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Nature's Corner Christine Lange Have you ever seen rocks along the trail covered with delicate patterns of grays, greens, some yellows and a few bright reds? If so, you were looking at plants known as lichens. Lichens are slow growing plants that are very hardy. Some Arctic specimens survive temperatures of minus 80 degrees. Some are even thought to be thousands of years old. The plant is a symbiotic relationship between an alga and fungus. Most of the plant you see is the fungus, but the alga contains chlorophyll, which contributes essential nutrients for the plant's growth and well-being. Local lichens are small but some grow larger and are considered survival food if prepared properly. One such species, Iceland Moss is eaten by caribou and reindeer as part of their regular winter diet. Lichen have no root system so they gather their nutrients from the air. This has gained them renewed interest as indicators of air pollution. Another use according to the encyclopedia, is a dye called litmus, which is made from certain lichens. Litmus is used as an indicator of acidity or alkalinity. Acid turns blue litmus red; alkalis turn litmus blue. |
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