It's Lichen!

© Garth Lenz

Woodland caribou feed on the lichen that blankets the Boreal Forest floor. This complex plant is composed of a fungus and an alga that grow together, relying on each other for survival. It isn't until forests are middle-aged–from 50 to 100 years old–that the forest develops the lichen species on which the caribou like to feed. Rapid deforestation in many areas of the boreal forest is robbing animals, including boreal birds and woodland caribou, of their vital food sources such as lichen.
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