Lichens as an indicator of air pollution

Book · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1968

OSTI ID:5300790

Smith, C W

In Hawaii, a lichen-pollution study was undertaken in three principle areas: Downtown Honolulu, Waikiki, and Diamond Head. In a city the population density of lichens is controlled by three factors of the environment; relative humidity and temperature; the removal of the indigenous population during construction; and air pollutants. The Diamond Head area and Waikiki differ only in the density of traffic and the length of time the trees have been growing in each area. In Diamond Head the lichen cover is high, whereas in the Waikiki area it is low or zero. This difference can be correlated with the difference in traffic density. The Waikiki and Downtown Honolulu areas are similar to each other in almost every respect. The local conditions of frequent watering leach out any accumulation of pollutants by the lichens, insuring maximum growth.

• Research Organization: Hawaii Univ., Honolulu (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5300790
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560303* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
ALGAE
AUTOMOBILES
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DATA
EXHAUST GASES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION IX
FLUIDS
FUNGI
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
GROWTH
HAWAII
HUMIDITY
INFORMATION
LICHENS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
POLLUTION
POPULATION DENSITY
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TOXICITY
USA
VEHICLES
WASTES