Lichens of wilderness areas in California: Baseline studies for monitoring air pollution. [Letharia; Melanelia; Pseudophebe minuscula]

The lichen floras of selected wilderness areas in California are being surveyed to provide baseline data for monitoring air pollution. A small number of permanent transects on trees and quadrats on rock were established, and Letharia spp. were collected for element analyses. In the San Gabriel Wilde...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of botany 1990-01
Main Authors: Ryan, B.D., Nash, T.H. III
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
560300 > Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
AIR POLLUTION
ALGAE
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
CALIFORNIA
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
EUMYCOTA
FEDERAL REGION IX
FUNGI
LICHENS
NORTH AMERICA
PLANTS
POLLUTION
RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT
ROCKS
SENSITIVITY
SOILS
TREES
USA 540120 > Environment, Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
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Summary:The lichen floras of selected wilderness areas in California are being surveyed to provide baseline data for monitoring air pollution. A small number of permanent transects on trees and quadrats on rock were established, and Letharia spp. were collected for element analyses. In the San Gabriel Wilderness (immediately north of Los Angeles), a diverse lichen flora was found on rocks and (in some areas) on soil or hardwood trees, but not on conifers, and the thalli of several taxa (e.g., Melanelia spp. and Pseudephebe minuscula) showed clear signs of distortion or discoloration. No obvious signs of damaged thalli or depauperate floras have been found in the other wildernesses studied so far, except in the Agua Tibia Wilderness (near San Diego), which was largely destroyed by fire in the summer of 1989. The two wildernesses examined in the Sierra Nevada Mountains had very few corticolous lichen taxa and few taxa known to be pollution-sensitive, but this probably reflects climatic conditions more than pollution. Re-examination of the wildernesses in the future should provide information on any changes in the lichen vegetation due to changes in air quality.
ISSN:0002-9122
1537-2197