The natural world is unique and inconceivably diverse. Every year, scientists make more and more new discoveries that open up extraordinary prospects for studying the world around us. But quite familiar living organisms, which a person has known from time immemorial, are still able to surprise. Take, for example, lichens. They are simple, but the features of their life activity are very unusual.

Do you know how lichens eat? This is a truly unique process that is worth describing in detail.

Difficulties of cognition

In general, they are quite difficult to study, since they are a symbiosis of completely different organisms. Each lichen is formed by a symbiosis of an autotrophic algae and a heterotrophic fungus. It is clear that first you have to study the biochemistry and vital activity of each organism separately. This method of studying their physiology gives many errors and inaccuracies, and therefore scientists have a huge number of questions, not all of which have answers. However, the researchers still managed to identify common patterns.

Internal structure

In general, the entire body of a lichen is a massive interweaving of fungal hyphae, inside which colonies of autotrophic algae are located. Today in science, the following types of lichens are distinguished:

• Homeomeric varieties (Collema). Cells of photobiont colonies (algae) are randomly scattered throughout the body.
• Heteromeric (Peltigera canina). On the cross section, the layers of thalom (hyphae) and algae can be clearly seen.

Most of all there are lichens whose structure is based on the latter principle. In this case, the entire upper layer is formed by a particularly dense plexus of fungal tissue, which protects the body of the lichen from negative impacts external environment. In addition, the fungus prevents excessively rapid drying (but this does not always help).

The next layer contains a colony of autotrophic algae. In the very center is the core of the lichen, which is a tight strand of intertwined hyphae of the fungus and the colony of the autotroph. This “rod” has a dual function: on the one hand, the lichen stores water in the core. On the other hand, it is a kind of skeleton given organism. Risins are located in the lower part. This is a kind of attachment with which the lichen clings to the substrate. It should be remembered that the complete set is not found in all species.

Some types of lichens (cyanolichens) are characterized by the fact that in their structure there are highly localized colonies of cyanoalgae. In these species, the division into layers is especially pronounced. So how do lichens eat? The answer to this question is directly related to their features.

About the process of photosynthesis

There are thousands of studies that are devoted specifically to the features of photosynthesis in these symbiotic organisms. Since about 10-15% of their volume is occupied by algae, which gives them almost everything, many questions arise about the intensity of the process. Oddly enough, but the simplest measurements clearly showed that the intensity of photosynthesis in lichens is much lower when compared with higher autotrophic plants. So, when drawing an analogy with an ordinary potato, the ratio will be 1:16.

But how to explain a completely comfortable life in such Spartan conditions? In general, there is nothing particularly difficult in this. The fact is that autotrophic higher plant organisms are “awake” for most of their lives, while lichens in some areas stay in a half-dried state, in suspended animation, for almost the entire year. Of course, a meager amount of nutrients is quite enough for them to maintain their vital activity.

This is how lichens eat. Grade 7 in schools of biological orientation can study this topic in more detail, but even in this case, answers to many important questions standard educational program does not give. For example, when is the process of formation of organic matter for nutrition slower, and when is it a little faster?

What determines the rate of photosynthesis in lichens?

It should be noted that the intensity of this process depends on many different factors. It is also important that chloroplasts, being covered with a dense layer of hyphae, receive much less light than similar formations in higher autotrophic plants and even algae. In principle, this difference is not so significant.

You should know that the maximum value of the photosynthesis process is observed at illumination in the range of 4000-23000 lux. This can be found in the main habitats of lichens: tundra, forest-steppe, light northern forests. In those areas where the intensity of illumination is much higher, in the body of a symbiotic organism, intensive production of a dark organic pigment (parietin) begins, as well as substances specific only for lichens (atranorine, for example).

Obtained as a result of photosynthesis are completely similar to those of Oni and are used for trophic purposes. This is how lichens eat. Grade 7 of a general education school studies the processes of their life activity very superficially, although this topic is large and extremely interesting. We bring to your attention extended information that may be not only interesting, but also useful.

Breathing process

It is easy to guess that the production of nutrients directly depends on breathing. In contrast to photosynthesis in lichens, it is intense: 0.2–2.0 mg CO₂ per hour releases only one gram of a symbiotic organism. If you carefully read the information at the top of the article, you probably realized that about 85-90% of the mass of the lichen falls on the weight of the mycobiont. Simply put, it is the fungal part that needs more oxygen, and not the autotrophic algae. Since lichens do not feed very regularly under normal conditions (the reason is severe climatic conditions), a considerable part of the nutrients is stored in their tissues.

Like photosynthesis, the process of respiration is directly dependent on the percentage of water.

You should know that the minimum level of respiration, which is necessary to obtain a certain amount of energy from nutrients, the lichen retains under almost any conditions (suitable for life, of course). This process is possible at the following temperature ranges: from -15 to +30, +50 °С. But optimal temperature regime is in the range from +15 to +20 °С. With cooling, the use of oxygen begins to predominate. And when the temperature rises above +35 degrees, both processes are approximately aligned.

There is a known case when a lichen (a photo of this species is in the article), brought to one of the Moscow museums by an expedition of the Tsarist Archaeological Society, calmly restored its vital activity, being placed by one of the employees in a flower pot with slightly damp earth. But by that time it had been in a completely dry, closed box for exhibits for almost 90 years, and most of the time it was even deprived of light!

It is not surprising that modern biology is so interested in these organisms. Lichens probably still have a lot of secrets, the disclosure of which, perhaps, will significantly spur the development of medicine.

Scientists have proven that the basic principles of lichen respiration follow the same patterns as in the case of higher autotrophic plants. But there are differences, the main of which is a slightly different priority between the absorption of oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide. In addition, they are phenomenally resistant to drying, low and high temperatures. No wonder mosses and lichens can grow even in the Arctic.

Temperature regime

The most favorable for photosynthesis in lichens is the temperature range from +10 to +25 degrees Celsius. But their ability to absorb carbon dioxide remains down to -25 degrees. This is a very remarkable feature of lichens, which distinguishes them from higher plants and even algae. At temperatures ranging from -5 to -10 degrees, the intensity of carbon dioxide absorption is almost greater than in more comfortable conditions. In many plants, in this case, ice forms in the intercellular space, which simply breaks the cells.

In contrast, lichens on trees, the trunks of which are literally torn apart by the harsh northern climate (biting frosts), feel great when the warm season sets in.

Features of water exchange

The researchers came to the conclusion that lichens are distinguished by a special, extremely specific type of water exchange. The fact is that the water in their body is contained in the spaces between strong hyphae. When it freezes, it does not bring much harm, and the process of photosynthesis and nutrition continues to occur. However, even when the temperature rises to +35 degrees Celsius or more, the process of photosynthesis practically stops, which radically distinguishes lichens from plants.

The amount of water that will be enough for normal life depends on the family. Thus, fruticose lichens are capable of photosynthesis and the production of organic substances for nutrition in almost complete dehydration. The thicker the body, the more moisture can accumulate in it, the less it evaporates.

This is especially important for lichens, since in most cases they grow in very difficult conditions, when a more or less regular supply of water is not guaranteed at all. Under such conditions, any plant would die. Lichen, on the other hand, feels good even in the conditions of real deserts and the Arctic.

Regulation of fluid exchange

It can be understood that the regulatory function of water metabolism in these organisms is arranged in a completely different way than in higher plants. Since they practically do not have any specialized systems for this. For example, their assimilation of water occurs extremely quickly, but only due to its usual absorption by the entire surface of the body. Can spend the simplest experience: pour a small amount of water on the table and place a piece of napkin or toilet paper on the puddle.

As you can see, the water was instantly absorbed, since the structure of the paper has a good adsorbing capacity. The same thing happens in the case of lichens. So, we considered an episode with a dried-up specimen that was once brought by an expedition. When the employee put the lichen into the flower pot, it simply instantly absorbed such a volume of liquid that was enough for him to restore his life.

Some fruticose lichens are able to absorb huge amounts of liquid, up to 300% of their own weight. Other species (collems, leptogiums) thus increase in size by 400-3900%! If we talk about the minimum water content, then it is approximately 2% of the weight of the dry matter of the lichen. Such a lichen (you will find a photo in this material) looks completely different from a living organism.

About the rate of return of water

As in the case with toilet paper, gives water to the body of a symbiotic organism rather quickly. In just an hour, a lichen that has just absorbed almost a liter of liquid can dry out to a brittle state. Thus, the "productivity" of these organisms is extremely cyclical: the production of trophic substances can change dramatically not only during the season, but also for one or two hours!

IN last years scientists have learned that some species of tundra lichens (Evernia prunastri) can use literally "crumbs" of sunlight, occasionally breaking through a layer of snow. Simply put, their photosynthesis does not end even in winter.

Lichen reproduction

In addition, the features of lichens are the presence of three methods of reproduction at once:

• Vegetative.
• Sexual.
• Asexual.

A fungus, that is, a mycobiont, can reproduce in all ways, while an algae is capable of exclusively vegetative division. The spores of the fungus are located in special bags. Ascomycete lichens for the reproduction process use two main groups of fruiting bodies: apothecia and perithecia. Their characteristics are as follows:

• Apothecium is a common rounded bed. On it are bags that are located in the intervals between the usual, non-terminating hyphae. This open layer is called the hymenium.
• The perithecium is similar to an almost completely closed structure of a spherical shape. Spores are released through special holes that are located on the surface of the fruit sphere.

Some species can also form asexual spores, pycnospores (pycnoconidia). The place of their formation is pycnidia. These are sacs that are spherical or somewhat pear-shaped and are highly specialized hyphae. Pycnidia are easy to recognize, as they look like black dots located on the bed.

When the spores wake up, they quickly give rise to new hyphae under suitable conditions, forming the body of a new lichen. They (hyphae) also penetrate into the cells of autotrophic algae, after which the formation of a new organism actually ends.

Meaning

In general, mosses and lichens are of great importance. in the tundra and arctic wilderness they are often the only ones that can accumulate nutrient organic matter in extremely unfavorable conditions. Simply put, it is these organisms that are the source of food for those few herbivores that can live in such harsh places. In addition, only lichens on trees, even in our climate, often allow elk and roe deer to survive the winter.

Lichens are organisms whose body is formed as a result of the symbiosis of a fungus and an algae. The body of a lichen is called a thallus (thallus). The photosynthetic component of the lichen is an algae or cyanobacteria, and the fungus ensures the absorption of water and mineral salts.

Among the algae, green and yellow-green algae are most common, there are about 100 species in total. In modern flora, there are about 13,500 species of lichens.

Lichens are found in a variety of habitats from the North to the South Pole. They grow on stones and rocks, tree bark and plant leaves, soil, artificial substrates. Some lichens live in water.

According to the shape of the thallus, lichens are divided into three types: scale, leafy and bushy. The scale ones have the appearance of crusts and are tightly fused with the substrate. Leafy have a flattened shape, parts of the thallus rise above the substrate and resemble leaves. They are attached to the substrate by bundles of hyphae and can be separated from the substrate without damaging the thallus. Bushy lichens look like hanging or erect bushes, which are attached to the substrate only by the base of the thallus.

According to the internal structure, lichens are of two types. In some, the algae are evenly distributed among the hyphae of the fungus throughout the entire thickness of the thallus. The space between hyphae and algae is filled with mucus. This is a homeomeric type of structure. In other lichens, a dense interlacing of hyphae forms the upper bark, under which

there is a layer of loosely arranged hyphae with algae cells between them. Under this layer are loosely arranged hyphae that form the core. The core is underlain by the lower cortex, formed by closely woven hyphae. Bundles of hyphae emerge from the core, with the help of which the lichen is attached to the substrate.

Most often, lichens reproduce vegetatively: by parts of the thallus; algae cells braided with fungal hyphae; specialized outgrowths of the thallus containing phyco- and mycobionts. After separation of these structures under favorable conditions, they begin to develop into a new lichen thallus. Lichens can reproduce both asexually and sexually, but this reproduction is associated with mycobiont. Lichens grow very slowly: in a year their thallus grows from a few hundredths of a millimeter to several centimeters.

Lichens are able to accumulate solar energy and create organic compounds from inorganic ones. On the other hand, the lichen mycobiont is a heterotroph. Lichens are the pioneers of vegetation, they are the first to master lifeless substrates, making them suitable for other organisms over time. Lichens are indicators of air pollution, especially sensitive to the content of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere. They are used in archeology and geomorphology to determine the age of the substrate.

Lichens serve as food for animals, especially in winter in the northern regions (for example, reindeer moss, or reindeer moss). Birds can use lichen thalli as building material for their nests.

Some lichens are also edible for humans. A number of substances used in the perfume industry are obtained from lichens. Some lichens are used in traditional medicine in the treatment of a number of diseases.

Choose one correct answer.

1. Mushrooms are

1) a separate group of plants

2) symbiosis of plants and bacteria

3) a special group of animals

4) a special group of living beings

2. Lower plants include

1) mushrooms 3) mosses

2) algae 4) lichens

3. A sign common to fungi and animals is *

1) lack of plastids

2) method of reproduction

3) the presence of an internal skeleton

4) inspection type of food

4.	The cell wall of fungi contains
	1) murein	3)	cellulose
	2) pectin	4)	chitin
5.	The mycelium of the fungus is formed
	1) chitin fibers	3)	disputes
	2) hyphae	4)	rhizoids
6.	Reproduces by budding
	1) mukor	3)	penicillium
	2) smut	4)	yeast
7.	The agaric fungi include

1) russula

2) butter

3) flywheels

4) boletus

8. Mycorrhiza is

1) fungal disease of rye

2) symbiosis of the fungus with the roots of higher plants

3) the reproductive organ of mold fungi

4) one of the most poisonous mushrooms

9. Mycorrhiza forms

1) mukor 3) boletus

2) champignon 4) ergot

10. Mycelium is represented by one cell in

1) smut 3) penicilla

2) tinder fungus 4) mucor

11. Mukor spores ripen

1) in special balls at the ends of vertical hyphae

2) throughout the mycelium

3) in racemes

1) water and organic matter

2) water and minerals

3) exclusively with water

4) oxygen and carbon dioxide

Choose three correct answers.

16. A sign common to fungi and plants is

1) immobility

2) the presence of rigid cell walls

3) constant growth

4) storage of carbohydrates in the form of glycogen

5) the presence of mycelium

Lichens are a group of living organisms.

Their body is built using a combination of two microorganisms that are in a symbiotic relationship: a fungus (mycobiont) and an algae (phycobiont or cyanobacteria).

general characteristics

The science of lichenology, which is a department of botany, is engaged in the study of this species.

For a long time, lichens were a mystery to scientists, although their use was widespread throughout various sectors of human life. And only in 1867 the structure of this species was scientifically proven. Scientists-lichenologists were engaged in this.

On this moment scientists have discovered more than 25 thousand species, but they all have a similar external and internal structure. The features by which each species should be distinguished are based on structural features.

What does a lichen look like

As already mentioned, the main part of the species is the body, which is distinguished by a variety of shapes and colors. In this case, growth can be a plate, a crust that looks like a leaf, in the form of a bush, tube or ball.

The height of the plant also varies within fairly large limits: from 3 centimeters to the height of a person.

Types and names of lichens

Lichenology has divided lichens into several groups in connection with the shape of the thallus:

In addition, based on the place where they grow, there are:

• epigeic (mainly on a land basis);
• epiphytic (on a tree base);
• epilithic (on stone).

Features of the internal structure

It seems possible to see the structure of the lichen under a magnifying device. A lichen is an organism consisting of a part of a fungus - a mycelium and algae, intertwined with each other.

Depending on how the cells of algae and fungi are distributed among themselves, another classification is distinguished:

• homeomeric, in which the phycobiont is located randomly among the cells of the mycobiont;
• heteromeric, in which there is a clear separation into layers.

Lichens with a layered structure are found everywhere and have the following layer structure:

1. The cortical layer is composed of mycobiont cells and protects from external influences, especially from drying out.
2. Superficial or gonidial: contains only phycobiont cells.
3. The core consists of a fungus, performs the function of a skeleton, and also contributes to the retention of water.
4. The lower cortex performs the function of attachment to the base.

It is worth noting: in some species, some types of layers may be absent or have a modified structure.

Where do they live

Lichens are distinguished by their ability to adapt to absolutely any conditions of existence. For example, they grow on bare stones, rocks, walls and roofs of buildings, tree bark, etc.

This is due to the mutually beneficial cooperation of the myco- and phycobionts included in the composition. The vital activity of one complements the existence of the other, and vice versa.

How do lichens eat

Nutrition is provided by symbiotes. Since fungi do not have the function of autotrophic nutrition, in which the process of converting organic components from inorganic ones takes place, algae supply the body with the necessary elements.

This happens through photosynthesis. And the fungus supplies the lichen with mineral salts, which it absorbs from the incoming fluid. In this way, the process of symbiosis occurs.

How they breed

They reproduce in two ways:

1. Sexual - is carried out due to spore formation.
2. Vegetative - for this, there are soredia (an algae cell braided with a thread of mycelium, which is carried by the wind) and isidia (outgrowths that form the surface layer of the thallus).

The value of lichens in nature and human life

They have the following positive effects:

Lichens are famous for their longevity, because only the growth period can reach 4 thousand years.

As a result, they can be used to approximately determine the age of the rock.

It is popular to use them as a fertilizer in the agricultural industry. In addition, their use began in ancient times. Lichens were used as natural dyes.

Lichens are a unique species that carry a mass useful properties and qualities applicable in virtually any area of ​​human life.

Lichens- amazing living formations that baffle adherents of strict biological taxonomy. Indeed, to which taxon do organisms belong, which, as if as a result of the experiment of a crazy scientist, are a union mushrooms(also "hanging" between plants and animals) with algae or cyanobacteria? The hyphae of the fungus form the basis of the body of the lichen, while the internal filling is the cells of the algae. Thanks to them, more precisely, their ability to photosynthesis, this strange organism receives energy for the production of nutrients.

Fossilized lichens are a rare find due to the vulnerability of their bodies; Devonian lichens that are about 400 million years old are considered reliable. Now the group has about 25 thousand species. Lichens are extremely unpretentious, without loss they endure a cold, humid climate, but also heat and drought.

So, what are the characteristic features of lichens?

Where do lichens live?

You can meet lichens not only in the forests and mountains of Asia, Europe and both Americas, but even in Antarctica and the Arctic. They are comfortable in huge temperature limits: from -50 to +60 degrees. Photosynthesis does not stop even in the cold! Lichens are able to live on bare stones, being content with a small amount of nutrients. Lichens also live on glass, fabrics and metal!

Everything is suitable for their nutrition: droplets of moisture from fog, dew, particles of dust. True, lichens are extremely sensitive to polluted air - the excess of harmful substances destroys them.

Survive in difficult environmental conditions leafy help lichen species rhizoids, sometimes equipped with special plates or drops of mucus for better attachment to the base.

The structure and nutrition of lichens

1. Lichen wall goldfish(the genus xanthorium) must have been seen by many - it lives on tree trunks, on stones, representing a collection of tiny funnels of bright yellow color. This xanthoria belongs to heteromeric lichens, that is, those whose body is quite clearly divided into several layers. If you make a thin section of xanthoria, you can see woven hyphae of fungi in the upper and lower parts (crusts). The lower hyphae attach the lichen to tree bark and other substrates.
2. Hyphae are also present in the middle part, but they are loosely woven, and unicellular algae are located between them. And the innermost layer is represented by hyphae, between which lie air-filled voids.
3. At homeomeric lichens (kollema, leptogium), algae cells are not localized in one layer, but are distributed randomly, sometimes singly, sometimes forming chains.

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Lichens are peculiar complex organisms, the thallus of which is a combination of fungus and algae, which are in complex relationships with each other, more often in symbiosis. More than 20 thousand species of lichens are known.

From other organisms, including free-living fungi and algae, they differ in shape, structure, nature of metabolism, special lichen substances, methods of reproduction, and slow growth (from 1 to 8 mm per year).

Structural features

lichen thallus consists of intertwined fungal threads - hyphae, and algae cells (or threads) located between them.

There are two main types of microscopic structure of the thallus:

• Homeomeric;
• heteromeric.

On a cross section of a lichen homeomeric type there is an upper and lower bark, which consists of one layer of fungal cells. The entire inner part is filled with loosely arranged fungal filaments, between which algae cells are located without any order.

in lichen heteromeric type of algae cells are concentrated in one layer, which is called gonidial layer. Below it is the core, consisting of loosely arranged filaments of the fungus.

The outer layers of the lichen are dense layers of fungal filaments called cortical layers. With the help of fungal filaments extending from the lower cortical layer, the lichen is attached to the substrate on which it grows. In some species, the lower bark is absent and it is attached to the substrate by the threads of the core.

The algal component of the lichen consists of species belonging to the blue-green, green, yellow-green and brown divisions. Representatives of 28 genera of them enter into symbiosis with fungi.

Most of these algae may be free-living, but some are found only in lichens and have not yet been found in a free state in nature. Being in the thallus, algae change greatly in appearance, and also become more resistant to high temperatures, and can tolerate prolonged drying. When cultivated on artificial media (separate from fungi), they acquire a form characteristic of free-living forms.

The lichen thallus is diverse in shape, size, structure, painted in various colors. The color of the thallus is due to the presence of pigments in the membranes of hyphae and fruit bodies lichens. There are five groups of pigments: green, blue, purple, red and brown. A prerequisite for the formation of pigments is light. The brighter the lighting in the places where lichens grow, the brighter they are colored.

The shape of the thallus can also be varied. By external structure thallus lichens are divided into:

• scale;
• leafy;
• bushy.

At scale lichens the thallus has the appearance of a crust, tightly fused with the substrate. The thickness of the crusts is different - from a barely noticeable scale or powdery coating to 0.5 cm, the diameter - from a few millimeters to 20-30 cm. Scale species grow on the surface of soils, rocks, bark of trees and shrubs, and exposed decaying wood.

foliose lichens have the form of a leaf-shaped plate, horizontally located on the substrate (parmelia, wall goldfish). Usually the plates are rounded, 10-20 cm in diameter. characteristic feature leafy species is the unequal color and structure of the upper and lower surfaces of the thallus. In most of them, on the underside of the thallus, organs of attachment to the substrate are formed - rhizoids, consisting of hyphae collected in strands. They grow on the surface of the soil, among mosses. Leafy lichens are more highly organized forms compared to scale ones.

fruticose lichens have the form of an upright or hanging bush and are attached to the substrate in small areas of the lower part of the thallus (cladonia, Icelandic lichen). According to the level of organization, bushy species are the highest stage in the development of the thallus. Their thalli are of different sizes: from a few millimeters to 30-50 cm. Hanging thalli of fruticose lichens can reach 7-8m. An example is a lichen hanging in the form of a beard from the branches of larches and cedars in taiga forests (bearded lichen).

reproduction

Lichens reproduce mainly vegetatively. At the same time, pieces are separated from the thallus, carried by wind, water or animals, and in favorable conditions give new thalli.

In leafy and fruticose lichens for vegetative propagation in the superficial or deeper layers, special vegetative formations are formed: soredia and isidia.

Soredia have the appearance of microscopic glomeruli, each of which contains one or more algae cells surrounded by fungal hyphae. Soredia are formed inside the thallus in the gonidial layer of leafy and fruticose lichens. Formed soredia are pushed out of the thallus, picked up and carried by the wind. Under favorable conditions, they germinate in new places and form thalli. About 30% of lichens reproduce by soredia.

Nutrition

Features of nutrition of lichens are associated with the complex structure of these organisms, consisting of two components, which receive nutrients different ways. Mushrooms are heterotrophs and algae are autotrophs.

The algae in the lichen provides it organic matter produced by photosynthesis. The lichen fungus receives high-energy products from the algae: ATP and NADP. The fungus, in turn, with the help of filamentous processes (hyphae) acts as a root system. So the lichen gets water and minerals that are adsorbed from the soil.

Also, lichens are able to absorb water from the body with their whole body. environment during fogs and rains. To survive they need nitrogen compounds. If the algal component of the thallus is represented by green algae, then nitrogen comes from aqueous solutions. When blue-green algae act as a phycobiont, nitrogen fixation from atmospheric air is possible.

For the normal existence of lichens are necessary in sufficient quantities light and moisture. Insufficient illumination prevents their development, as photosynthetic processes slow down and lichens receive less nutrients.

Light pine forests of steel the best place for their life. Although lichens are among the most drought-resistant species, they still need water. Only in humid environment respiratory and metabolic processes are carried out.

The value of lichens in nature and human life

Lichens are very sensitive to harmful substances, therefore they do not grow in places with high dust and air pollution. So, they are used as indicators of pollution.

They take part in the cycle of substances in nature. Their photosynthetic part is capable of producing organic matter in places where other plants cannot survive. An important role of lichens in soil formation, they settle on a lifeless rocky surface and, after dying off, form humus. This creates favorable conditions for plant growth.

Forage lichens are an important link in the food chain. For example, deer, roe deer, moose feed on deer moss or reindeer moss. They serve as material for bird nests. Lichen manna or Aspicilia edible is used in cooking.

The perfume industry uses them to give durability to perfumes, and the textile industry uses them to dye fabrics. Species with antibacterial properties are also known, which are used in the manufacture of medicines to combat tuberculosis and furunculosis.