VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Cetraria islandica | Iceland Moss 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Ground lichens provide an important food source in the winter diet of
caribou [32].  They provide the major bulk of the winter diet of
woodland caribou and are preferred over the more easily accessed
arboreal lichens [3].  In Newfoundland, C. islandica is plentiful in
lichen stands used by caribou but constitutes less than 5 percent of the
lichens ingested [2].

Cetraria spp. are also utilized as forage by reindeer, mountain goat,
moose, and muskox [35].

Cetraria islandica is valued as "good" forage for horses and pigs, and
has been used as fodder for cattle [33].


PALATABILITY : 
Cetraria islandica is highly palatable [3].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Cetraria islandica is low in protein (estimated at 2 percent) [24,32].
Values of cellulose and lignin concentrations (percent dry weight) from
tundra samples collected in June were 1.5 and 2.4, respectively [7].
Cetraria islandica contains a high percentage of lichenin (complex
starches) that provides an important source of energy [30].


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Cetraria islandica is one of the few lichens consumed by humans.  A
powder made from dried C. islandica can be boiled to yield a jelly used
in soups in northern Europe.  The powder is also used in breads and
cereals [33].  The astringent qualities of C. islandica make it useful
in tanning leather.  It also yields a brown dye [30,33].  Historically,
C. islandica has been used to treat coughs, tuberculosis, fevers, and
scurvy [1,30,33].  It has traditionally held an important place in
Chinese medicine [18].  Cetraria islandica has also been used as a
source of antibiotics [1].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
The very slow growth rates of ground lichens is widely recognized
[3,35].  Growth is estimated at an average of 0.2 inch (0.5 cm) per year
[3].  When frequently grazed, ground lichens on winter rangelands may
require up to 10 years for full recovery [35].  Cetraria islandica,
however, tolerates trampling better than the more abundant reindeer
lichens (Cladonia spp.)  [2].

In Iceland and Sweden, C. islandica is commercially harvested.  Up to
600 pounds is sold each year in Sweden [1].  In Iceland, colonies of C.
islandica are harvested every 3 years to allow the lichen to grow to a
"profitable size" [33].

After disturbance on Alaskan tundra, C. islandica was present in
undisturbed controls and on disturbed sites, even though these sites had
been planted with native and nonnative grasses.  Cetraria islandica was
apparently not inhibited by the competition [9].

Lichens are widely used as indicators of air pollution or air quality.
Cetraria islandica exhibits an intermediate sensitivity to sulfur
dioxide and to fluoride, and may be useful as an indicator of high
concentrations of these chemicals [28].  Lichens, including C.
islandica, also absorb radioactive fallout [32].

Mats of C. islandica may diminish seedling establishment [5].

Related categories for Species: Cetraria islandica | Iceland Moss