The colors are nice, but the overall effect is quite eye-challenging on my side. Don't think it is a good background, while it is certainly a good picture. It looks very nice when thumbnailed, but at full scale it is disturbing.

The photographer should increase the depth of field. Perhaps all problems are due to the shallow DOF applied on a continuous surface, without a clear subject in focus.

The sharpening applied is also too strong.

Taken from my Mac's dictionary:

Lichens are composite plants consisting of a fungus that contains photosynthetic algal cells. Their classification is based upon that of the fungal partner, which in most cases belongs to the subdivision Ascomycotina, and the algal partners are either green algae or cyanobacteria.

Who likes lichens or for that matter who likes lycans (cf. lycanthropy)? They are indeed a strange organism.

More depth of field and perhaps an included shrub would help establish scale. Also, did you mean specks instead of specs?

Keep shootin' and we'll keep hootin.'

I love the detail in this fungal close up. Without the out of focus areas this would have been too hard on the eyes and definitely not very good for reading icons, but the way it was done makes it work just fine. A unique look at something we all usually overlook when considering beauty in nature. Thanks!

Not much improvement to be done here, maybe a tiny bit more green added to the yellow channel but it looks fine the way it is. Very natural looking.