Lichens in the Tropical Rainforest

The heat, high humidity, and unpolluted air allow lichens to flourish in the tropical rainforest of Far North Queensland in Australia. Lichens can grow on any number of surfaces, both living and inert, but they are most noticeable on the trunks of trees. The variety of lichen types, their colours, patterns, and textures, are amazing. It can look as if the bark has been decorated by an artist – but these displays of lichen are nature’s own form of abstract art.

Here are a dozen photographs illustrating some of the natural lichen designs that I saw, mostly in the densely vegetated forest – but also, in the final shot, an example in the street.

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