SUPREME COURT’S LEAKED DRAFT OPINION. KELLY: TIME NOW FOR THIS WEEK’S ASK KELLY SEGMENT. PATTY GRACE NOTICED SOMETHING WHILE OUT AND ABOUT. MAYBE YOU’VE NOTICED IT TOO. SHE SENT ME THIS PICTURE AND ASKED, WHAT IS THIS LIGHT GREEN FUNGUS OR MOLD GROWING OSON MANY TREES? IT’S EVERYWHERE IN COOK TOWNSHIP. IS IT HARMFUL TO THE TREES? WELL, PATTY GRACE, I’LLE B HONEST. I HAD NO IDEA EITHER, BUT THE FOLKS OVER AT THE PITTSBURGH PARKS CONSERVANCY SURE DID. AND AFR TESPEAKING WITH THEIR EXPERT, I HAVE TO SAY, I HAVE A WHOLE NEW APPRECIATION FOR TSEHE LITTLE ORGANISMS, CALLED LICHENS. KELL AY:RE YOU A LICHENOLOGIST? >> I’M AN ASPIRGIN LICHENOLOGIST, I WOULD SAY. KELLY: STEPHEN BUCKLIN IS A RESIDENT EXPERT IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS. YOU MAY REMEMBER HIM FROM OUR FEATURE ON MONKEY BALLS BACK IN THE FALL. >> THE SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR IIST MCCLURAPALMAVARA. KELLY: WOW. OK. I’LL TAKE MONKEY BAL.LS KELLY: THE NATURALIST EDUCATOR AT THE FRICK ENVIRONNTALME CENTER IS BACK WITH US TODAY TO TALK ABOUT LICHENS. THEY’RE NOTOLD, M BUT PATTYAS W PARTLY RIGHT, IN CALLING THEM A FUNG.US THEY’RE A COMBINATION OF A FUNGUS AND A PHOSYNTTOHIZER,ND A THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM. OVER 3,000 VARIETIES, JUST IN NORTH AMICERA. >> THIS LICHEN RIGHT HERE IS THE COMMON GREEN SHIELD. THE SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR IT IS FLAVOPARMELIA CAPERATA. KELLY: THEY’RE ALSO VERY COMMON. LICHENS ARE THE DOMINANT ORGANISM ON 8% OF LAND SURFACES ON EARTH. SECOND ONLY IN NUMBER TO BACTERIA. THEIR PURPOSE? >> IN THE CASE OF LICHENS, ’DT' BE HARDER TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY’RE NOT DOI.NG THEY DO SO MUCH. KELLY: IT CAN BE COMPLICATED. ONE THING THEY DO IS PRODUCE NITROGEN. WHICH IS BENEFICIAL FOR THE TREES THEY LIVE ON. >> NITROGEN LEECHES OUT OFHE T LICHENS, GOES DOWN INTO THE SOIL AND THEN THE TREES ARE ABLE TO ABSORB THAT THROUGH THEIR ROOTS. KELLY: THEY ALSO PROVIDE PROTECTION FOR THE TRE.ES >> A LOT OF THOSE COMPOUNDS ACT AS ANTI-OMVOBIRIE COMPOUS.ND SO IT’S PREVENTING STUFF FROM EATING THE LICHENS. WH ICH ALSORO PTECTS THE TREE. IF THE BUGS CAN’T EAT THE LICHEN, THEY WON’T GO THROUGH THE LICHEN TO GET TO THE TREE AS WELL. REPORTER: SO DEFINITELY DON’T BE WORRIED IF YOU SEE LICHENSN O YOUR TREES. STEPHEN SAYS IT’S A GOOD THING. AND A SIGN OF GOOD AIR QUALITY. WHILE WE WERE LICHEN-SPOTTING OUT AT AUGUST WILSON PK,AR STHEEPN FOUND SOMETHING INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO SEE AT FIRST GLANCE. >>RST GLANCE. OH MY GOSH. DO YOU SEE TS?HI IT’S A LICHEN THAT’S MOVING. KELLY: IS THAT A BUG? >> YEAH. SO THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE MULTITUDE OF WAYS THAT LICHENS INTERACT WITH OERTH BEINGS IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT. KELLY: THAT, IS A LACE-WING LARVAE. IT’S A GOOD BUG, ESPECIALLY FOR GA RDENERS FORARMERS. IT’S PREDATORY AND WILL EAT OTHER APHIDS. THOSE LARVAE HAVE ADAPTED TO USE LICHENS, TO HIDE. HUMMINGBDSIR HAVE ALSOOU FND USE FOR THEM. >> THE LICHENS PROVIDE ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL PROTECTION FOR THEIR BABIES AS THEY’RE DEVELOPG.IN AND CAMOUFLAGE THE NEST. KELLY: WE’VE LEARNED THEY N CABE BEAUTIFUL. PLENTIFUL. AND A BAROMETER OF AIR QUALITY. BUT AS FAR AS A DIRECT BEFITEN TO S, U THAT. >> WE EAT PLANTS. AND WE EAT THINGS THAT EAT PLANTS. WE PROBLBAY DON’T EXPERIENCE ANY DIRECT BENEFIT FROM LICHENS OTHER THAN APPRECIATING THEIR BEAUTY. AND KNOWING THAT THEIR PRESENCE IS AN INDICATOOFR CLEAN AIR QUALITY. KELLY: IF YOU SEA E LICHEN, STEPHEN SAYS, IT’S BEST NOT TO TOUCH TH.EM THEY ONLY GROW A FEW MILLIMETERS EVER YEAR. SO IT WOULD’'T TAKE MUCTOH DISTURB THEM, ESPECIALLY IN OUR RECOVERING URBAN ENVIRONME. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION I CAN GET ANSWERED FOR YOU, LET ME KNOW. YOU CAN LEAVE A VOICE MESSAGE AT THE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN. IT’S 412-244-46.10 OR YOU CAN JUMP STRAIGHT IN AND SEND ME A VIDEO MESSAGE. YOU CAN SHARE THAT WITH ME IN A FACEBOOK MESSAGE. OR, BY EMAILING ASK KELLY AT HEAR.C.