lichen

Examples of lichen in the following topics:

• Mutualistic Relationships with Fungi and Fungivores

  • Lichens display a range of colors and textures.
  • The thallus of lichens grows very slowly, expanding its diameter a few millimeters per year.
  • Lichens produce soredia, clusters of algal cells surrounded by mycelia.
  • Soredia are dispersed by wind and water and form new lichens.
  • Lichens have many forms.

• Algae

  • Members of the genera may also grow with a fungus to form a lichen that does not damage the plants .
  • The grayish-white and darker "crusts" are lichens of the genus Strigula resulting from fungal colonization of the alga.

• Nutrients from Other Sources

  • Fungi also form symbiotic associations with cyanobacteria and green algae; the resulting symbiotic organism is called a lichen.
  • Lichens can sometimes be seen as colorful growths on the surface of rocks and trees .
  • Lichens, which result from the symbiotic relationship between fungi and green algae, are often seen growing on trees.

• Gas Requirements

  • Examples of those diazotrophs include: rhizobia that associate with legumes, plants of the Fabaceae family, frankias, and cyanobacteria that associate with fungi as lichens, with liverworts, with a fern, and with a cycad.

• Characteristics of Fungi

  • Through mycorrhizae, the fungus and plant exchange nutrients and water, greatly aiding the survival of both species Alternatively, lichens are an association between a fungus and its photosynthetic partner (usually an alga).

• Ecological Succession

  • First, weathering and other natural forces break down the substrate enough for the establishment of certain hearty plants and lichens with few soil requirements, known as pioneer species .

• Cyanobacteria

  • Because of their ability to fix nitrogen in aerobic conditions they are often found in symbiontic partnerships with a number of other groups of organisms, including but not limited to fungi (lichens), corals, pteridophytes (Azolla), and angiosperms (Gunnera).

• The Importance of Seedless Vascular Plants

  • At the end of the nineteenth century, scientists observed that lichens and mosses were becoming increasingly rare in urban and suburban areas.

• Boreal Forests and Arctic Tundra

  • During the growing season, the ground of the Arctic tundra can be completely covered with plants or lichens.

• Plant Adaptations to Life on Land

  • In fact, the sporophyte stage is barely noticeable in lower plants (the collective term for the plant groups of mosses, liverworts, and lichens).