Bioindication and modelling of atmospheric deposition in forests enable exposure and effect monitoring at high spatial density across scales

Abstract

& Key message Moss surveys provide spatially dense data on environmental concentrations of heavy metals and nitrogen which, together with other biomonitoring and modelling data, can be used for indicating deposition to terrestrial ecosystems and related effects across time and areas of different spatial extension.

Global ambient air quality monitoring: Can mosses help? A systematic meta-analysis of literature about passive moss biomonitoring

“…Moss-based studies have rapidly evolved over the past two decades as complementary means to assess ambient air quality status, and (spatio-temporal) changes therein. It is Schröder et al ( 2017 ) maintained that "moss surveys should 'complement' modelled atmospheric deposition data as well as other biomonitoring approaches and offer a great potential for various terrestrial monitoring program dealing with exposure and effects." In the following sections, we attempt to highlight to the concerned authorities (interested in moss-based biomonitoring) selected applications of mosses in environmental systems’ monitoring and assessment that featured in most recent global literature.…”

“…According to Schröder et al ( 2017 ), "moss surveys provide spatially dense data on environmental concentrations of heavy metals and nitrogen which, together with other biomonitoring and modelling data, can be used for indicating deposition to terrestrial ecosystems and related effects across time and areas of different spatial extension." In view of rising tolls of air quality induced public health damages, such moss-based approaches could potentially help the authorities ‘filling in gaps’ in existing data records, which is essential for conducting process-level research.…”

Modelling spatial patterns of correlations between concentrations of heavy metals in mosses and atmospheric deposition in 2010 across Europe

“…All analyses with HM concentration in moss were based on a reasonably large sample size of at least 3274 (As) out of 3965 (Zn) sample points. The minimum sample sizes for elements and ELCE 40 classes were calculated and presented by Schröder et al [28, 29]. As the number of moss sampling sites was very low (> 10 in the classes D_16, D_21, L_2, M_5, and M_6), the correlations for these classes are not considered reliable and are not described below.…”

“…ELCE 40 and ELCE 200 were calculated and mapped by means of classification and regression trees [27]. To ensure the best possible compliance with minimum sample size specified for each ecoregion [28, 29], ELCE 40 was used, whereby ELCE units occurring sporadically and with a total spatial extent below 4.2% were summarized to one class (“others”).…”