WE have reached the time of year when the wildlife is becoming a bit more scarce.

Therefore, my attention recently has turned to the smaller, more sedentary wildlife that some times goes un-noticed. Next time you are on one of the reserves, and the heaths in particular, why not get down on your hands and knees in amongst the heather and have a look for some of the lichens. I personally recommend the Rifle Range as a good spot to enter this strange little world.

So what exactly is a lichen? Lichens consist of a fungus in close association (or symbiosis if I am being flash) with an alga. They reproduce by dropping fragments which form new plants. These fragments contain cells of both the fungus and the algal partner.

Lichens are very sensitive to air pollution, sulphur dioxide in particular, and are considered indicators of air quality. If you look at trees located in town centres you will notice there are very few lichens compared to the amount you would find in rural areas such as the Range. When you do have a look you will find that there are an array of different lichens, some of which are extremely similar. Unfortunately, very few of them have been given common names. This is something I find most upsetting, especially working with kids.

You see an excited child run towards you. They want to find out the name of there latest discovery. All you can tell them is some boring Latin name that makes no sense to them and then stand back and watch their interest drain away.

My personal all time favourite lichen is the ‘Matchstick lichen’, so named due to its appearance. It is also known as the ‘British Soldier Lichen’. One reason for my preference is that it has some normal names, but also it is colourful and easy to find. It is common on the peaty soils of moors and heaths and I first saw it on the heaths in Dorset. For those of you who are interested its Latin name is Cladonia floerkeana.

There are a few members of the Cladonia family which look like stalks with cups on the end. Even to the trained eye they look extremely similar.

I took a picture of a cluster on the Rifle Range and after looking through the books have decided it is most likely Cladonia coccifera (as they are common on this soil type). However, they are very similar to the Cup lichen Cladonia pyxidata.

The other lichen that is well established on the Range is Cladonia portentosa. Unfortunately this does not have a common name but I often refer to it as ‘train spotter’ lichen or ‘Hornby’ lichen as it looks like the bushes on model railways.

It's a truly fascinating world in miniature, sometimes forming small forests of stalks among the open areas between the mature heather. I’d recommend anybody spending a few minutes taking a closer look.

By DAVID FARTHING