Algae forms in which conditions, and what happens as it dries?

Algae forms in which conditions, and what happens as it dries?

• A. Only in dry areas.
• B. Only on thick turf.
• C. A green to blackish algae slime may form on bare soil or thinned turf in low, wet, shaded or heavily used and compacted areas; the slimy mass dries to form a thin, black crust that later cracks and peels.
• D. Not present in turf.

Answer: (C)

Algae shows up where moisture sticks around and the turf area is stressed by shade, poor drainage, or soil compaction—often on bare soil or thinning turf. It appears as a green to blackish slime, and when the surface dries this slime forms a thin black crust that cracks and peels away. This behavior of forming a slimy layer in moist, shaded, or heavily used areas and then hardening into a crust as it dries is what makes it identifiable. The other options don’t fit because algae isn’t restricted to dry areas or to thick turf, and it isn’t absent from turf in these conditions.

Algae shows up where moisture sticks around and the turf area is stressed by shade, poor drainage, or soil compaction—often on bare soil or thinning turf. It appears as a green to blackish slime, and when the surface dries this slime forms a thin black crust that cracks and peels away. This behavior of forming a slimy layer in moist, shaded, or heavily used areas and then hardening into a crust as it dries is what makes it identifiable. The other options don’t fit because algae isn’t restricted to dry areas or to thick turf, and it isn’t absent from turf in these conditions.