Lichen Biology and the Environment
Lichen Biology and the Environment
All photographs copyright Stephen/Sylvia Sharnoff.
Lichens are composite, symbiotic organisms made up from members of as many as three kingdoms.
The dominant partner is a fungus. Fungi are incapable of making their own food. They usually provide for themselves as parasites or decomposers.
"Lichens are fungi that have discovered agriculture"-- lichenologist Trevor Goward.
The lichen fungi (kingdom Fungi) cultivate partners that manufacture food by photosynthesis. Sometimes the partners are algae (kingdom Protista), other times cyanobacteria (kingdom Monera), formerly called blue-green algae. Some enterprising fungi exploit both at once.
(Click on photos for enlarged views.)
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