UPSC 2021: In the nature, which of the following is/are most likely to be found surviving on a surface without soil? 1. Fern 2. Lichen 3. Moss 4. Mushroom Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Lichens (a symbiosis of fungus and alga) and mosses (non-vascular bryophytes) are able to colonise bare rock, bark or other substrates because they absorb water and nutrients directly from the atmosphere; they do not need soil. Ferns are vascular plants that normally root in humus-rich soil, and mushrooms (fungal fruiting bodies) grow on decaying organic matter in or on soil. Hence only statements 2 and 3 apply. ([vajiramandravi.com](https://vajiramandravi.com/upsc-exam/in-the-nature-which-of-the-following-is-are-most-likely-to-be-found-surviving-on-a-surface-without-soil/?utm_source=openai))