Page 58 - MNLGA Free State Summer 2024_WEB

GROWING WITH EDUCATION A Ginny Rosenkranz

the base for the algae that can their ability to trap dust from the air and fruticose lichens prefer to attach
capture water from rain and heavy and their ability to absorb nitrogen themselves onto the blocky, uneven
dews, allowing them to live on many and change it to nitrates that promote bark of older trees. As small as lichens
places. The yeast is also an important their development and growth. are, they also grow very slowly and
partner in the lichen family because On the other hand, the algae and take many years to cover enough
it produces acid the helps with the cyanobacterial partners of lichen are bark to be easily seen. Lichens
defense from the invasion of other very sensitive to highly reactive gases also continue to grow slowly in the
microbes. They can live on trees, and acids like ammonia, fluorine, winter while the sunlight is brighter in
shrubs and rocks, covering 8 percent sulfur dioxide, sulfuric and nitric acids, the winter with the foliage off while
of the earth, and because they can and when wet the pollutants in the the lichens that grow on evergreen
thrive on the atmosphere for all of form of gases or vapors are absorbed conifers are hosts to different lichens.
their nutrients, they are not parasitic. and interrupt both photosynthesis Not only do conifers provide denser
Lichens are attached to the bark of and respiration. If your landscape shade their bark is more acidic and
slow growing trees with their rhizines supports lichens, it has wonderful contains organic gums and resins.
attaching only to the outer side of clean air. The lichens that grow can survive
the bark. They are most often found Different species of lichen grow on in the deeper year-round shade
on older plants in landscapes or old soil compared to species that grow while a few others grow on the dead
growth forests, or slower growing on rocks and those that grow on branches to grab some sunshine.
plants that might be gradually dying trees. Lichens that are Crustose can
because the bark that they are resting be found as a crusty powdery surface Summer heat and droughts can dry
on does not get sluffed off. Lichens and often have bright colors other out and shrivel the lichen, causing the
are often blamed for killing the trees than green, while Foliose produce colors to fade but the rain in the early
or shrubs they sit upon because a circular flat leafy shape with lobes spring can brighten the colors. The
they are not noticed until the foliage that extends out from the bark, and change of shape and fading colors
dies off trees and shrubs, and when Fruticose creates a three-dimensional of summer actually protect the algae
noticed they are not recognized as shape like a cup or a shaggy beard. from the high heat, allowing them
a lichen. When they are recognized, Crustose lichens can attach to a tree to survive harsh weather. Some
they can be admired not only for their that has smooth bark while the foliose lichens are very colorful, soft or
various shades of green but also for bright yellows, oranges, black, white

58 SUMMER 2024 • Free State News