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Main lichen morphological types. Lichen growth types. a) crustose (Lecanora chlarotera Nyl.); b) foliose (Flavoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale); c) fruticose (Ramalina farinacea (L.) Ach.)
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The coexistence between the two partners attains a very high degree of morphological constancy and physiological equilibrium, so that the product of this association, the so called “lichenic thallus” (Fig. 1), may assume the rank of an unitary organism. This is also due to its capability to produce metabolites that neither fungus nor alga would be...
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Context 1
... thalli (Fig. 2b), the most widespread lichens, where different layers are recognizable: an upper cortex, a medulla layer and a lower cortex, constituted by fungal pseudo-tissues; and a photobiont layer housed between the upper cortex and the medulla. Most of the lichens belong to one of the three main morphological categories: the crustose type (Fig. 3a), strictly adhering to their substratum and not provided of a lower cortex; foliose type ( Fig. 3b), with a kind of leaf appearance, provided with both upper and lower ...
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... a medulla layer and a lower cortex, constituted by fungal pseudo-tissues; and a photobiont layer housed between the upper cortex and the medulla. Most of the lichens belong to one of the three main morphological categories: the crustose type (Fig. 3a), strictly adhering to their substratum and not provided of a lower cortex; foliose type ( Fig. 3b), with a kind of leaf appearance, provided with both upper and lower ...
Context 3
... Ifae more or less attached to its substrate; and fruticose type (Fig. 3c), generally branched with variable shapes (sections from circular to flat) and structure (pendulous strands or hollow upright stalks). Depending on their particular morpho-physiological attributes, lichens may colonize the most variable substrates, such as soil (terricolous types Fig. 4a), rocks (saxicolous types Fig. 4b), tree barks ...
Citations
... Among the accumulated trace elements, some play an essential role in functioning, while others act as toxicants. These metals are retained in the thalli via particulate entrapment, physicochemical processes (ion exchange), and active and passive intracellular uptake (Kroukamp et al., 2019;Aprile et al., 2011;Tyler et al., 1989). ...
Air pollution has become a major concern due to its detrimental effects on living beings. The present study is aimed at assessing the current status of air pollution in Lucknow city using lichen transplantation technique and assesing its effect on physiology of Pyxine cocoes. The samples of P. cocoes were collected from relatively pollution-free area Malihabad and transplanted in 10 designated sites in five regions for 30 days. Various parameters such as heavy metals, chlorophyll pigments, carotenoid, chlorophyll degradation, and electrolyte conductivity were estimated in transplanted lichens. The study revealed that the concentration of all 10 heavy metals was higher in all transplanted samples than in the control sample, which was found in order of Al > Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > Co > Cd. Among all 10 transplanted sites, the significantly increased accumulation of aluminum (5.11 to 5.47 µg L⁻¹), iron (4.73 to 5.46 µg L⁻¹), manganese (110.99 to 144.58 µg g⁻¹), and zinc (87.96 to 97.40 µg g⁻¹) was found in Charbagh, Qaisarbagh, and Alambagh sites. Further, in all samples, chlorophyll a (3.98 µg L⁻¹), chlorophyll b (1.22 µg L⁻¹), total chlorophyll (5.20 µg L⁻¹), and chlorophyll degradation (0.55 µg g⁻¹) were significantly decreased, whereas elevated levels of carotenoid (0.71 µg g⁻¹), and electrolyte conductivity (64.99 µS cm⁻¹), were observed. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigated the morphological changes in transplanted lichen samples, and significant damage to the anatomy of mycelium was found in most of the polluted site’s samples, which correlated with the pollution levels. The present study clearly demonstrated that the transplanted lichen P. cocoes is an efficient bioaccumulator and bioindicator of air quality in urban environments.
... Heavy metals are retained in the thallus by particle trapping, physicochemical processes such as ion exchange, and passive and active intracellular uptake [66,67]. They can then interact with tissues, modifying structures. ...
The heavy metal Cd accumulates in trophic chains, constituting a toxic element for photosynthesizing organisms, including the algal photobionts of lichen. Thus, as lichens respond differently to heavy metal toxicity, we hypothesized that the species Parmotrema tinctorum and Usnea barbata, commonly sampled in the Cerrado ecoregion, could be sensitive to Cd and, therefore, be used to biomonitor the dispersion of this metal. We also aimed to indicate the responsiveness of biological markers to Cd in these species by exposing the thalli to simulated rainfall with increasing metal concentrations. We observed that both lichen species are responsive to Cd stress; however, different pathways are accessed. The synthesis of carotenoids by P. tinctorum and the production of antioxidant enzymes by U. barbata seem to constitute relevant response strategies to Cd-induced stress. The lichen morphoanatomy, cell viability, photobiont vitality index, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and chlorophyll a synthesis were efficient biomarkers for the effects of increasing Cd exposure in P. tinctorum, being the variables primarily associated with damage to the photobiont. For U. barbata, the lichen morphoanatomy, photochemistry, and antioxidant enzyme activity (catalase, superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase) were essential to reflect Cd toxicity. However, the species P. tinctorum was characterized as the most sensitive to Cd toxicity, constituting a good bioindicator for the presence of this metal. It can be used in the diagnosis of air quality in urban and industrial areas or even in forest areas influenced by Cd in phosphate fertilizers.
... The metals from the atmosphere are deposited onto the lichen thalli via two modes-(i) as aerosol particles or (ii) as dissolved ions that are filled with precipitation. These metals are retained in the thalli through particulate entrapment, physicochemical processes such as ion exchange, as well as by passive and active intracellular uptake (Tyler 1989;Aprile et al. 2011). Besides metals, lichens are also capable of retaining fine and ultrafine airborne particles such as PM 2.5 and PM 1.0 in their thalli for longer period as has been observed in transplanted lichen species Parmotrema pilosum (Marié et al. 2020). ...
The lichen species Parmotrema tinctorum (Nyl.) Hale was transplanted in two cities-Tezpur (small) and Guwahati (large)-of the Brahmaputra Valley to assess the impact of air pollution on the anatomy and physiology, and accumulation of pollutants. Significant damage to the anatomy was observed in samples, and the degree of damage was found to be higher in the transplants of the larger city. In the lichen transplants from locations having high traffic density, the total chlorophyll content was found to fall; on the contrary, electrical conductivity was found to be higher. The exposed-to-control ratio showed severe accumulation of Cd in all the transplants. Elements such as Cd, Pb, and Zn were found to be enriched in all the lichen samples from both Guwahati as well as Tezpur city. Besides, Cr, Cu, K, and Ni were also realized to be enhanced to a moderate extent. The correlations of indicator metal species pairs showed that anthropogenic influence was quite clear.
... They are non-rooted poikilohydric organisms, with no protective structures in their tissues, that passively absorb the elements driven by rain or wind, and so they are very sensitive to environmental stresses, pollution and eutrophication (Sloof and Wolterbeek 1993). Research on lichen distribution can provide information on the state of the environment (Nimis 1990;Conti and Cecchetti 2001;Loppi et al. 2002;Aprile et al. 2011) and, in a functional approach, could represent a complementary tool to define management policies in forest areas (Benítez et al. 2018). A quite important step to refine the indicator power of lichen research is the creation of wide datasets summarizing all relevant information on lichen distribution across different habitats and environmental conditions (Nimis and Martellos 2017;Martellos 2012); however, research is still needed to validate and apply such datasets (Nimis and Martellos 2001;Martellos 2012;Aprile et al. 2011;Pinho et al. 2012;Giordani et al. 2014). ...
... Research on lichen distribution can provide information on the state of the environment (Nimis 1990;Conti and Cecchetti 2001;Loppi et al. 2002;Aprile et al. 2011) and, in a functional approach, could represent a complementary tool to define management policies in forest areas (Benítez et al. 2018). A quite important step to refine the indicator power of lichen research is the creation of wide datasets summarizing all relevant information on lichen distribution across different habitats and environmental conditions (Nimis and Martellos 2017;Martellos 2012); however, research is still needed to validate and apply such datasets (Nimis and Martellos 2001;Martellos 2012;Aprile et al. 2011;Pinho et al. 2012;Giordani et al. 2014). ...
Current strategies for conservation reportedly suffer from an inadequate awareness of the drivers affecting lichen diversity, pointing to the need to fully develop a functional approach to lichen ecology. This study is an attempt to detect the drivers affecting functional diversity in the lichen flora of a volcanic Mediterranean area. Data on epiphytic lichen distribution were correlated with information coming from a GIS analysis. Species richness, functional diversity and indicator values of lichens species were analyzed as a function of altitude, bioclimatic patterns and land use patterns. Both taxonomic and functional diversity were found to increase with altitude, peaking at 600 m a.s.l. and slightly decreasing at higher elevations. A filtering effect of altitude on lichen growth-forms was detected at increasing altitude, with foliose isidiate lichens replacing crustose lichens with sexual reproduction, cyanobacteria replacing Trentepohlia as photobiont, and oligotrophic species linked to partially shaded environments gradually replacing species indicating eutrophic conditions. Forest stations impacted by low impact traditional agriculture tended to express higher lichen diversity compared to either undisturbed broadleaved forests or intensive orchards. These data demonstrate the need to integrate traditional low-impact agricultural practices in protected areas. Moreover, they provide the evidence that reanalyzing past and recent lichenological censuses with the proposed analytical tools may help previewing and driving the evolution of endangered ecosystems.
... Bryophytes and lichens have been employed effectively as an alternative means to monitor air quality over large areas. Application of living organisms is based on the ability of organisms to accumulate pollutants in their tissues (bioaccumulation) or considerable changes that are observed in the organisms due to the exposure to pollutants (bioindication) (Aprile et al. 2011). Therefore, biomonitoring of lichens provides a cost-effective tool for mapping spatial and temporal patterns of atmospheric contaminations (Conti and Cecchetti 2001). ...
This study presents a comparative assessment of the trace metal air pollutants of urban, peri-urban, and rural areas of the Brahmaputra Valley plain in the Eastern Himalayan region using biomonitoring of Pyxine cocoes. In situ collection of the thalli growing on Bombax sp. from representative locations was done, which was analyzed for Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, and Zn using ICP-OES. The metals, viz. Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn, were highly enriched, indicating anthropogenic influences. The coefficients of variation (CV) of Co, Cr, and Ni were also high, pointing at their accumulation from local sources. Influence of local sources was also observed for Cd, Fe, and Mn in peri-urban and Cd in urban samples. Metals related to automobiles were accumulated in greater volume in samples of peri-urban locations, which implies the impact of the highway that runs through these locations and other associated human activities. The samples of urban areas were found to be enriched with metals originating from both vehicular emissions and road dust. Also, accumulations of Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Ni in the lichen thalli were found to be around tea gardens. Inter-species correlations were found to be positively significant for most of the elements. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the metal data revealed that vehicular emission and coal burning, street dust, and crustal dust were the major sources of trace metals in the ambient air of the region.
... It has cortex, upper and lower and more or less attached to its substrate. Meanwhile, U. diffracta (Figure 1(b)) is a genus of greenish fruticose lichen that grows in the form of flattened straplike branches, with variable shapes (sections from circular to flat) and structure (pendulous strands or hollow upright stalks) (Aprile et al., 2011). ...
Two types of epiphytic lichens, Parmotrema tinctorum and Usnea diffracta were evaluated as a bioindicator for acculumation of heavy metals in Parit Raja and BatuPahat, in southern Peninsular Malaysia. The transplant technique was applied in this study by insisting lichens into a nylon bag and hung 2-3 meters above the ground at the selected study areas for three and five months. The morphological analysis of lichen transplant was discovered by using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). By using theInductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS), the data collection of qualitative and quantitative analysis for lichen transplants were compared. The morphological analysis of P. tinctorum after exposure to air pollution did not show any significant difference with the control, while the U. diffracta indicated a significant difference over their controls. Zinc (Zn) and Lead (Pb) have the highest concentrations in Parit Raja and Batu Pahat, respectively, affected by industrial and vehicular activities. The results imply that P. tinctorum can be positively compared to U. diffracta for identifying the levels of heavy metals, due to the higher capability to accumulate heavy metals without affecting the internal structure. Therefore, P. tinctorum was found to be the best bioindicator of air pollution in this study.
... In a very ancient work, Terracciano (1873) provided a list of lichens from the Caserta district; Ferrero (1873) published a list of lichens generically referred to the Roccamonfina Volcano, although without sufficiently clear locations. In more recent times, some research has been conducted in this area, with a floristic inventory (Catalano & Aprile 2009), a study on the use of lichens as air quality indicators (Aprile et al. 2011) and two studies on lichen bioindication in forest environments , Nascimbene et al. 2013a. ...
... The Natural Park also includes the disjointed integral reserve of "Lago delle Corree", a small lake behaving as an "island habitat", suffering a dramatic reduction of plant diversity due to the impact of the surrounding agricultural matrix (Croce et al. 2012). All areas contiguous to the Regional Park are now experiencing a rapid process of industrial reconversion (Aprile et al. 2011). The average yearly rainfall ranges from about 880 mm at the lower altitudes to 1120 mm in upland areas, with a relatively intense drought period during summer, whose extent tends to reduce with altitude. ...
... This is the most species-poor assemblage, with most of the species belonging to the Xanthorion parietinae (Barkman 1958) vegetation, hosting very common species, typically found in sunny and dry stands on isolated trees, with a relatively high ability to tolerate environmental pollution (Nimis & De Faveri 1980, Piervittori & Maffei 2001. Similar assemblages of species, with the dominance of nitrophythic and ubiquitarian lichens, are frequent in disturbed areas of Campania (Aprile et al. 2011). The most representative species of this group is Physcia biziana var. ...
The extinct volcano of Roccamonfina covers a 380 square Km area,partly occupied by a species-rich natural reserve that is currently endangered due to increasing urbanization and human activity. With the aim to integrate the current knowledge on the lichens of this area,sampling was conducted on 25 sites at different altitudes and with different degrees of human disturbance. Data were submitted to multivariate analysis,including morpho-functional attributes. Overall,195 taxa were identified,including 13 epiphytic species needing protection. Crustose and foliose lichens were the most frequent (50% and 37%,respectively),followed by fruticose (10%) and squamulose species (3%). Most species reproduce sexually by ascospores (67%),the remaining part vegetatively by lichenised propagules. The number of species per station was found to increase with altitude,though a relative decrease was detected at the highest elevations. Both the number and the quality of species confirmed the high naturalistic value of the Roccamonfina complex. Altitude and disturbance were identified as the most relevant drivers of lichen diversity,both being related with the conservation and continuity of the most ancient chestnut stands,a fact that should be considered for future conservation policies.
... The role of lichens as biological tools to monitor air quality has long been recognized [6,18]. Their peculiar morphology and physiology allow them to be used either as biomonitors or bioaccumulators in several studies related to atmospheric pollutants [1,17]. Moreover, since these organisms are often highly responsive to environmental variables such as light and humidity, they are going to by increasingly adopted as indicators of "naturalness" in woody ecosystems. ...
Along the Tyrrhenian coast, in Caserta province, the priority habitat "coastal dunes with Juniperus sp." is well represented, though in a somehow patchy pattern. Since 1977, the "State Reserve of Castelvolturno" is a 268 ha protected area owned to the State Forest Service. In this area, the rare lichen Seirophora villosa (Ach.) Frödén, an endangered species indicator of ecological continuity, was recently found. A census of lichen epiphytic flora was conducted in the Juniperus stands of this area, in order to ascertain their naturalness level and to identify the most relevant factors linked to Seirophora distribution. The work is aimed at studying how biotic and abiotic factors affect the distribution of this species, also to define better criteria to use it as a new indicator of ecological continuity in protected areas.
Sixty taxa (59 species and 1 variety) of lichenized fungi are reported from a chestnut grove in Livari. The majority of them (55 species and 1 variety) occurred on Castanea sativa. The recently described Xylographa soralifera is new to the Balkan Peninsula. The lichenicolous fungus Monodictys epilepraria growing on Lepraria rigidula is new to Montenegro. The lichen mycota is compared with similar localities in Italy and Switzerland. The species composition in Livari is most similar to the Montieri site in Tuscany.
