I’m Lichen It

The Arctic Circle of Life

Ornithokoprophyllic Lichen — literally “the bird-poop loving” lichen (Photo credit, Paul Greenberg)

When you take humans out of the picture it’s amazing how quickly natural ecologies takes over. A few years ago while lecturing aboard a National Geographic cruise to Svalbard Island, I watched that process unfold in dramatic fashion. In front of me a cliff studded with bird colonies came into view. The shrieks could be heard above the breaking waves. The guano stained rocks offered up a waft of…