Abstract Detail

Bryology and Lichenology

Will-Wolf, Susan [1], Jovan, Sarah [2].

Lichen species as element bioindicators of air pollution for southeastern United States.

Lichen element indicators for local air pollution load (a widely-used technique) are recommended for several large regions of southeastern United States of America (SE USA). The few previous SE USA studies are mostly for small areas. Final recommendations integrated advice of regional lichenologists, information from floras covering the region, and species abundance from the USA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis Program (FIA) lichen database for five of the 14 SE USA states. Recommended species were widespread and common in their region, relatively easy to distinguish in the field after training, and relatively easy to collect. Correlations and regression models of species abundance in FIA plots from Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia vs. climate, air pollution (both from a regional lichen response model), and nearby land cover (from the National Land Cover Database) identified environmental limitations of species. Punctelia rudecta (Ach.) Krog and less common Flavoparmelia caperata (L.) Hale (strong history of use) were recommended for cooler forested uplands of most regions, with three Physcia species combined or Punctelia missouriensis G. Wilh & Ladd to cover more isolated woodlands and more polluted areas. Parmotrema hypotropum (Nyl.) Hale (weak environmental limitation) or Parmotrema perforatum (Jacq.) A. Massal. (limited in more polluted areas) were recommended for warmer coastal plains in multiple regions. Canoparmelia caroliniana (Nyl.) Elix & Hale (not environmentally limited; more difficult to distinguish) and Usnea strigosa (Ach.) Eaton (limited in more polluted areas) were recommended only for four of the states with FIA data (not Virginia). Each species must be quantitatively evaluated in each region, to demonstrate indication reliability in practice and to calculate element data conversions between species for region-wide bioindication.

1 - University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Department Of Botany, 430 Lincoln Drive, Birge Hall, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
2 - USDA Forest Service, Portland Forestry Sciences Lab, 620 SW Main, Suite 400, Portland, OR, 97205, USA

Keywords:
air pollution
element bioindication
Lichens
southeastern USA.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: LICH1, Lichenology
Location: San Pedro 2/Starr Pass
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2019
Time: 4:15 PM
Number: LICH1011
Abstract ID:513
Candidate for Awards:None