Lichen and fungal ecology

Lichens are composite organisms formed through a stable symbiosis between fungi and photosynthetic partners, typically algae or cyanobacteria, and they colonize some of the harshest environments on Earth, from arctic rock faces to urban pavement. Because they absorb substances directly from the atmosphere without a vascular system to filter inputs, they accumulate pollutants in ways that make them sensitive, cost-effective indicators of air quality and ecosystem health. Researchers are also investigating the remarkable diversity of secondary metabolites lichens produce—compounds with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and UV-protective properties that may have practical applications in medicine and industry. Open questions center on the full complexity of the lichen microbiome, the evolutionary origins of independently arising fungal lineages that have converged on the lichenized lifestyle, and how climate change will reshape the distribution and ecological roles of these slow-growing organisms.

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102,157

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768,561

Keywords

LichenSymbiosisBiomonitoringSecondary MetabolitesPhylogenetic AnalysisAir Pollution