Researchers at The University of Nottingham are investigating how lichens are adapted to their extreme habitats in the hope that it will lead to industrial applications and provide an effective means of monitoring nitrogen pollution in the environment.
Lichens are some of the most remarkable organisms on Earth. There are approximately 30,000 species worldwide and every one of them is composed of two or more living things, where fungi, algae and/or cyanobacteria come together to form a symbiotic relationship of benefit to all parties. What is perhaps more fascinating is that the interaction results in the formation of structures that none of their components possess when grown separately; they are literally more than the sum of their parts.
Lichens are extremely hardy, growing on surfaces containing few nutrients and experience frequent desiccation such as rocks, tree bark and poorly developed soils. These occur in most terrestrial environments, from tropical rainforests and deserts to high mountain tops and arctic tundra. Lichens have no roots and obtain water and nutrients from rainwater and dust in the atmosphere. They are capable of living on both natural and manmade surfaces and have been found growing on glass, bones and even on the back of beetles. Some lichen species do not grow attached to anything at all and lichen tumbleweed spend their existence on the wind’s hand, while others have been taken into space by scientists and brought back to Earth with no discernible effect.