Ribitol as a Major Component of Water-Soluble Leachates from Lobaria oregana

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Abstract
Leachates from L. oregana (Tuck.) Mull. Arg. were produced in the laboratory by misting thalli with rainwater. The leachate was separated into 4 fractions: a non-dialyzable residue (10-15% of the total) containing protein, polysaccharide and probably polyphenolic materials; a dialyzable acid-insoluble fraction thought to be tannin; an acid-insoluble, acetone-insoluble inorganic fraction composed largely of Na, K, Ca and Mg cations; and an organic fraction soluble in both aqueous acid and acetone consisting mainly of ribitol. Lobaria is presumed to constitute a major pool for polyols found in throughfall from the coniferous stands under study. This lichen may be an important energy source for heterotrophic canopy microorganisms which subsist on leachates.