Lichens are a partnership between a fungus and algae. Traditionally, we thought each lichen had just one type of algae living with it. But new research shows that some lichen species actually host several different kinds of algae at the same time—even within a single lichen. This diversity might help lichens survive better by giving them more ways to cope with changes in their environment. I am collecting samples of the Lichens in the genus Flavoparmelia to investigating their tolerance to urbanization and air pollution in southern California.

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