Lichens: Characteristics, importance, uses, and distribution in Turkey

Abstract

The lichens are the smallest ecosystem model sharing a life cycle with combination of a fungus and at least one or two algae. The two control and facilitate the lives of lichens mutually. An attempt has been made here to provide information on the basic structural and metabolic characteristics of lichens in the light of basic sources. The use of lichens from the past to the present and their importance has been highlighted together with the effects of lichen metabolites as well as their importance of the role these organisms play in the nature. Lichen systematics, revision studies on various genera, and biological effects of lichen products have also been investigated in Turkey for nearly past five decades, and these studies too have been evaluated.