Ecology of soil lichens from Pliocene clay badlands of central Italy in relation to geomorphology and vascular vegetation

The terricolous lichen communities occurring under a temperate sub-arid to sub-humid climate (mean annual rainfall about 750 mm) on Pliocene clay soils of southern Tuscany (central Italy) are similar to those reported for arid or sub-arid areas, with mean annual rainfall around 200 mm. The distribution of these communities is influenced by the availability of bare soil and percentage cover of vascular plants. Where vascular communities are more important and pedogenetic processes lead to the development of more structured and evolved soils, pioneer lichen communities of the Toninio-Psoretum decipientis are replaced by communities such as that of Cladonietum convolutae, which are more capable of competing for light and nutrients with dense communities of tall grasses such as Bromus erectus. The distribution patterns of Artemisia cretacea and B. erectus among vascular plants, and Fulgensia fulgens and Cladonia rangiformis among lichens, account for most of the variability in vascular and lichen communities, respectively.     

The influence of three sour gas processing plants on the ecological distribution of epiphytic lichens in the vicinity of fox creek and Whitecourt,Alberta, Canada

The ecological distributions of epiphytic lichens have been reduced by SO₂ emissions from three sour gas processing plants located near Fox Creek and Whitecourt, Alberta. Pollutants tend to concentrate in drainage channels leading to the Athabasca River. These channels parallel the prevailing wind. No sites were encountered which totally lacked lichens but at sites within 1 to 2 km downwind of gas plants and associated S storage blocks, the epiphytic lichen flora was reduced in variety, cover and vitality. An Index of Atmospheric Purity (IAP) was calculated from epiphyte data using selected indicator species and air pollution zones determined. Zone maps of relative air purity were generated using the SYMAP mapping package. Improvements to previous IAP methodologies are suggested. Average sulfation rates, S content, and stable S isotope abundance ratios are discussed as they relate to lichen diversity, vitality and IAP values.     

Heavy metals in the lichen Ramalina duriaei transplanted in biomonitoring stations

The amounts of six heavy metals, Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Ni in the transplanted fruticose lichen Ramalina duriaei, have been determined. The contents of these metals in the material exposed for 1 yr at the site which served as a source for the transplantation were found to be much lower than in the lichen transplanted close to busy roads and to places with other intensive human activities. Correlation coefficients between some pairs of the heavy metals found in the transplanted R. duriaei are closer to those previously found in Caloplaca aurantia from rural and suburban sites than to those from industrial sites in Tel-Aviv. All these heavy metals are expected in the emission from a coal-fired electric generating station to be located at the sea shore in the near future. We recommend that a program of monitoring for a power station at the proposed coastal site include routine determination of (a) the amounts of these metals in transplanted lichens, (b) the correlation between the amounts and the distance from the sea, and (c) the correlation between pairs of these metals at various locations.     

Biodiversity of micro-eukaryotes in Antarctic Dry Valley soils with <5% soil moisture

Soils in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica are considered to be among the world's most extreme environments. These soils are old, cold and dry with low contents of organic carbon and nitrogen. Habitats adjacent to water (lakes and ice melts) have significant biological activity as demonstrated by the presence of algal mats, lichens and small invertebrates, particularly nematodes, tardigrades and rotifers. In contrast, there are extensive areas in the Dry Valleys that are extremely dry with less than 5% moisture content. These soils are often salty and appear to be barren of life as they have a coarse texture due to their lack of plant organic material. In contrast, molecular techniques (DNA extraction from soils, cloning and rDNA sequence analysis) demonstrated the presence of a complex micro-eukaryotic food web whose structure and composition varied with moisture content and location. Micro-eukaryotic communities in soils with 0.2-1.3% moisture were represented by species of the yeast genus Trichosporon and an unidentified clade of micro-eukaryotes, whereas levels from 3.1% to 4.9% contained complex food webs including primary producers (chlorophytes and stramenopiles), symbionts (lichen associated fungi), saprophytes (fungi), predators (alveolates and cercozoans) and fungal nematode parasite/pathogens. The soils had a diversity of species (80 species from 15 sites) with a restricted number (3-21 species) at each site. The sensitive and measurable community structure of the low moisture Dry Valley soils provides an unparalleled opportunity to examine local and global environmental effects on micro-eukaryotic community dynamics with multiple trophic levels.     

Heterogeneity of soil nutrients and subsurface biota in a dryland ecosystem

Dryland ecosystems have long been considered to have a highly heterogeneous distribution of nutrients and soil biota, with greater concentrations of both in soils under plants relative to interspace soils. We examined the distribution of soil resources in two plant communities (dominated by either the shrub Coleogyne ramosissima or the grass Stipa hymenoides) at two locations. Interspace soils were covered either by early successional biological soil crusts (BSCs) or by later successional BSCs (dominated by nitrogen (N)-fixing cyanobacteria and lichens). For each of the 8 plant type×crust type×locations, we sampled the stem, dripline, and 3 interspace distances around each of 3 plants. Soil analyses revealed that only available potassium (K_av) and ammonium concentrations were consistently greater under plants (7 of 8 sites and 6 of 8 sites, respectively). Nitrate and iron (Fe) were greater under plants at 4 sites, while all other nutrients were greater under plants at less than 50% of the sites. In contrast, calcium, copper, clay, phosphorus (P), and zinc were often greater in the interspace than under the plants. Soil microbial biomass was always greater under the plant compared to the interspace. The community composition of N-fixing bacteria was highly variable, with no distinguishable patterns among microsites. Bacterivorous nematodes and rotifers were consistently more abundant under plants (8 and 7 sites, respectively), and fungivorous and omnivorous nematodes were greater under plants at 5 of the 8 sites. Abundance of other soil biota was greater under plants at less than 50% of the sites, but highly correlated with the availability of N, P, K_av, and Fe. Unlike other ecosystems, the soil biota was only infrequently correlated with organic matter. Lack of plant-driven heterogeneity in soils of this ecosystem is likely due to (1) interspace soils covered with BSCs, (2) little incorporation of above-ground plant litter into soils, and/or (3) root deployment patterns.     

Differential effects of lichens and mosses on soil enzyme activity and litter decomposition

In the New Jersey Pinelands, canopy gaps in the pine-dominated forest support patches of lichens, mosses, and caespitose grasses. We tested the hypotheses that non-vascular plants and lichens can affect nutrient cycling processes and that mosses and lichens would differ from each other. We predicted that (1) lichen tissues would decompose more slowly than pine or moss tissues, (2) all plant materials would decompose more slowly beneath lichens than beneath mosses, and (3) soil enzyme activities would be higher under lichens than under mosses or grasses, reflecting greater nutrient limitation. We compared rates of decomposition of the litter of Pinus rigida and moss and lichen tissues, and measured soil enzyme activities responsible for nutrient mineralization from litter (acid and alkaline phosphatases, chitinase, β-glucosidase, aminopeptidase, and phenol oxidase) under three types of groundcover (lichens, mosses, and grasses) and unvegetated soil at two sites. While groundcover affected enzyme activities, the patterns of enzyme activities differed markedly between the two sites. In general, the enzyme activities were uniformly low. Decomposition rates were more strongly affected by the groundcover than by litter materials. While all litters tended to decompose more slowly under lichens than under mosses, supporting one of our initial hypotheses, the rates of decomposition were markedly different between the two sites. These results suggest that while mosses and lichens create patches of different soil function in both sites, the differences between the sites in unknown factors cause the enzyme activities and decomposition rates to differ.     

Cellular Impact of Metal Trace Elements in Terricolous Lichen Diploschistes muscorum (Scop.) R. Sant. – Identification of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers

The purpose of this research is to present toxic effects of some heavy metals (cadmium, lead and zinc) on lichen physiology. In the North of France, those metals are concentrated for example in industrial polluted soils near metallurgic plants and waste dumps. Our investigations were conducted on Diploschistes muscorum (Scop.) R. Sant, a terricolous lichen growing on previously quoted soils as well as on non-contaminated ones. Different stress parameters were investigated as potassium leakage – which is related to the loss of membrane integrity – and oxidative stress through following parameters: malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). It seems, therefore, that heavy metals induce oxidative stress in this lichen, in which we found membrane damage and enhancement of SOD activity and GSH concentrations. With regard to very high concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn, a resistance involving antioxidant mechanisms limits the expected damage. Those mechanisms involve GSH, SOD as well as secondary metabolites, which have this resistance property. This study is a first step of investigation to use – in the future– physiological parameters as tool for environment assessment.     

Dimeric and monomeric laccases of soil-stabilizing lichen Solorina crocea: Purification,properties and reactions with humic acids

Lichens form the dominant plant cover in extreme environments and participate in mineral weathering, fine-earth stabilization and primary accumulation of soil organic matter. However, biochemical role of lichens in soil processes has never been investigated. Recently, laccases and tyrosinases have been discovered in representatives of the order Peltigerales (Laufer et al., 2006a, b; Zavarzina and Zavarzin, 2006). Laccases from most species had unusually large molecular weights (Laufer et al., 2009). Together with oligomeric laccases, we have found monomeric enzymes in Solorina crocea and Peltigera aphthosa (Lisov et al., 2007). In the present work we have purified homodimeric (large) and monomeric (small) laccases of the soil-stabilizing lichen S. crocea, determined their physico-chemical and catalytic properties and studied their reactions with soil humic acids. Our results suggest that oligomeric nature of lichen laccases can be artifactual, because homodimeric laccase was transformed into the monomeric form following hydrophobic interaction chromatography. We hypothesize that large laccase consists of two monomeric enzymes, each of which is bound with additional hydrophobic component(s). Small laccase is similar in its properties to the laccases of basidiomycetes. It is more resistant to elevated temperature and storage than the large form, showed a higher oxidation potential, had different pH-optima in oxidizing substrates and was less inhibited by humic acids. Despite these differences, both laccases depolymerized and decolorized humic acids from soils at comparable rates, with small laccase being slightly more effective. This finding suggests that lichens have a potential to participate in transformation of soil organic matter.     

硒和硫相互作用对烟草硫吸收与积累的影响

以第四纪红色粘土为母质的红壤和下蜀黄土为母质的黄褐土为供试土壤 ,进行盆栽试验 .结果表明 ,施硫可提高烟草各部位硫含量 ,烟叶硫含量高于根部 .施硒对烟草中硫含量影响不明显 ,但对硫积累量的影响比较明显 .红壤施低硒 (Se<3.71 μg/ g)时烟草地上部积累增加 ,高硒 (Se >3.71 μg/ g)时有降低趋势 ;黄褐土上则随施硒增加而下降     

Secondary compounds can reduce the soil micro-arthropod effect on lichen decomposition

Phenolic compounds have been shown in several studies to have important ‘carryover effects’ on litter decomposition, microbial nutrient immobilization and nutrient availability. These effects arise in part because of the adverse effect they have on the feeding activities of litter-feeding invertebrates such as micro-arthropods that drive decomposition processes. However, the interactive effects of phenolic compounds and soil micro-arthropods on litter decomposition are poorly understood. Phenolic compounds can easily be removed by acetone rinsing from living lichens, allowing us to specifically test the role that phenolic compounds (and their removal) have in controlling the effects of micro-arthropods on the decomposition of their litter. We performed a litter-bag experiment aimed at exploring how lichen litter mass loss and nutrient release during decomposition was affected by phenolics (by using acetone rinsed and non-rinsed lichen material) and micro-arthropod activity (by using different mesh sizes to allow or exclude entry by micro-arthropods) for each of six contrasting lichen species (Cladonia rangiferina, Cladonia stellaris, Evernia prunastri, Hypogymnia physodes, Pseudevernia furfuracea and Usnea dasypoga). Both the removal of phenolic compounds and the presence of micro-arthropods accelerated mass and nutrient release overall, but not for either of the two Cladonia species. Removal of phenolics also had an overall positive effect on the effects of arthropods on the loss of P, but not mass and N, from the decomposing lichens. Further, for U. dasypoga, but not the other species, natural levels of phenolic compounds deterred micro-arthropods from accelerating mass loss, and the removal of these compounds enabled micro-arthropods to enhance its decomposition. Our findings that lichen phenolic compounds can sometimes interact with micro-arthropods to influence lichen litter mass loss and nutrient release during decomposition assists our understanding of how lichens and their consumers may impact on organic matter dynamics, biochemical nutrient cycling and other related ecosystem processes.     

Accumulation of aluminum inHypogymnia physodes in the surroundings of a finnish sulphite-cellulose factory

Atomic absorption analyses were performed on an epiphytic lichenHypogymnia physodes growing at different distances from a sulphite-cellulose and paper plant in Mänttä, southern Finland. Lichen samples were taken from the bark of pine, birch and spruce. The mean Al-content of the lichen was 3-fold and 7.5-fold higher than those in other studies in southern and northern Finland. The accumulation of Al mainly orginated from the dust emission of the pulp and paper mill and its power plant which were the biggest single source of dust pollutants in Finland. Road dust and other local sources also increase Al-content of the lichens. Fe-concentrations ofHphysodes correlated with those of Al. Hg- and Cu-levels were also slightly elevated. Zn was at about the same and Cd at an even lower level than afore mentioned background values. With Zn, the contents were higher in lichens growing on birch than on coniferous trees.     

Artificial dispersal of endangered epiphytic lichens: a tool for conservation in boreal forest landscapes

Due to increasing fragmentation of the boreal forests of Fennoscandia, a number of epiphytic lichens are now becoming threatened. Since these species typically are limited by a poor ability of dispersal, one possible but largely unexplored strategy for conservation is to disperse lichen material artificially into suitable habitats. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate survival and vitality in lichen fragments from Evernia divaricata (L.) Ach. and Ramalina dilacerata (Hoffm.) Hoffm. after transplantation into three different stand types situated in northern Sweden, using different fragment sizes and modes of transplantation. After one year, survival ranged between 85% and 97.5%, and new growth occurred at all transplantation sites. The study has shown that transplantations of small fragments might constitute a resource-efficient option for establishment of new populations of endangered lichen species, or for enlarging their populations at the present sites of occurrence. In addition, the mode of transplantation was of importance for fragment vitality.     

Are phenolics leaching from the lichen Cladina stellaris sources of energy rather than allelopathic agents for soil microorganisms?

Lichen phenolics that are known to leach out from lichen thalli during rainfall episodes are considered to be allelopathic or antimicrobial agents. On the other hand, small organic molecules originating from aboveground vegetation generally constitute an important C source for the soil microbial community. We studied the effects of leaching lichen acids on soil microbial processes by chemically removing usnic (UA) and perlatolic acid (PA) from the extracellular space of mat-forming lichen, Cladina stellaris, a dominant component of the ground vegetation in boreal oligotrophic forests. Removal of UA and PA did not affect the intracellular contents of the lichen. We hypothesized that if lichen acids have an adverse effect on soil biota, microbial respiration would increase underneath chemically manipulated lichen mats. In turn, if these substances provide energy source for the microorganisms, microbial respiration would decline under lichens from which PA and UA has been removed. Microbial metabolic activity, qCO₂ was significantly lower under the lichens from which UA and PA had been removed, thus supporting the latter hypothesis. Removing UA and PA did not affect the amount of microbial C, N and P, or soil nutrient concentrations. Our results suggest that the microbial community in the soil under a lichen carpet is adapted to the presence of these lichen secondary metabolites and can utilize them as a C source. The approach of removing lichen substances from the system could be used as an effective research tool as it can overcome several problems that are often common in the studies on allelopathic interactions.     

Selenium Speciation and Distribution Characteristics in the Rhizosphere Soil of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seedlings

A five-step sequential extraction procedure was used for the fractionation of selenium (Se) in rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soils with rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings. Results showed that in rhizosphere soils without the addition of Se, the soluble Se (Sol-Se), exchangeable Se and Se bound to carbonates (Exc-Se), Se bound to organic-sulfide matter and elemental Se (OM-Se), and total Se contents were significantly greater than those in nonrhizosphere soils, whereas the residual Se (Res-Se) was less than that in the nonrhizosphere soils. After the addition of Se, the Sol-Se and OM-Se contents in the rhizosphere soils were still evidently greater than those in nonrhizosphere soils, but the Exc-Se was significantly less in rhizosphere soils than in nonrhizosphere soils. Our overall results suggest that the Se bioavailability in rice rhizosphere soils is greater than that in nonrhizosphere soils. Selenium bioavailability in the rhizosphere soil is not correlated with Se accumulation in rice seedlings.     

Water and soil biotic relations in mercury distribution

The distribution of Hg is considered both in terms of its availability in soil fractions and the relationship between Hg in plant samples and Hg in ambient soils or other supportive media. The plants were grouped by habitat into epipedic-epiphytic (mosses, lichens) and endopedic-aquaticmarine (Basidiomycetes and algae) samples; non-vacular and vascular forms were also distinguished. Sources included Alaska, Hawaii, New England and Iceland. Brief consideration was also given to Hg distribution in a plant-animal-soil community. Data were expressed in terms of plant Hg content and plant substratum concentration ratio. Average Hg contents and concentration ratios, and modal ranges for the ratios were determined. The results showed similar average Hg contents in all groups (126 to 199 ppb) but a low value (84 ppb) in the lichens; terrestrial forms had ratios of 3.5 to 7.6 whereas the marine algae yielded a figure of 78.7. The modal ranges were 1 to 2 fold for mosses and lichens, 2 to 10 fold for Basidiomycetes and vascular plants and > 10 fold for algae. In addition to the modal ratio in the range 2–10 common to all 275 vascular plant samples, a secondary mode in the range 0 to 0.1 appeared only in the Alaska-New England group, over 500 km distant from active thermal sites. Thus evidence for both exclusion and concentration behavior was obtained.     

A field study on factors influencing Cd levels in soils and in grain of oats and winter wheat

The influence of selected factors on Cd levels in soils and in grain of oats and winter wheat was investigated. Soil and grain were sampled at sites randomly distributed over Sweden. Organic soils generally had higher Cd contents and lower pH levels than mineral soils, and plants growing in organic soils tended to have higher Cd contents than plants growing in mineral soils. In mineral soils the amount of soil Cd extractable in 2M HNO₃ was positively correlated with the pH and the contents of organic matter and clay. The studied variable best correlated with the Cd content of oat grain grown on mineral soils was the pH (negative correlation). Soil contents of organic matter, clay, HNO₃-extractable Cd and Zn were also found to be significantly related to the Cd content in a stepwise regression analysis. In winter wheat grain, Cd content was best correlated with the HNO₃-extractable Cd (positive correlation). Additional significant factors were pH, grain yield and contents of organic matter, clay and HNO₃-extractable Zn. In winter wheat the presence of Zn reduced Cd uptake, and vice versa; no such mutually antagonistic relationship was apparent in oats. In oats, but not in wheat, it was possible to predict most of the differences in grain Cd content, caused by the factors described above, based on the variation in CaCl₂-extractable soil Cd. Analysis of samples from field trials indicated that there were differences in Cd content between varieties of both crops. Variation in factors described generally explained most of the differences in soil- and grain Cd levels between regions.     

南方红壤区典型母质发育土壤硒素特征及影响因素

为探究南方红壤区不同母质土壤硒素特征及理化性质对硒有效性的影响,以广西典型红壤区不同母质土壤为研究对象,通过测定硒形态特征及理化性质,并利用AMOS路径分析模型及土壤培养试验,量化了不同因子对不同母质土壤有效硒的影响。结果表明：南方红壤区不同母质土壤总硒含量均高于0.4 mg/kg,其中以花岗岩母质土壤总硒含量最高,以砂页岩母质土壤有效硒含量最高,且变幅最大。土壤硒形态主要以残渣态和有机结合态为主,不同形态硒含量由高到低均表现为：残渣态硒>有机结合态硒>铁锰氧化物结合态硒>交换态硒>可溶态硒。AMOS路径分析模型结果表明,影响不同母质土壤硒形态分配贡献的主要因素是全磷、有机质和pH,第四纪红色黏土母质土壤中的全氮及砂页岩母质土壤中的速效氮的影响也值得关注。利用贡献较大的理化因子开展土壤培养试验,外源理化因子添加后均在一定的时间及剂量条件下出现土壤有效硒含量最大值,且不同母质土壤获得的最佳因子条件不同。因此,不同土壤母质因土壤理化性质的不同,其硒形态特征存在较大差异,不同理化因子作用于土壤后,土壤硒会因土壤环境的变化而重新分配。     

青海东部农田土壤硒分布特征及其影响因素

植物中硒被认为是人体摄入硒的主要来源,而且大多数植物是从土壤中吸收硒。因此,不同地区土壤硒含量的高低直接影响到该地区食物中的硒含量。本研究以青海省平安地区农田土壤为研究对象,用原子荧光光谱法进行了土壤全硒含量和形态及价态的测定,对平安地区农田土壤全硒含量分布特征及其与成土母质、土壤类型的关系进行了研究。结果表明,平安地区土壤全硒含量变化范围为0.089~0.782 mg/kg,平均值为0.418 mg/kg,其中58%的土壤属于富硒土壤范畴。研究区域耕种淡栗钙土全硒含量最高,平均值为0.574 mg/kg;而灌淤黄土全硒含量最低,平均值为0.293 mg/kg。成土母质中,古近–新近系西宁群红色泥岩中硒含量最高,平均值为0.82 mg/kg。平安地区富硒土壤中硒的富集主要来源于古近–新近系西宁群红色泥岩风化。土壤中硒的赋存形态主要以有机结合态为主,铁锰氧化物结合态硒含量最少。可溶态硒和可交换态及碳酸盐结合态硒均以六价硒为主要赋存价态。平安地区富硒土壤中硒含量适宜,供硒潜力较大,且该地区受外界环境污染较少,具有良好的开发利用前景。     

Predicted response of the lichen epiphyte Lecanora populicola to climate change scenarios in a clean-air region of Northern Britain

Studies in the response of vegetation to predicted future climate change have focussed on vascular plants and are therefore largely unrepresentative of wider botanical diversity (i.e. comprising cryptogams; algae, mosses, liverworts and fungi including lichens). This paper presents a study to predict the response of a cryptogam species, the epiphytic lichen Lecanora populicola, to climate change scenarios. L. populicola is an easily dispersed species that occurs predictably in a widespread habitat, i.e. aspen stands. The study area was geographically constrained to a clean-air region of northern Britain. Thus, using the popular bioclimatic envelope approach, the projected climatic response of L. populicola is not expected to be confounded by air-borne pollution effects, or dispersal and habitat limitation. Non-parametric multiplicative regression was used to describe the response of L. populicola to seven climate variables, and an optimum model projected using UKCIP02 scenarios, comprising two time-frames (2020 s and 2050 s) and two greenhouse gas emission levels (low and high). Model predictions suggest an overall increase in the potential range of L. populicola, and, by association, several other ‘Boreal’ lichen epiphytes. Projected increases in the occurrence of L. populicola are associated with predicted summer drying, and indicate a putative threat to negatively associated ‘oceanic’ lichens.     

Quantitative monitoring of airborne lead pollution by a foliose lichen

The potential use of lichens as quantitative monitors of airborne heavy metal pollution has been demonstrated by measurements of Po²¹⁰, Pb, Cd, Zn, and V levels in sequential growth of the foliose lichen Pseudoparmelia baltimorensis from three localities in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Samples were dated using the growth rate measured by Lawrey and Hale (1977). Po²¹⁰, Pb, and V increase with age in a given colony. Higher levels of Pb, V, Cd, and Zn are present in samples from the two more polluted sites. The retention of heavy metals is consistent with trapping by an ion exchange mechanism. Since Po²¹⁰ is the daughter product of in situ decay of Pb²¹⁰, accumulated from atmospheric fallout of known rate, its levels can be used to calculate trapping efficiencies of Pb and retrospective fallout rates. These rates are similar to published data from rural and urban areas.