land . ▁ ▁Import ance ▁to ▁e cos ystem ▁ ▁L ich ens ▁produce ▁comp ounds ▁that ▁will ▁chem ically ▁deg rade ▁rocks ▁thereby ▁a iding ▁in ▁soil ▁formation . ▁The ▁soil ▁formed ▁is ▁then ▁tra pped ▁by ▁the ▁l ichen ▁and ▁over ▁time , ▁enough ▁accum ul ates ▁to ▁allow ▁for ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁additional ▁fl ora ▁and ▁fa una ▁on ▁these ▁originally ▁bare ▁rock ▁surfaces . ▁C occ ot re ma ▁mar it imum ▁also ▁contains ▁cy an ob acter ia ▁( in ▁the ▁ce phal odia ) ▁and ▁are ▁therefore ▁a ▁nit ro gen - fix ing ▁species . ▁Because ▁cy an ob acter ia ▁trap ▁nit ro gen ▁from ▁the ▁atmosphere ▁and ▁convert ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁form ▁that ▁is ▁us able ▁by ▁other ▁fl ora ▁and ▁fa una , ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁" C . ▁mar it imum " ▁may ▁actually ▁increase ▁nit ro gen ▁avail ability ▁for ▁other ▁plant ▁species . ▁▁ ▁Although ▁many ▁northern ▁l ichen ▁species ▁are ▁an ▁important ▁winter ▁food ▁source ▁for ▁many ▁animals , ▁gra z ers ▁do ▁not ▁appear ▁to ▁consume ▁C occ ot re ma ▁mar it imum . ▁ ▁Conserv ation ▁ ▁The ▁Queen ▁Charlotte ▁Islands , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁G w ai i ▁Hann as , ▁are ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁National ▁Park ▁Reserve . ▁However , ▁C occ ot re ma ▁mar it imum ▁has ▁not ▁yet ▁been ▁ass essed ▁by ▁CO SE W IC , ▁thus ▁their ▁current ▁conservation ▁status ▁is ▁unknown . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links