Dynamics of element accumulation and release of Flavoparmelia caperata during a long-term field transplant experiment Online publication date: Fri, 22-Apr-2011
by R.M. Godinho, Tona G. Verburg, Maria do Carmo Freitas, Hubert T. Wolterbeek
International Journal of Environment and Health (IJENVH), Vol. 5, No. 1/2, 2011
Abstract: This paper addresses the dynamics of accumulation and release of atmospheric elements in lichen thallus, relating to retention times. The experiment assessed the rates of change of element concentrations in Flavoparmelia caperata collected from a clean site, transplanted to a polluted site and then back-transplanted to the clean site again. The whole experiment took 14 months. Periodically, three transplanted samples of each condition were collected and lichen element concentration was determined. Transplanted to higher or lower environmental pollution level, the lichen element concentration changed accordingly within two months, proving the lichen property to reflect the current ambient elemental concentrations. This experiment demonstrates that changes in the air pollution level, as expressed by the elemental concentration in thalli of F. caperata, can be detected at intervals of a few months.
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