You are studying air pollution in new york city by documenting the abundance of lichens and the conditions likely to support them. what result are you likely to find?
- lichens are abundant in new york city due abundant substrates (buildings)
- lichens are not abundant due to lack of natural algae
- lichens are not abundant due to air pollution
- lichens are abundant due to warming action of buildings during winter

Lichens are not abundant due to air pollution

Explanation:

Lichens are the symbiotic association of photosynthetic algae and non-photosynthetic fungi. Lichens are indicators of air pollution as they cannot tolerate the pollutants present in the air and die off under polluted conditions. New York City is highly industrialized and a large number of vehicles emitting pollutants to the air. The presence of pollutants in the air of New York City would not support the growth of lichens. Therefore, the lichens would not be observed by the observer.