jäkälien

Jäkälien is the genitive plural form of jäkälä, the Finnish word for lichen. Jäkälä designates a symbiotic organism that typically consists of a fungal partner and one or more photosynthetic partners, such as algae or cyanobacteria. Together they form a single biomass with a shared structure, which can appear as crusty patches on rocks, leafy thalli on tree bark, or prismatic formations on soil.

In nature, jäkälät cover a broad range of habitats and often thrive in environments where other organisms struggle. They are important as pioneers in ecological succession, contribute to soil development, and provide habitat or food for various invertebrates. Lichens are also widely studied for their sensitivity to air quality; changes in their presence, abundance, or composition can reflect environmental pollution levels.

Linguistically, jäkälien is used to express possession or association with lichens in Finnish. It functions as the genitive plural form and appears in phrases such as jäkälien monimuotoisuus (the diversity of lichens) or jäkälien tutkimus (the study of lichens). This form follows standard Finnish grammar for genitive plural nouns ending in -ä, which commonly yield -ien as the plural genitive suffix.

See also: jäkälä, lichen, symbiosis, bioindicator.