Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 26 : Fall 2015 | Page 70

The source of the water, in a place that last saw rain
almost 20 years ago, comes from a dense fog that rolls
in from the Pacific Ocean. “The fog forms from the
temperature and moisture difference between the arid
land air mass and humid oceanic air mass that meet
at Alto Patache. As the air rises being pushed up the
mountain slope by prevailing westerly winds, the
oceanic air further cools and loses its moisture through
the formation of fog,” said Nelson.
The three researchers took samples along several
100-meter long strips of land that followed the contours
of the terrain so each strip remained at the same altitude
within that strip. The researchers sampled different
strips, or transects, at various altitudes to compare the
lichens they found.

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The researchers had a hypothesis that the shape of the
lichen would change depending on the fog. “They
should get taller as they get farther and farther into the
fog,” said Nelson.
The scientists were correct. Additionally, the diversity
of lichens changed depending on the fog. “The peak
lichen diversity was where we expected, which was the
densest portion of the fog.”
The team is still analyzing their data, but Nelson said
the early results show their hypothesis is correct.
They also took the opportunity to map a
square kilometer of a unique basin
where lichens exist without the
benefit of being attached to
the ground. “They were
blowing around on the