stony steppe
 

Biodiversity: Diversity of living nature.


Biodiversity Convention: "Biological diversity" means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.


The rocky steppe has the highest level of biodiversity. Plants struggle to survive and specialize:

Biodiversity

Dry meadows are areas of great biodiversity. 40% of plant species and 50% of animal species live in dry meadows. They host 2/3 of endangered plant species, are rich in moss and lichens. The soil must be poor for the insects and birds that nest there.

There is good diversity of lichens, growing on dry stones. 

Lichens:

Are endangered globally;

An algae and fungus symbiosis;

The algae takes care of photosynthesis and the fungus - the house.

Breathe: photosynthesizes during the day and exhales CO2 at night;

Can survive in the desert;

Important in Nordic countries as wildlife food source;

Is not a moss (green plant);

Competition between moss and lichen;

Sometimes enters into symbiosis with blue algae (cyanobacteria);

Are excellent bioindicators: accumulate heavy metals, pollutants, etc.


The lichen that grows on the stones is a crustacean lichen, it does not come off, it grows in the stone: