What are you lichen about MOSS?
If you take a 10 min walk through Ponderosa State Park you’ll instantly be impressed by huge Ponderosa Pines, notice the soft herbal smell of SageBrush, and be captivated by the vibrant green color amongst the dense forest. In PSP, this unique color of green stems from the presence of an organism called lichen, commonly mistaken to be moss. Once our K-12 students learn the name of this vibrantly green organism the next question most commonly asked is;
What a great question! Let's take a closer look.
Both moss and lichen are called cryptograms which means they don’t reproduce using seeds or flowers. They are also both commonly found in dark, cool, moist places, so it is quite easy to get them confused from a physical standpoint. But they are completely different organisms from a biological point of view.
Moss is a small flowerless plant that usually grows on the forest floor, trees, or rocks. What is crazy
about this organism is how it creates energy. Most plants make energy or photosynthesize, by transporting water and nutrients from the ground up through the plant. Moss is a little different though! Instead, moss acts like a giant green sponge and absorbs all the nutrients and water it needs to photosynthesize. This is why we usually see moss only a few centimeters tall and spread out over rocks or trees.
Lichen, on the other hand, is a bit more complex. Lichen is unique because it is composed of two different organisms, alga and fungus. The two organisms live together and benefit from one another through a symbiotic relationship. The
component of lichen that makes energy is the alga. While alga is busy making all the food for the lichen and the fungus provides protection for the plant. When lichen gets wet, the alga component can be seen through the fungal top side giving the plant a vibrant green color we see in PSP. But when lichen is dry, it can be a variety of vibrant colors, none of which are usually green.
Both lichen and moss create stunning views and colorful aspects of our alpine forests. Next time you're out in the forest, or visiting PSP, see if you can figure out whether you're looking at lichen or moss!
“Well, what is the difference between moss and lichen?”
What a great question! Let's take a closer look.
Both moss and lichen are called cryptograms which means they don’t reproduce using seeds or flowers. They are also both commonly found in dark, cool, moist places, so it is quite easy to get them confused from a physical standpoint. But they are completely different organisms from a biological point of view.
Moss is a small flowerless plant that usually grows on the forest floor, trees, or rocks. What is crazy
Lichen, on the other hand, is a bit more complex. Lichen is unique because it is composed of two different organisms, alga and fungus. The two organisms live together and benefit from one another through a symbiotic relationship. The
Both lichen and moss create stunning views and colorful aspects of our alpine forests. Next time you're out in the forest, or visiting PSP, see if you can figure out whether you're looking at lichen or moss!
I hope you enjoyed a little science talk!
Cheers,
Ellie
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