In a ongoing effort funded by the federal government and the non-profit Yosemite Fund, a biological inventory of the park's resources is being taken. Many of the black, gray, and rust-colored bands that run vertically down the face of Vernal Falls have been discovered to be not oxidized minerals but lichen. The search for new lichen species in Yosemite has revealed the presence of Alectoria sarmentosa, which was thought to exist in only one place in California. Approximately 100 unfamiliar species are being sent to Oregon State University for identification, and may be unique to the park. Niki Nicholas, Yosemite's chief of resources management and science, says that the number of known species has already been doubled, and that more may await discovery.