Print or save. Observe an accessible patch in place without removing material. Keep uncertain identifications uncertain. This sheet is not a species key or a pollution test.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column. You can also focus the table and use the arrow keys.
| Visible description | Your observation | Question requiring other evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Substrate: bark, rock, concrete or soil | Does the associated microbial community vary with substrate? | |
| Outline: crust, leafy lobes, branching tuft or uncertain | Which fungus and photosynthetic partners are present? | |
| Discs, powdery areas or other distinct surface structures | Which microscopic organisms occupy each region? | |
| Light, visible moisture, date and broad setting | Which functions change with conditions? | |
| One continuous patch or several neighboring forms? | How many genotypes are represented? |
At a later visit, record changes in appearance without assuming the microbial membership changed. A photograph describes a surface. DNA, microscopy and functional experiments answer additional questions.