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Moraines
Glaciers slowly move over ground. Beneath the thick ice, the bottom part of a glacier carries along dirt, stones, gravel and sand particles. Once a glacier begins to melt, the front ice wall recedes and uncovers land, but also leaves behind ridges of this sediment mixture. These deposits are known as moraines. The uncovered area is barren after the glacier melts, but it is on the moraines that new organisms will eventually grow.
Primary Succession
In every area that life exists, ecological succession took place. The beginning of this life-developing process is primary succession. In a place devoid of vegetation and usually topsoil, such as the moraines left behind from glaciers, pioneer organisms appear. These are the first organisms to develop and help determine the forms of life that will come after them in the future.
Lichens
Lichens are the pioneer organisms that first appear in primary succession, and therefore are the first to grow after a glacier clears. These are small plant-like organisms that are made up of an algae and fungi composite and create food through photosynthesis. Lichens come in different colors, and appear leafy, small and crusty or shrub-like. Lichens also grow at a very slow rate compared to other life forms, and have no specific life limit. Certain lichen colonies have estimated ages of around 9,000 years old.
Life Growth
Lichens help prepare a post-glacial area for future life growth. They produce natural acids that help to break down the rocks in a moraine, creating soil. The death of lichens and subsequent decay also contributes to building soil. When enough soil is produced, plant species will begin to grow, and ecological succession will continue to move forward with the appearance of more developed plants and then animals. As time goes on, life in the area will become more complex.