Lichen Ecology

Mohammad Sohrabi

Lichens are not just biological curiosities—they are powerful ecological players found in nearly every terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. From forest canopies and rocky outcrops to arctic tundras, city walls, and desert crusts, lichens thrive in places where few other organisms can survive. Understanding lichen ecology offers valuable insights into ecosystem dynamics, climate change, air quality, and biodiversity.

Lichen ecology explores how these unique organisms interact with their environment and other living beings. Lichens contribute to primary succession, colonizing bare surfaces and helping form soil by breaking down rock. They play essential roles in nutrient cycling, especially in nitrogen-limited ecosystems where cyanobacterial lichens fix atmospheric nitrogen. Lichens also form part of complex microhabitats, offering shelter and food for invertebrates, birds, and small mammals.

Because of their sensitivity to environmental changes—especially to pollutants like sulfur dioxide, heavy metals, and nitrogen compounds—lichens are widely used as bioindicators in ecological monitoring. Their presence, abundance, and health can reflect the quality of air and the impacts of land use, logging, urbanization, and climate change.

Modern lichen ecology is increasingly shaped by remote sensing, molecular tools, and community-level studies, allowing researchers to examine lichen diversity and function across scales—from microhabitats on a single tree trunk to regional patterns across landscapes. Lichens are now recognized as integral components of cryptogamic covers and microclimatic networks, helping stabilize soils and regulate local moisture.

This webpage provides a deep dive into the world of lichen ecology—highlighting their environmental roles, responses to stress, and value in conservation. Whether you're a student, ecologist, land manager, or nature lover, you'll discover how lichens connect life, rock, air, and time in delicate ecological balance.

The Role of Lichens in Ecosystem Functioning

Lichens in Primary Succession and Soil Formation

Lichen Communities: Structure, Composition, and Dynamics

Microclimatic Influences on Lichen Distribution

Forest Ecology and the Epiphytic Lichen Layer

Lichens in Alpine and Arctic Ecosystems

Desert Lichens and Biological Soil Crusts

Lichens in Coastal and Marine-Influenced Habitats

Urban Ecology: Lichens in Cities and Industrial Areas

Lichens and Air Pollution: Monitoring and Bioindication

Nitrogen Deposition and Lichen Community Shifts

Climate Change and the Shifting Ranges of Lichens

Lichen Diversity Hotspots and Endemism Patterns

Interactions Between Lichens and Invertebrates

Lichen Competition, Facilitation, and Successional Roles

Lichens in Fire Ecology and Post-Disturbance Landscapes

Conservation Ecology of Rare and Threatened Lichens

Land Use Change and Its Impact on Lichen Habitat Integrity

Landscape-Scale Ecology and Connectivity of Lichen Habitats

Future Directions in Lichen Ecological Research