Does long-term salt stress of environmentally relevant concentrations affect the physiology of inland lichens? – The importance of rainfall to restore thallus vitality

Chowaniec, Karolina; Latkowska, Ewa; Rola, Kaja

doi:10.1016/j.envexpbot.2022.104937

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 62 publications

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“…Therefore, we assume that both the height of the stand and the amount of sunlight reaching the forest floor influence the development of the lichen-rich undergrowth layer. Apart from environmental conditions, lichen photosynthesis is closely related to the photosynthetic abilities of the photobiont, i.e., an autotrophic prokaryotic or eukaryotic alga [10][11][12][13]. On the other hand, in bryophytes, it occurs in the gametophyte, which is the dominant generation, additionally nourishing the sporophyte [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impacts of Sunlight on the Lichen Scots Pine Forest Community

Fałowska,

Dziurowicz,

Waszkiewicz

et al. 2024

Forests

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The habitat of the lichen Scots pine forest is currently one of the communities that requires attention and active protection due to its rapid disappearance. In our study, we identified factors that can be modified to preserve this habitat. The primary focus of our research was on the significance of tree height and sunlight in fostering the development of a lichen-rich layer within the lichen Scots pine forest. Additionally, we investigated the environmental factors influencing the presence of specific species of lichens and bryophytes, including those that form communities and those that displace species characteristic of the lichen Scots pine forest community. Our study was conducted in Bory Tucholskie National Park (N-W Poland) using 20 experimental sites and 248 point-frame plots from spring 2021 to winter 2022. Fieldwork involved species surveys, measurements of photosynthetic activity in lichens and bryophytes, and collection of environmental data. Through parametric testing, modeling, and mapping, our main findings confirmed that light availability, influenced by tree height, is a critical factor in maintaining a well-preserved lichen-rich layer and facilitating habitat reintroduction.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impacts of Sunlight on the Lichen Scots Pine Forest Community

Fałowska,

Dziurowicz,

Waszkiewicz

et al. 2024

Forests

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Combined effect of acute salt and nitrogen stress on the physiology of lichen symbiotic partners

Chowaniec

Żukowska-Trebunia

Rola

2022

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Nitrogen pollution and excessive salinity are commonly regarded as one of the major environmental concerns in recent decades in many urban environments. Although in urban areas lichens are exposed to both salt and nitrogen stress, no studies have been conducted to date on the simultaneous impact and interaction of these factors on lichen physiology. The aim was to determine the effect of various combinations of NaCl and NH4NO3 doses on the physiology of epigeic lichen Cladonia rei. We also aimed to compare the response of lichens collected from polluted and unpolluted sites to verify whether lichens exposed to different levels of environmental stress in their native environment will react differently. The combined salt-nitrogen treatment caused significant disturbances in the integrity of cell membranes and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. The most detrimental effect concerned the loss of cell membrane integrity, which suggests that this parameter can serve as a relevant indicator of acute salt-nitrogen stress incidents. Salt stress decreased the photosynthetic efficiency 1 h after exposure, but after 72 h, the FV/FM returned to the level characteristic of healthy lichens in experimental groups without and with small doses of ammonium nitrate. In contrast, recovery was not possible in combination with high nitrogen doses. This indicates that exposure to short-term salt stress in a nitrogen-poor environment only causes a temporary reduction in photosynthetic efficiency, but in urban eutrophic environments may have more serious consequences. The weakened physiological condition of the mycobiont manifested by an increased level of cell membrane damage and a persistent decrease in the photosynthetic efficiency of the photobiont in lichens growing along the roads may indicate an excess of nitrogen in the environment, enhanced by the effect of salt. Lichens collected from a heavy-metal-polluted habitat responded more strongly than those from an unpolluted habitat suggesting that in lichens previously affected by certain harmful factors, exposure to another stress factor may lead to greater disturbances. This is of particular importance for lichens inhabiting the vicinity of roads, since they are also under the influence of other pollutants emitted by road traffic.

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