The potential use of elemental content of saxicolous lichens as bioindicators of nitrogen deposition in the central and southern California mountains
High elevation and arid wilderness areas generally lack epiphytic lichen species used for air quality biomonitoring. We assessed the potential of saxicolous lichens to serve as bioindicators of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) deposition by examining relationships among deposition, environmental variable...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X22010147 |
| _version_ | 1798028950733062144 |
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| author | Adrienne Kovasi Bruce McCune Sarah Jovan |
| author_facet | Adrienne Kovasi Bruce McCune Sarah Jovan |
| author_sort | Adrienne Kovasi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | High elevation and arid wilderness areas generally lack epiphytic lichen species used for air quality biomonitoring. We assessed the potential of saxicolous lichens to serve as bioindicators of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) deposition by examining relationships among deposition, environmental variables, and elemental concentrations in the saxicolous lichens Umbilicaria phaea (n = 51), Rhizoplaca melanophthalma (n = 20), and the epiphytic lichen Letharia vulpina (n = 16) in the southern Sierra Nevada (SN) and San Bernardino Mountains (SBM) of California, USA. Lichen samples were collected between 2013 and 2019 in 31 plots between 180 and 3330 m elevation. These samples were analyzed for concentrations of 23 elements, including N and S. Signal-to-noise ratios were high comparing the variation among plots to within plots and within samples for N and S concentrations of the Umbilicaria phaea samples. While Umbilicaria phaea N and S concentrations were correlated with modeled N and S deposition estimates, Rhizoplaca melanophthalma and Letharia vulpina N and S concentrations were not. Subsequent principal components analysis and cluster analysis of the Umbilicaria phaea dataset revealed differences in elemental profiles between the SN and SBM, with the SBM samples having higher concentrations of most elements, including heavy metals. Additionally, the first two principal components explained most of the variation (61 %) in elemental content and had strong relationships to latitude, longitude, N and S deposition, and precipitation. We conclude that the elemental profile of Umbilicaria could be used to assess N and S deposition for areas in the western USA that lack suitable epiphytic lichen species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:16:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e03310421bb481cb15043aae3eec89b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:16:45Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e03310421bb481cb15043aae3eec89b2022-12-22T04:07:25ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2022-11-01144109541The potential use of elemental content of saxicolous lichens as bioindicators of nitrogen deposition in the central and southern California mountainsAdrienne Kovasi0Bruce McCune1Sarah Jovan2Oregon State University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; Corresponding author.Oregon State University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, 2082 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USAUSDA Forest Service, PNW Research Station, 620 SW Main, Suite 502, Portland, OR 97205, USAHigh elevation and arid wilderness areas generally lack epiphytic lichen species used for air quality biomonitoring. We assessed the potential of saxicolous lichens to serve as bioindicators of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) deposition by examining relationships among deposition, environmental variables, and elemental concentrations in the saxicolous lichens Umbilicaria phaea (n = 51), Rhizoplaca melanophthalma (n = 20), and the epiphytic lichen Letharia vulpina (n = 16) in the southern Sierra Nevada (SN) and San Bernardino Mountains (SBM) of California, USA. Lichen samples were collected between 2013 and 2019 in 31 plots between 180 and 3330 m elevation. These samples were analyzed for concentrations of 23 elements, including N and S. Signal-to-noise ratios were high comparing the variation among plots to within plots and within samples for N and S concentrations of the Umbilicaria phaea samples. While Umbilicaria phaea N and S concentrations were correlated with modeled N and S deposition estimates, Rhizoplaca melanophthalma and Letharia vulpina N and S concentrations were not. Subsequent principal components analysis and cluster analysis of the Umbilicaria phaea dataset revealed differences in elemental profiles between the SN and SBM, with the SBM samples having higher concentrations of most elements, including heavy metals. Additionally, the first two principal components explained most of the variation (61 %) in elemental content and had strong relationships to latitude, longitude, N and S deposition, and precipitation. We conclude that the elemental profile of Umbilicaria could be used to assess N and S deposition for areas in the western USA that lack suitable epiphytic lichen species.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X22010147Federal class 1 areasNitrogen depositionSan Bernardino mountainsSaxicolous lichensSierra Nevada mountainsSulfur deposition |
| spellingShingle | Adrienne Kovasi Bruce McCune Sarah Jovan The potential use of elemental content of saxicolous lichens as bioindicators of nitrogen deposition in the central and southern California mountains Ecological Indicators Federal class 1 areas Nitrogen deposition San Bernardino mountains Saxicolous lichens Sierra Nevada mountains Sulfur deposition |
| title | The potential use of elemental content of saxicolous lichens as bioindicators of nitrogen deposition in the central and southern California mountains |
| title_full | The potential use of elemental content of saxicolous lichens as bioindicators of nitrogen deposition in the central and southern California mountains |
| title_fullStr | The potential use of elemental content of saxicolous lichens as bioindicators of nitrogen deposition in the central and southern California mountains |
| title_full_unstemmed | The potential use of elemental content of saxicolous lichens as bioindicators of nitrogen deposition in the central and southern California mountains |
| title_short | The potential use of elemental content of saxicolous lichens as bioindicators of nitrogen deposition in the central and southern California mountains |
| title_sort | potential use of elemental content of saxicolous lichens as bioindicators of nitrogen deposition in the central and southern california mountains |
| topic | Federal class 1 areas Nitrogen deposition San Bernardino mountains Saxicolous lichens Sierra Nevada mountains Sulfur deposition |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X22010147 |
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