Lichens of the World: A Guide to Every Family

A magnificently illustrated guide to the world’s extraordinary diversity of lichensLichens are not autonomous organisms but a symbiotic partnership between fungi and photosynthetic algae or cyanobacteria.With more than 20,000 species found across the globe, they are an enormously successful life-form, capable of surviving in some of the harshest environments on the planet.This book provides a wide-ranging look at the 117 currently accepted families of lichen-forming fungi.The introductory section covers topics ranging from the biological structure of lichens to their lifecycle and symbiotic relationships with other organisms.This is followed by a fact-filled directory profiling at least one exemplar genus of each family and highlighting its unique characteristics.Lichens of the World is a self-contained reference for scientists, naturalists, and anyone interested in lichens. Features hundreds of stunning full-color photos and distribution maps showcasing the variety, exquisite beauty,