Why are lichens able to settle in the most barren places?

Lichens achieve success in the development of places unsuitable for other organisms due to their unique structure. After all, lichen is not a representative of one type of organisms, but a symbiosis of algae and fungi. Both benefit from this union. Algae from the environment finishes off water, and the fungus finishes nutrients. In doing so, they can harden on stones and slowly dissolve them. In this way, they create a place for plants that cannot dissolve stones, and need a saturated soil.