A Survey of Lichen Native to Three of Mississippi’s National Forests

Author

• William S. Granberry III, University of MississippiFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-8-2026

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Erik Hom

Second Advisor

Marcos Caraballo-Ortiz

Third Advisor

Gregg Davidson

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Lichens are a major part of the environment for telling the air quality and the impact humans have on the environment. These signs go into how many species of lichen are present in a general area, and there has been a lack of a list of lichens that call Mississippi their home. The goal of this research is to help create this list through a survey of lichen in three of Mississippi’s National Forests: DeSoto, Homochitto, and Holly Springs. These three forests are ideal because they cover differing ecosystems and are in different parts of the state, heightening the chance for diverse species. Five sampling sites were mapped out in each forest, and lichens were sampled, recorded, and correlated to lichens in existing databases. This study did not reach its intended plan as problems emerged in DNA extraction and Polymerase Chain Reaction.

Recommended Citation

Granberry, William S. III, "A Survey of Lichen Native to Three of Mississippi’s National Forests" (2026). Honors Theses. 3603.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3603

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.