LAVA FLOW TRAIL
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  Almost every sizeable rock you see at Sunset Crater Volcano
National Monument has splotches of bright greens and yellows scattered
across its surface. These splotches are lichen, part fungus and part plant
(an algae) living together to function as a single organism. These hardy
teams are the very first colonizers to appear after volcanic eruptions.
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 A newly-hardened lava flow is a very harsh
environment for living things. Lichens are especially adapted to make
the most of this inhospitable landscape. They are able to live and grow
with very little soil or water. Lichens depend on the dust and water that
collects on their leafy surfaces and in basalt vesicles
to provide the nutrients and moisture they need to survive here.
Lichens also pave the way for other, somewhat less hardy colonizers,
by helping to break down the rock into soil. Once there is a bit of soil
on the rock and cinders, seeds from other plants can sprout and grow,
with animals that feed on them following close behind.
Learn more about lichens at the Lichenland website.
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