• Question: what do these plants eat

    Asked by sp080705 to Tree Lichen, Fen Raft Spider, Danish Scurvygrass on 22 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Danish Scurvygrass

      Danish Scurvygrass answered on 22 Nov 2017:


      Like all green plants I photosynthesize, that is I make my own food, here simple sugars, that I metabolize further to give me energy. All I need from the environment is light, water and some good rich soil to put down my roots.

    • Photo: Tree Lichen

      Tree Lichen answered on 22 Nov 2017:


      Lichens esseniatlly can utilise sunlight, water and air to grow! This requires the combination of the properties of fungi (Nitrogen acquistion) and the photosynthetic partner, be it another fungi or a Cyanobacterium.

      . The fungus gives some protection against UV radiation and desiccation, while the photosynthetic component can work at very low temperatures, even below -40 degrees. They can also have a compound present that also stops the Lichen ‘freezing’ -something like Anti-Freeze!

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