Naples, Florida-based tree health care professionals provide basic information about the strange organisms known as lichens.
If Lichens Aren’t Plants, What Are They?
Lichens are plant-like growths that are often mistaken for moss by amateur naturalists. They have a strange, sometimes alien appearance, and analyzing their composition quickly reveals why this is the case. They are not one single entity but a structure built through the symbiosis of two entirely different organisms.
Let’s discuss what lichen is, where it grows, and its characteristics related to other growing things, such as trees.
The Symbiotic Structure of Lichen
There are over 13,000 different types of lichen just on this continent alone, but they all have at least two things in common. They are made from the mutually beneficial relationship between two or more different organisms.
These organic structures are made from the relationship between a fungus and an algae. Bacteria can also contribute, but only cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.
Let’s look at these three different parts in more detail.
- Algae: Algae is perfectly capable of surviving on its own as long as it is in the water. It doesn’t matter if it is salt or fresh, it just has to be wet. Though algae belongs to its own kingdom(Protista), it uses photosynthesis to produce its own energy in the same way that plants do. Algae comes in many different colors including gold, brown, red, and green.
- Bacteria: The cyanobacteria that is involved in the symbiotic partnership that produces lichen was until recently thought to be a type of algae. It often appears in the water and it uses photosynthesis unlike some other members of kingdom Monera.
- Fungi: Toadstools and mushrooms are not the only types of fungi out there, although they are the most prominent examples of the kingdom. They tend to grow in moist places and tend to help with the process of decay. They need a source of nutrients because they cannot produce their own.
Lichen provides food for the fungus through the photosynthesis of the algae and protection for the algae through the fungus, allowing it to exist on land. As expected, Lichen takes many forms and can grow almost anywhere.
Where Do Lichens Grow?
While some lichens grow only in specific biomes, several varieties have been discovered in our world’s harshest environments.
They have been found in the Arctic and in the dry desert, where they live in a sort of stasis until rains come.
Locations where lichens have been found (besides tree bark) include:
- Dirt
- Plastic
- Rock
- Rusted Metal
They grow in three different ways on trees: crustose lichen(crust-like), foliose lichen(leaf-like), and fruticose lichen(tube or hair-like). Their form is based on the type of fungal fruiting body they are derived from.
Do They Harm Trees?
The simple answer is no. Lichens are not at all harmful to trees. As trees age, their bark tends to become thicker and more textured. This means that lichen has a better chance of sticking to the bark and taking hold. Their attachment is superficial, however, and does not invade the tree’s water or nutrient retrieval system.
If a tree has pests or a particular tree disease, there may be more lichen on that tree, but the lichen is not what is doing the damage. Homeowners should consult with an arborist to discover the best solutions for the tree, whether that involves tree pruning or tree removal.
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