mammals, such as voles and shrews, may collect lichens as bedding for their underground nests and burrows, adding it to the grasses, leaves and mosses they use for insulation. In some cases, lichens may even serve as a source of antimicrobial protection, keeping nests a bit cleaner. And during Nebraska's long, harsh winters, food can be scarce, especially out in the Sandhills or Pine Ridge, where snow can blanket everything for weeks. That's when lichens become forage for wildlife, such as deer, elk and even pronghorn. Though not particularly high in nutrients, lichens are better than nothing when grasses and forbs are buried underneath snow. Lichens also play an indirect but vital role in the ecosystem. They help break down rocks into soil, stabilizing thin soils on cliffs and outcrops and contributing organic material as they grow and decompose. Some types even fix nitrogen, enriching the soil in areas where other plants might struggle to gain a foothold. This is especially helpful in recovering prairie or rocky outcrop ecosystems, where building up soil health is a slow, long-term process. While not flashy, the ecological and habitat benefits of lichens are crucial, providing not only habitat and food but also a measuring stick to how healthy the environment where they're growing actually is. A house wrens sitting on a branch covered in lichen. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND Lichen on a tree near West Ash Creek in the Nebraska National Forest. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND

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