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

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · American Journal of Botany; (USA)

OSTI ID:6538820

Ryan, B D; Nash, III, T H ^[1]

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1. Arizona State Univ., Tempe (USA)

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.

• OSTI ID: 6538820
• Journal Information: American Journal of Botany; (USA), Journal Name: American Journal of Botany; (USA); ISSN 0002-9122
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
LICHENS
SENSITIVITY
CALIFORNIA
ROCKS
SOILS
TREES
ALGAE
EUMYCOTA
FEDERAL REGION IX
FUNGI
NORTH AMERICA
PLANTS
POLLUTION
USA
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology