TRANSCRIPT:
Hello this is Dr. Tom Mullikin with SCDNR for Into the Wild.
Walk through a South Carolina forest and look closely at an old oak, a fence rail, or even a bare rock. Those pale green, gray, or orange patches are often lichens - and each one is really a partnership.
A lichen is formed when a fungus lives together with an alga or a cyanobacterium. The fungus provides structure and protection, while its partner uses sunlight to make food. Lichens do not have roots, so they take in moisture and nutrients directly from the air and rain. Some can survive on surfaces where few other living things can get started.
Over time, lichens can help break down rock and contribute to the first thin layers of soil. They also respond to changes in air quality, which is one reason scientists pay attention to where different lichens grow. The next time you see a patch on bark or stone, look a little closer. What seems like one simple organism is actually two forms of life succeeding together.