By: Krystaliza Guerrero (they/them) Canyonlands Restoration Supervisor
Photo: Laccaria fraterna Gumtree deceiver at Gonzales Canyon by Alicia (she/her) Canyonlands Outreach Coordinator
I feel captivated by the scenic, lush greenery that surrounds me, gazing at the canopy above me, I see oak trees, sycamores, and just below these towering giants are shrub-like trees like Toyon and Lemonade berry.
Finally, my gaze lowers to the fuzzy green moss growing closer to the rich soil, on the sides of rocks, tree trunks, and river beds. Moss is an ancient plant that has proof of its existence dating as far back as 450 million years ago. They have simple leaves attached to a stem, that are highly absorbent of nutrients and water, while also consuming sugars via photosynthesis. They typically grow in clumps just a few centimeters high and attach to surfaces with their thin hair like structures called rhizoids. The main function of rhizoids is to anchor the plant to rock, bark, or soil. Mosses are highly adaptable and grow in many different environments, the most ideal being shady northern facing slopes which provide moist and cool conditions for moss to thrive. In areas where temperatures rise too high, like in deserts, they will dry out and go dormant until conditions improve.
Looking around now for the speckles of bright colored organisms; orange, yellow, and green called lichen. With fuzzy leaf-like structures, they can settle on branches and limbs of neighboring plants. Lichen is a combination of two different organisms, fungi and algae which have a relationship called mutualism. Algae generates carbohydrates through photosynthesis providing chlorophyll rich food for fungi, which in return protects the algae from drying out, as it lives on the sponge-like network of fungus threads. Lichen can grow on a variety of surfaces and come in a variety of shapes and colors, depending on moisture conditions. They reproduce by creating granules, called soredia, consisting of a few cells of the alga surrounded by threads of the fungus. When these Soredia are blown off, they start to form new lichen bodies.
With this current rain, I know I'm bound to run into another fascinating and important organism. I decide to take my break under an Oak Tree to rest, and start to examine the ground. Mushrooms! These fruiting bodies of fungus fight their way to the surface, from under the layers of leaf litter. This spore producing part emerges from a mass of threadlike strands, called mycelium, weaving a network web underground in search of food. When strands come in contact with spores released by the mushroom, reproduction takes place, more fruiting bodies grow and they continue their life cycle. Fungi have an important role in our ecosystems as decomposers, a nourishing food source for humans and wildlife and they provide medicinal benefits. They can be a telling source of environmental change as many fungi are directly or indirectly dependent on plant communities. As plant communities change under the influence of soil, climate, topography, and organisms, or as a result of natural catastrophes or forest management, fungal species composition is altered and in turn influences plant community structure.
These three organisms play vital roles in our ecosystem. Learning more and working alongside them has taught me to stay grounded and hydrated like moss, adaptable like lichens, and community oriented like mycelium and fungi.