Description: War Thunder is a next generation military MMO game dedicated to...
Lichen on fruit trees is a rather painful and discussed topic among gardeners. There are many articles on the Internet that describe harmful effects activity of mosses and lichens on trees and offer means of combating them.
And how are things really? My personal experience does not confirm common horror stories. Moreover, I recently realized from what such misconceptions arose. The fact is that people often confuse cause and effect.
The state of the tree is not paid attention until it begins to become covered with "scab". And after the lichens have settled on the tree, it begins to wither and dies.
Everything seems to be logical, but in reality exactly the opposite happens. On a young, healthy, normally growing tree, lichens cannot gain a foothold. At least due to the fact that they develop for a very long time, and integumentary tissues tree species rather quickly stretch, shed, peel off and fall off in small scales. Just like our skin.
Another thing is when a neglected apple tree loses strength, reduces growth and its bark cracks. In this case, lichens play the role of rescuers, blocking access to infections through damage to the bark. Thus (to some extent) prolonging the life of the tree.
I will not describe in detail the physiology of our heroes (there is a school biology textbook for this), but I will note several circumstances that are important for us:
- Mosses and lichens are self-sufficient organisms; reproduce and feed on atmospheric moisture.
- They are epiphytes, that is, they chose life on plants (they use them as a support, but nothing more).
- There are no roots. Only rhizoids for attaching to a support. In some species, rhizoids are able to absorb moisture with minerals dissolved in it.
- They are not able to break down cellulose, and as a result, they cannot destroy wood and absorb organic matter.
- They suppress the development of fungi and mycelium, therefore, to some extent, they prevent fungal infections from doing their dirty work, but only at a very shallow depth.
- They suppress the development of bacteria, as a result of which putrefactive processes subside or stop.
- Longevity, slow growth and complete dependence on climate and weather. In dry and frosty periods, they “fall asleep”, and moisture and heat awaken them.
- The essential difference between these two forms of life is the attitude towards light. That is why mosses, as shade-loving ones, settle in the darkest places, and lichens master almost the entire tree.
myths
1. Mosses and lichens suck the juices of trees.
2. A dense carpet of mosses and lichens prevents the tree bark from breathing.
Wrong. They don't grow very densely. The use of garden pitch and oil or thick paint is much worse.
3. Mosses and lichens retain moisture, causing the bark of the tree to rot.
Wrong. The bark of a healthy tree has its own mechanisms for dealing with excess moisture, and moss and lichen are antiseptics.
4. Lichens provide shelter for harmful insects.
Wrong. Pests winter in other places, are migratory creatures. The presence or absence of mosses and lichens does not play any role in the number of insects.
Wrong. No connection. They could have been there before or penetrated in places of accumulation of organic debris (forks of skeletal branches or deep wounds) after the breakdown of lichen layers.
From all of the above, we can conclude that the attitude towards trees overgrown with lichen is purely aesthetic. It would be very interesting for me to make a “Berendey corner” with bright and varied lichens in a remote corner of the garden. I especially like Usnea bearded.
But with regard to fruit trees such refinement causes me a reflex reaction "treat or put to sleep." If it is possible to restore a tree, we treat it and do a rejuvenating pruning. If not, we replace it according to all the rules of crop rotation.
Summary
- Lichens on fruit trees are not the cause of death, but an indicator of the state of the plant.
- Regular pruning and rejuvenation of fruit trees will restore their strength for growth, fruiting and resistance to unfavorable factors. You will be surprised, but the lichens will also begin to disappear from the tree.
- If your garden is already very old and needs updating, then this is a great opportunity to redevelop it. Diagnostics by the amount of lichen will show you places that are lighter and less humid.
- Mechanical cleaning of the bark of fruit trees from lichens can lead to damage and, as a result, the development of infections.
- Lichens soften winter temperature drops - there are no frosts.
- If you have lichens on your site - rejoice! Everything is fine with the environment.
In the forest lies a large stone boulder, overgrown on one side with fluffy moss. Look carefully at this unusual compass, which was created by nature itself. We have already written about different, and with. We recommend reading these interesting articles.
Moss and lichen orientation
Mosses and lichens do not like heat and light, so they grow in the shady side. So, where the mosses and lichens are, the north; there is less or no moss on the south side. Now moss orientation It won't give you any trouble.
You can also determine the direction by the soil around the stone. On one side it is relatively dry (south), and on the opposite side it is wetter (north). Usually an old, rotting stump is overgrown with moss from all sides. But to determine where north and south are, you need to check the moisture content not of the soil, but of the moss. 
Ant orientation
Another natural compass that will always help you find the right direction in the forest - anthills. Most of them are located on the south side of a tree, stump, shrub, as ants are heat-loving insects. The southern side of the anthill is usually sloping, the northern side is much steeper.
Ant orientation. Ant orientation quite easy to remember and understand. In the tundra, as well as in white-moss forests, (more:) and taiga swamps in the north of the European part of the USSR, in Western and Eastern Siberia, on the Far East lichens (moss, or reindeer moss) of the cladonia genus grow, which serve as an indispensable food for reindeer, especially in winter. Sources of valuable antibiotics and enzymes, they can also serve as a compass. Darker than all lichen, the tips of their branched bushes always face north. Therefore, going north, you see the dark surface of the moss (lichen) cover, when moving in the opposite direction, that is, south, the dark color is not visible, and the bushes seem lighter Forest "bulbs" and "beacons"
In order not to get lost in the forest, it is necessary to choose well-marked landmarks in advance, which help determine the location, direction of movement and measure the distance to the designated points along the route. The writer A. Avdeenko in the book "Over the Tisa" tells about his hero Kablukov:“Dense fog did not prevent Kablukov from navigating. According to signs, scattered here and there along the sentinel path, he easily determined where he was. Here is the rocky bed of the groove, washed out by spring rains, which means that more than a third of the way has already been covered. In fifty paces there should be a stump of an old oak tree. Yes, it is, here it is. In seven minutes, the bare trunk of an oak broken by lightning will turn black through the thickness of the fog, then, on the other, on the right flank, a large boulder will appear deeply embedded in the ground.In areas of the forest affected by honey agaric, there are peculiar, unusual landmarks - “light bulbs”. You are walking in the silence of the forest at night, and suddenly bright lights of phosphoric light flash in the impenetrable darkness: the growing ends of the rhizomorphs of the openings glow.
rhizomorphs- these are the plexuses of the mycelium of the honey agaric, very long, shiny black-brown strands, similar to cords of electrical wires, How many rhizomorphs are around, so many “light bulbs”. Mushroom usually settles on stumps and other rotting remains of a tree. Mushroom fungus, covered with a dense shell, strongly branched under the bark of trees, especially weak ones, penetrates living wood with its branches, sucks juices out of it and destroys the tree. The ends of the mycelium (rhizomorphs), protruding outward, glow like bright miniature electric bulbs. On a summer night, on a winding taiga path, forest “beacons” can point the way. it rotten sparkling with phosphorescent fire. Rotten stumps phosphorize most brightly. From top to bottom, trembling luminous streams “flow” along them. Myriads of bacteria nest here. Bioluminescent microbes contain complex chemical substances- luciferin and luciferosis. Different bacteria have their own fluorescents, which differ in the strength of the glow and color. Many superstitions have given rise to these lights. But the night cold light is explained simply. it bioluminescence, that is, a living glow, especially active in windy weather, with an abundance of oxygen and moisture. 
It doesn't stop around the clock. So, in order not to wander at night in the forest when returning from a route traveled during the day, it is advisable to remember in advance the location of rotting trees or dilapidated stumps, which will be a kind of light indicators along the way, in addition, orientation along the moss or anthill will help you find the right direction. To the question On which side of the trees does moss grow? given by the author Angel the best answer is As a rule, this small plants, the length of which only occasionally exceeds 50 mm.
Mosses are found on almost all continents, in the most diverse, even extreme conditions a habitat.
Why does moss grow on the north side of trees? 
Moss doesn't like direct sunlight and grows best in the shade. In northern forests, direct light never falls from the north side, so moss grows more often on the north side of the trees. Mosses need moisture to thrive.
Therefore, the main condition for the growth and development of moss is moisture.
Other things being equal, moss grows on the north side, but, for example, with moisture-bearing westerly winds, moss will grow on the western side of the trees. Great importance also has a slope of the tree trunk. After the rain, water flows down the inclined trunk mainly on one side - moss will grow on it. 
Mosses usually form dense clusters in shady areas, often in close proximity to water, although they can also be found in relatively open, dry areas. Among mosses there are species living in freshwater reservoirs. Marine life no, although some species settle on the rocks in the surf.
Source:
Answer from get christened[newbie]
And in our park on the west side
Answer from Eurovision[newbie]
in the north, moss is everywhere and there are no trees, only moss.
Answer from ask[newbie]
On the north side, because there is shade and humidity
Answer from Alexey Gorodetsky[newbie]
Yes
Answer from Enata Khusainov[newbie]
northerly
Answer from Amir Mannanov[newbie]
northerly
Answer from Olya)[guru]
from the north, from the shady side
Answer from Anya Misyuleva[newbie]
From the north side; -)
Answer from Vova Boyko[newbie]
where it's wet
Answer from Katya Volkova[newbie]
from the north side)
Answer from Anna Drop[guru]
The northern peoples have a sign: if you get lost in the forest, then you can determine the cardinal points with the help of moss growing on trees - it grows on the north side.
Moss grows on the north side of trees, as moss does not like direct sunlight and grows best in the shade. In northern forests, direct light never falls from the north side, so moss grows more often on the north side of the trees.
Mosses need moisture to thrive. Therefore, the main condition for the growth and development of moss is moisture. Other things being equal, moss grows on the north side, but, for example, with moisture-bearing westerly winds, moss will grow on the western side of the trees. Of great importance is the slope of the tree trunk. After the rain, water flows down the inclined trunk mainly on one side - moss will grow on it.
Mosses, they are bryophytes, are spore plants that have a stem, green leaves, but are devoid of roots, vascular systems, flowers and seeds. Scientists, however, do not consider the organs of mosses to be real stems and leaves, but we will not go into scientific subtleties now.
Mosses are small plants. Most land mosses only reach a few centimeters in height. There are Lilliputians who are five times smaller than a millimeter. But among aquatic mosses there are real giants with a meter-long stem. The modest size of mosses is probably due to the absence of a conductive system. How without it would they deliver water and nutrients to all ends big body?
Mosses have short, thread-like outgrowths of the lower body. They resemble roots, but serve mainly to attach to the soil. And mosses absorb water with the entire surface of the body.
Sometimes the name moss is used, confusing different plants. For example, the well-known “deer moss” () is not a moss at all, but a plant from a completely different group, it is a lichen.
Where does moss grow?
Mosses are common inhabitants of damp, shady places. They can be found on rotting wood, trunks and branches, rocks, stones, concrete, along the lower edge of buildings where moisture accumulates. Sometimes they appear on rooftops and between paving stones. It is not surprising that these lovers of moisture have also mastered reservoirs.
Having drilled a glacier in Antarctica not so long ago, the British discovered moss that had lain here for one and a half thousand years, since the time of the Roman Empire. Moreover, the moss placed in the water sprouted! This suggests that once in Antarctica it was the same as in the Northern Hemisphere.
It is widely believed among tourists that mosses often settle on the northern side of large stones, rocks, tree trunks. The north side is really more often and longer wet. But this does not happen everywhere and not always. Yes and different types mosses have different requirements for moisture and light. So mosses can settle from any part of the world, and you need to be careful on this basis.
How is moss different from algae?
The main differences between mosses and algae are that mosses:
How are mosses different from ferns?
Mosses cannot be confused with ferns because mosses:
- no true large leaves and long roots;
- specialized tissues are very poorly developed;
- cells have a half, not a double, set of chromosomes for most of their lives;
- spores do not ripen on leaves, but in a box, which is connected to the stem with a leg;
- a branched thread grows out of the spore, and not a small plate;
In addition, mosses are not treelike and appeared on the planet before ferns.
What is moss good for?
Like other living organisms, mosses are important in the general cycle of matter. They provide food to many animals and microorganisms, and change their habitat in the course of life. For example, covering the soil with a dense carpet, they can lead to waterlogging. Unpretentious mosses are among the first to settle where it is difficult for other plants to live (for example, in the tundra). Dying and decomposing, mosses enrich the soil with humus. Many frogs lay their eggs in the moss, and bird nests are lined with moss.
Man has long used swamp moss sphagnum. It grows to the top, the rest of the stem dies off. But since the plant contains phenol, which is deadly for bacteria, it almost does not rot. Gradually accumulating and compressing at the bottom of the swamps, moss forms a common fuel and chemical raw material - peat.
Another property of sphagnum is the ability to absorb huge amounts of moisture. Therefore, dry moss is used as bedding for livestock, and during the war it happened to replace bandages. 
In addition, many mosses are very decorative, their bright green pads adorn aquariums, greenhouses, garden compositions, etc. In the ancient capital of Japan, the city of Kyoto, there is the Saihoji Monastery, where the Moss Garden has been created for a century now. It is recognized as a World Heritage Site cultural heritage UNESCO. Instead of lawn grass and flowers, mosses cover the ground here. There are 130 of them here. They decorate miniature ponds, moss rugs surround rocks and trees.
Mosses generally easily absorb not only moisture from the air, but also many chemicals. This makes it possible to detect atmospheric pollution using these plants. By the way, the destruction of the environment natural environment threatens many mosses with extinction. The Red Book of Russia includes 60 species of mosses.
I read to my son (4 years old) the book "We are leaving home" by William Kozlov (God rest his soul, it turns out he died last year), 1975 edition. At one time, this book was presented to me for my birthday by my friends boys from our yard.
The book contains three short stories:
"We are leaving home" - a book about the boy Alyosha and the puppy Karay. Alyosha's mother punished Alyosha with a rope because he put his new pants in the stove to dry, and they burned down.
This offended Alyosha so much that he takes his wooden gun and leaves the house for the forest.
"Two Petya" - about a boy Petya, who follows his parents on a fishing trip, far out of town. Mom and dad get into the boat and sail away to fish on the lake. And Petya remains alone on the shore. Near the forest, he begins to collect cones and .... meets a wolf, who actually turns out to be a dog and gets acquainted with the owner of the dog - also a boy Petya, the son of a forester who guards the forest, with a real gun on his shoulder.
"Where do the swallows fly" - about little boy Kolya, who comes from Leningrad to his grandfather for the summer. Grandfather lives in the wilderness, next to the small station Teterino, where the train stops for only 3 minutes.
A very good children's book. All plots directly take place with the participation of nature, forests, wild and domestic animals. My son especially likes the last story "Where the swallows fly".
So in this story there is such an episode when Kolya and grandfather go through the forest to the south - where the swallows fly away.
...
The farther into the forest, it is denser and gloomier. Now you can hardly see the sky ... And the birds have disappeared somewhere.
...
- We are going in the wrong direction, grandfather, - Kolya got worried. It's warm in the south, but it's cold out here...
We're going north, not south. You don't even have a compass!Why do I need a compass? - said the grandfather. Look at the trees. You see, on one side, moss has grown on the bark. This is the north, and the side that looks south is clean.
Somehow we went for a walk with my son in the forest, rather big park than a forest. A lot of different trees, bushy, but not wild.
Let's go with him. He says we are going in the wrong direction.
Why? - say? That's right, we're going - there's our house.
He told me - and you don't even have a compass.
And only then I realized that he was reproducing the situation from the story. )
I, too, having decided to support him, say - why do we need a compass, where the moss is north, on the other hand - south.
In short, we looked through a lot of trees and I was somewhat dejected. Moss actually grows from all over the world.
And it is impossible to say unequivocally that it grows from one side. For example, moss grows on a tree, opposite this side there is another tree moss to moss. That is a complete contradiction. )
So how is it. Is it fiction about moss? Or there should be some nuances - for example, the forest should be very wild, impenetrable, etc.
