Air Pollution Affects Pattern of Photosynthesis in Parmelia sulcata , a Corticolous Lichen

Abstract

Lichen disks kept in flasks contaminated with sulfur dioxide showed morphologic and photosynthetic abnormalities similar to those of lichens from an industrial center in Sweden, but lichens dried out for 4(1/2) to 6 months in the laboratory showed neither. Thus some kinds of lichens may be absent from city environments because of atmospheric pollutants which destroy chlorophyll.

Lichens and Air Pollution. A Study of Cryptogamic Epiphytes and Environment in the Stockholm Region

“…A fairly large number of brown algal cells occurred in the latter. These observations led to the Warburg experiments which were reported in Pearson andSkye (1965, p. 1601).…”

“…The supposition made by Pearson and Skye (1965) after having carried out their Warburg experiment , that "Thus some kinds of lichens may be absent from city environments because of atmospheric pol lutants which destroy chlorophyll" thus proves to be a well-founded possibility and applies also to epi phytic mosses.…”

“…Saunders (1966) tudies Diplocarpon rosae Wolf., a fungus causing blackspot on roses, and finds (p. 113) that "The field survey revealed an inverse relationship be tween atmospheric so2 and infection that is also characteristic of the distribution of some lichens around sources of pollution (Gilbert 1965, Skye 1965. Such lichens have been used as indicators of atmospheric pollution (Skye 1965). It may be possible to use D. rosae in a similar manner, and the pos sibilities of control of blackspot by this toxicant may well be worth tudying.…”

“…Nylander himself declared that the absence of lichens in the outskirts of the Jardins du Luxembourg in Paris was due to air pollution originating in the surrounding buildings. Several scientists have as sociated themselves with this view in a more or less modified form, including Arnold (189 1-1901), Ser nander (1912,1926), Vaarna (1934), H�eg (1934), Vareschi (1936Vareschi ( , 1953, Sauberer (1951), Barbalic (1953), Beschel (1958), Skye (1958Skye ( , 1964Skye ( , 1965, Villwock (1959Villwock ( , 1962, Le Blanc (1961), Pivut (1962), Gilbert (1965), Pearson and Skye (1965), Domros (1966), Rao and Le Blanc (1966) and Laundon ( 1 967).…”

“…Pear on and Skye (1965Skye ( . p. 1601 show that Hypogymnia physodes and X anthoria parietina which have been kept in a thallotron for more than 4 months in relatively dry conditions had a photosynthesis which was equivalent to that of fresh specimens, while specimens which had been kept for the some length of time under moist conditions changed in appearance and consistency and showed a quite different pattern with re pect to photosynthesis.…”