Iron mining is an important industry in North America, including Québec, but has caused large-scale disturbance and upheaval of boreal ecosystems. Lichens grow abundantly on abandoned tailings mounds made of mine waste but the successional processes of these technogenic landscapes are not fully understood. We investigated how terricolous lichens impacted soil temperature, soil moisture, and nutrient availability on mine tailings. Through experiments in the field, and in the greenhouse, we determined how lichens facilitate the revegetation of Pinus banksiana Lamb. (jack pine) on mine tailings. Lichens significantly increased the water content of the mine tailings and kept soil temperature cooler than exposed tailings. They were also found to intercept nitrogen deposition and increase phosphorus availability, although the latter was lichen species-dependent. This amelioration of the microclimate for vascular plants and the creation of “safe sites” is a critical role that lichens play in this ecosystem and its succession after intensive mining.