Punavai o le vanillin, syringic aldehyde, dimethyl sulfoxide, Lignin (Dealkaline) e mafai ona extender mo palasitika phenolic, e faamalosia paʻu (esp mo seevae seevae), e pei o le suauu palapala faaopoopo, e faamautu emulsions asphalt, e precipitate polotini.

O le aotelega o foliga o lichens o loʻo faʻamatalaina o le crustose (latou te faia se paʻu manifinifi ma mafolafola i luga o le substratum), foliose poʻo fruticose (saʻo, faʻapipiʻi foliga, pei o laʻau). Lichens e tupu lemu mai nai milimita i ni mita i tausaga taʻitasi. Latou te toe gaosia tele lava e ala i le atinaʻeina o le apothecia poʻo le perithecia, e fausia ai lichens fou i luga o le germination o ascospores naʻo le i ai o le paʻaga algal i lona toesea e mate ai le gaʻo.
Toeitiiti atoa le 700 vailaʻau, e faʻapitoa i lichens, fesoasoani i lichens e ola ma puipuia ai osofaʻiga a siama, isi sigi ma herbivores.
O lichens e patino i nu'u 'ele'ele ma fesoasoani e fa'amautu 'ele'ele, aemaise i nofoaga toafa. Cyanolichens fesoasoani i le faʻapipiʻiina o le nitrogen i le faʻalapotopotoga o meaola o loʻo ola ai. LicheGare faʻaaogaina mo le faʻamaonia o le matua o le luga (lea latou te ola ai) i se metotia, e taʻua o le lichenometry.
Lichens o faʻailoga faʻaleagaina ona o lo latou faʻaogaina o le sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) ma le ozone, faʻapea foʻi ma lo latou gafatia e mitiia ma faʻaputuina metala mamafa ma radionuclides.
O mea e pei o pigments, toxins, antibiotics, etc. e maua mai i lichens, lea e sili ona aoga e fai ma puna o vali (mo se faʻataʻitaʻiga, Roccella, saunia litmus), vailaʻau ma mea manogi. O nisi lichens, pei o Iceland moss ma reindeer moss, e faʻaaogaina e fai ma meaʻai i itulagi arctic.