Epiphytic lichen growth abnormalities and element concentrations as early indicators of forest decline

The influence of agriculture, i.e., of fertilizers and ammonia emissions from crops and sheep grazing, on epiphytic lichen vegetation, and the use of nitrophytic lichen species in bioindication of air pollution were investigated in a geothermal area in central Italy. Floristic analysis showed that the lichen vegetation is only slightly influenced by agriculture. Analysis of the lichen data and chemico-physical parameters of tree bark supporting lichen growth failed to demonstrate marked differences between agricultural and non-agricultural sites, the higher total frequency of nitrophytic species in agricultural sites being the only parameter discriminating between the two site types. Bark nitrogen and pH were not discriminant. Factors determining the higher total frequency of nitrophytic species in agricultural sites may include dust impregnation of bark and the drier microclimate of trees in these sites. It is concluded that nitrophytic lichens can be included in the calculation of the Index of Atmospheric Purity in the study area.

Download Full-text

Using Growth Forms to Predict Epiphytic Lichen Abundance in a Wide Variety of Forest Types

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d11040051 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 51 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Gregorio Aragón ◽

Isabel Martínez ◽

Pilar Hurtado ◽

Ángel Benítez ◽

Clara Rodríguez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

South American ◽

Growth Forms ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Epiphytic Lichen ◽

Diversity Assessment ◽

Time Required ◽

Central South ◽

Lichen Growth

Epiphytic richness is continuously declining due to forest fragmentation, logging, burning, agriculture, and livestock. The rate of species loss caused by habitat degradation and loss is more pronounced in Central and South America. Considering the extreme difficulty and time required to identify the more inconspicuous species, rapid diversity assessment methods need to be extrapolated throughout the world. This study correlated lichen growth forms and total epiphytic abundance across 119 forests located in Europe and Central-South America. A total of 54 papers were selected from specific databases focused on lichens. Additionally, data from several unpublished ecological studies were included. Linear regression models showed that epiphytic lichen abundance was highly and positively correlated with the number of growth forms at all geographical levels considered (i.e., Central-South American and European forests, and the combination of both). Thus, the use of growth forms may provide an alternative and complementary way to evaluate epiphytic diversity because most growth forms have cosmopolitan distribution and are easily recognizable.

Download Full-text

Epiphytic lichen growth in Mediterranean forests: Effects of proximity to the ground and reproductive stage

Basic and Applied Ecology ◽

10.1016/j.baae.2015.01.007 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 220-230 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Sonia Merinero ◽

Isabel Martínez ◽

Marta Rubio-Salcedo ◽

Yngvar Gauslaa

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Stage ◽

Mediterranean Forests ◽

Epiphytic Lichen ◽

Lichen Growth

Download Full-text

Lateral resolution of the electron microbeam analysis

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100109859 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 542-543

Author(s):

H.J. Dudek

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Analysis ◽

Depth Resolution ◽

Lateral Resolution ◽

Cylindrical Particle ◽

Correction Procedure ◽

X Ray ◽

Element Concentrations ◽

Microbeam Analysis ◽

The Matrix

The chemical inhomogenities in modern materials such as fibers, phases and inclusions, often have diameters in the region of one micrometer. Using electron microbeam analysis for the determination of the element concentrations one has to know the smallest possible diameter of such regions for a given accuracy of the quantitative analysis.In th is paper the correction procedure for the quantitative electron microbeam analysis is extended to a spacial problem to determine the smallest possible measurements of a cylindrical particle P of high D (depth resolution) and diameter L (lateral resolution) embeded in a matrix M and which has to be analysed quantitative with the accuracy q. The mathematical accounts lead to the following form of the characteristic x-ray intens ity of the element i of a particle P embeded in the matrix M in relation to the intensity of a standard S

Download Full-text