Harpers Corner Trail Stop 10

Lichens break down rock to begin the formation of soils.

NPS Photo/Conrad Provan

Quick Facts

Amenities

1 listed

Scenic View/Photo Spot

Take a closer look at the rocks along the trail; many of them bear a colorful crust of lichens. Small as they are, lichens are important pioneers, for they can grow on bare rock where most other things cannot. Their secret is that they are actually two organisms in one; a fungus whose sticky filaments anchor it to the rock, and an alga which uses the energy of sunlight to produce food through photosynthesis. The fungus provides a foothold and the alga feeds them both. Lichens prepare the way for other plants by slowly breaking down the rock through chemical and physical weathering and creating soil.