epiphytic lichens as indicators of anthropogenic impact and ......fig. 7c. mean stratum lichen cover...

EPIPHYTIC LICHENS AS ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS: Epiphytic lichens as indicators of

anthropogenic impact and biodiversity in

Slovenian forests

Batič, F. (1), Kastelec, D.(1), Mavsar, R. (2), Mayrhofer, H. (3) & Mrak, T. (4)

(1) University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Departmentof Agronomy, Jamnikarjeva 101 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (2)

Slovenian Forestry Institute, Vecna pot 2, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (3) Karl-Franzens Universität Graz, Institute for PlantSciences, Holteigasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria; (4) Institute Jozef

Stefan, Jamova 39 , 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

INTRODUCTION• Slovenia is a country of great biodiversity due to its geographical

position and not very intensive land use in the near past• Climate: continental climate in the NE, severe alpine climate in the NW

mountain regions and sub-mediterranean climate in the coastal region. There is interaction between these three climate systems in the central region of Slovenia

Fig. 1: Mean yearly precipitation map of Slovenia for the period 1961-1990.

Fig. 2: Landuse map of SlovenijaForest ecosystems cover more than half of the territory and close to nature forestry has been the main management practice for more than fifty years and is regulated by the forestry law.

• Anthropogenic impacts on forests• Epiphytic lichens as bioindicators of air pollution since the

beginning of forests decline studies which started in 1980's (ICP-Forest CLRTAP; Forest Focus).

• Lichen as indicators of biodiversity and continuity ofecosystems.

Types of bioindicators

Fig. 3: Forest condition monitoring grid on digital elevationmodel of Slovenia; resolution 4 x 4 km

Observed data

• Forest condition inventories in 1991, 1995 and 2000 at about650 plots.

• On each plot 6 trees were selected, so that they were most suitable for epiphytic lichen assessment.

• On each tree lichen cover of all three main thallus types wasassessed at each of three height stratum in a simple scale :

0 - no lichen cover;

1 - 1- 10 % lichen cover, 5 % as representative value;

2 - 11 - 50 % lichen cover, 30 % as representative value;

3 - 51 - 100 % lichen cover, 75 % as representative value.

Lichen Surveying SI Method

Cover

3 ÷ 51-100%

2 ÷ 11-50%

1 ÷ 1-10%

0 - 0,5 m

0,5 - 2,5 m

> 2,5 mObservationheightstratums

Analysed data

For each plot and for each lichen type (fruticose, foliose andcrustose) we calculated:

• mean stratum lichen cover for each of three height stratums as weighted average of 6 observed values

• mean lichen cover as weighted average of observed cover on all 3 height stratums on 6 trees.

For each plot and all lichen types we calculated:

• Overall mean lichen cover as sum of mean lichen cover foreach lichen type. Its values are in span from 0 to 225, devidedinto six classes: 0 – 0 %; 1 – 1 - 10 %, 2 – 11 - 50 %, 3 - 51-100%, 4 – 101-150 %, 5 – 151-200 %, 6 – above 200 %.

If there are more than 3 trees of the same species on the plot, wecalculated also mean species lichen cover for two species groups(***)

RESULTS

METHOD 1: Mapping of epiphytic lichen thalli cover• Data from the forests condition inventories showed that epiphytic

lichen cover is connected with anthropogenic impacts, first of all withair pollution and also with forests management.

• Lichen cover is smaller in polluted areas and better preserved in remote forest regions. Both local air pollution sources andtransboundary air pollution have effect on it.

Fig. 4. Overall mean lichen cover on the basis of forest inventory datafrom 2000.

Observed values

Interpolated values

Fig. 5 Mean lichen cover in forestinventory in 2000.

0

9

18

27

36

45

54

IAP values in 2000 - absolute values calculated for whole trees, for beech

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

IAP values in 2000 - absolute values calculated for tree trunk base and butroot, for beech

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

IAP values in 2000 - absolute values calculated for tree trunks at breast height, for beech

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

IAP values in 2000 - absolute values calculated for tree crowns, for beech

IAP values in 2000 - absolute values calculated for whole trees, for Norway spruce

0

9

18

27

36

45

54

IAP values in 2000 - absolute values calculated for tree trunk base and butroot, for Norway spruce

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

IAP values in 2000 - absolute values calculated for tree trunks at breast height, for Norway spruce

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

IAP values in 2000 - absolute values calculated for tree crowns, for Norway spruce

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

-54

-36

-18

0

18

36

54

Differences in IAP values between 1995 and 2000, for whole trees, regardless a tree species

-18

-12

-6

0

6

12

18

Differences in IAP values between 1995 and 2000, for tree trunk base and butroot, regardless a tree species

-18

-12

-6

0

6

12

18

Differences in IAP values between 1995 and 2000, for tree trunks at breast height, regardless a tree species

-18

-12

-6

0

6

12

18

Differences in IAP values between 1995 and 2000, for tree crowns, regardless a tree species

• More sensitive fruticose lichens are extinct from polluted areas, andeven foliose lichens are absent from very polluted sites, mostlyaround major local point pollution sources (thermal power plants, industry, agricultural impact). The most resistant crustose species are extinct from very few plots, and very probably today alreadyrecovered.

Fig. 6 Mean lichen cover for lichen cover for Norway spruce (Piceaabies (L.) Karst.) and common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) fromforest inventory carried out in 2000.

• The effect of tree crown and bark characteristics of both tree speciesaccording to air pollution impact on lichen is clearly seen

Fig. 7a. Mean stratum lichen cover at different height stratums, forNorway spruce and observationin inventory 2000.

The effect of three crown and snow coveron lichens is obvious.

CRUSTOSE LICHENS

Fig. 7b. Mean stratum lichen cover atdifferent height stratums, forNorway spruce and observationin inventory 2000.


FOLIOSE LICHENS

Fig. 7c. Mean stratum lichen cover atdifferent height stratums, forNorway spruce and observationin inventory 2000.


FRUTICOSE LICHENS

FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION OF THE IAP IN THE PERIOD 1991 - 2000

0,0%

5,0%

10,0%

15,0%

20,0%

25,0%

30,0%

35,0%

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55

IAP

1991; N=3431995; N=6202000; N=649

Fig. 8a. The structure of mean lichencover on Norway spruce forthree different inventories(1991, 1995, 2000).

CRUSTOSE LICHENS

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1991 1995 2000

Year of inventory

% o

f plo

ts

FOLIOSE LICHENS

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1991 1995 2000

Year of inventory

% o

f plo

ts

FRUTICOSE LICHENS

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1991 1995 2000

Year of inventory

% o

f plo

ts above 50 %11 - 50 %1 % - 10 %0 %

Fig. 8b. The distribution of plotsaccording to mean lichen coverin two inventories (1991 and2000) for the Norway spruce.

Mean lichen cover in the year 2000

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 % 1 % - 10 % 11 - 50 % above 50 %


Num

ber o

f plo

ts

0 %1 % - 10 %11 - 50 %above 50 %

CRUSTOSE LICHENS


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 % 1 % - 10 % 11 - 50 % above 50 %


Num

ber o

f plo

ts

0 %1 % - 10 %11 - 50 %above 50 %

FOLIOSE LICHENS


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 % 1 % - 10 % 11 - 50 % above 50 %


Num

ber o

f plo

ts

0 %1 % - 10 %11 - 50 %above 50 %

FRUTICOSE LICHENS

• Inspite of strong reduction of sulphur dioxide air pollution in Slovenia after desulphurisation of biggest thermal power plantafter 1994 the improvement of lichen vegetation in forests is stillvery poor. The reasons might be only local improvement not yetexpressed in forests, slow reaction of lichens, other local airpollutants, transboundary air pollution sources and very simplemethod (thalli types!)

• The cover of epiphytic lichens has not changed significantly in thisperiod although emissions of sulphur dioxide from thermal powerplants and from other energy production sources have been stronglyreduced. Fruticose lichens were absent in polluted areas where also thecover of foliose species is reduced. This trend is slightly more expressed in observations on common beech than on Norway sprucedue to specific bark and crown characteristics of this species.

SPECIES MAPPING

• Mapping of epiphytic lichens is one of the oldestbioindication method for sreening air pollution arounddifferent pollution sources (cities, industrial plants, thermalpower plants, or smelters, etc)

• The method demands skilled lichenologist and “tunning”of mapping results by measurements of air pollutants

• This method has been most often used for screning sulphurdioxide air pollution (Canada, Europe (England, Switzerland, Estonia, Germany, Italy, France))

• IAP concept: based on occurence and species composition

Relationship between number of epifiphytic lichens species and their phophytes in mapping at the profiole laid over very pollutedValley in central Slovenia (from Vider-Gorjup 1989).

PohorjePohorje

ZasavjeZasavje

JulianJulian AlpsAlps

SneSnežžniknik

The detail analysis of lichen species was made for three most preserved (unpolluted) mountainous forest ecosystems:

• parts of Julian Alps, no. of plots 116

• Pohorje, no. of plots 98

• Snežnik, no. of plots 132

and one most endangered (polluted) forest ecosystem:

• Zasavje hills in midlands of Slovenia, no. of plots 177

Data were carried out in several research projects in cooperation betweenUniversity of Ljubljana & Slovenian Forestry Institute and Karl-Franzens Universitaet Graz, Austria in the period 1990-2002. All lichen data have been gathered in the database of lichens and fungi of Slovenia at Slovenian Forestry Institute where herbarium samples are held in lichen herbarium as a part of herbarium of University of Ljubljana (LJU).

Biodiversity, forest management & air pollution

• Julian Alps; partly changed forest tree species due to industry, pasture menagement; effect of air pollution in theSava valley and transboubdary transport

• Snežnik-part of Dinarids; relatively unchanged forests; effects of transboundary air pollution

• Pohorje:complete transformation of broadleaved forests to Norway spruce monocultures; effect of local and remoteair pollution

• Zasavje: strong effects of local air pollution; forestchanged by small-scale agriculture (fragmentation)

METHOD 2: Epiphytic lichen species mapping

• Results of the second method (Fig. 9), mapping of species occurringon the five most spread forests tree species (Norway spruce, silver fir, common beech, sycamore, common ash) were similar to the results ofthe former method, e.g. increasing number of epiphytic lichen speciesin areas where cover is abundant.

• The highest biodiversity was found in the area of Triglav NationalPark within Julian Alps (253 species/area, 218 species/100 plots), followed by Snežnik area in Dinaric mountains (229 species/area, 173/100 plots), Pohorje mountains (142 species/area, 145/100 plots) and the lowest number in the polluted Zasavje district (94 species/area, 73/100 plots).

Fig. 9: Number of lichen species per plot per area

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90Number of species/plot

Julian Alps

Snežnik

Pohorje

ZasavjeA

rea

1-30

0

301-

600

601-

900

901-

1200

1201

-150

0

1501

-180

0

Altitude (m)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Num

ber o

f plo

ts Julian Alps Snežnik Pohorje Zasavje

1-30

0

301-

600

601-

900

901-

1200

1201

-150

0

1501

-180

0

Fig. 10: Number of investigated plots in relation to altitude

1-30

0

301-

600

601-

900

901-

1200

1201

-150

0

1501

-180

0

Altitude (m)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

/plo

t

Median 25%-75%

1-30

0

301-

600

601-

900

901-

1200

1201

-150

0

1501

-180

0

Fig. 11: Distribution of number of lichen species per plot in relation to altitude for Julian Alps

1-30

0

301-

600

601-

900

901-

1200

1201

-150

0

1501

-180

0

Altitude (m)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

/plo

t

Median 25%-75%

1-30

0

301-

600

601-

900

901-

1200

1201

-150

0

1501

-180

0

Fig. 12: Distribution of number of lichen species per plot in relation to altitude for Snežnik

1-30

0

301-

600

601-

900

901-

1200

1201

-150

0

1501

-180

0

Altitude (m)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

/plo

t

Median 25%-75%

1-30

0

301-

600

601-

900

901-

1200

1201

-150

0

1501

-180

0

Fig. 13: Distribution of number of lichen species per plot in relation to altitude for Pohorje

1-30

0

301-

600

601-

900

901-

1200

1201

-150

0

1501

-180

0

Altitude (m)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Num

ber o

f spe

cies

/plo

t

Median 25%-75%

1-30

0

301-

600

601-

900

901-

1200

1201

-150

0

1501

-180

0

Fig. 14: Distribution of number of lichen species per plot in relation to altitude for Zasavje

Fig. 15a: Occurence of epiphytic lichens on Acer pseudoplatanus

0 10 20 30 40 50 60Number of species/plot/tree

species

Julian Alps

Snežnik

Pohorje

Zasavje

Are

a


species

Julian Alps

Snežnik

Pohorje

ZasavjeA

rea

Fig. 15b: Occurence of epiphytic lichens on Fagus sylvatica


species

Julian Alps

Snežnik

Pohorje

ZasavjeA

rea

Fig. 15c: Occurence of epiphytic lichens on Picea abies


species

Julian Alps

Snežnik

Pohorje

ZasavjeA

rea

Fig. 15d: Occurence of epiphytic lichens on Abies alba


species

Julian Alps

Snežnik

Pohorje

ZasavjeA

rea

Fig. 15e: Occurence of epiphytic lichens on Fraxinus excelsior


species

Julian Alps

Snežnik

Pohorje

ZasavjeA

rea

• Comparison of epiphytic lichen distribution in four differently pollutedareas and also with different natural circumstances and forestmanagement in past showed that lichen flora is richer in unpollutedareas (Julian Alps, Snežnik), and also in areas where continuity offorests was not severely interrupted in the past. Zasavje region is themost influenced by air pollution.

• Implementation of IUCN criteria in analysis of lichen flora of all fourresearched areas shows that areas with higher number of species(Julian Alps, Snežnik, partly Pohorje) support also more speciesranked as RE (regionally extinct), CR (from extinction endageredspecies), EN (endangered species); VU (vulnerable species). Rankingof taxa was folowed Swiss lichen red list (Scheidegger et al., 2002).

• There are some species present which are not mentioned in Swiss red list, eg. Degelia plumbea in Snežnik area, which could also beranked under IUCN categories.

RE CR EN VU

JulianAlps

0 3 21 27

Snežnik 1 3 20 20

Pohorje 0 0 11 21

Zasavje 0 1 5 3

Tab. 1: Number of under IUCN criteria ranked epiphyticlichens species, found at four investigated areas on five most common tree species.

Julian Alps Snežnik Pohorje Zasavje

RE Pertusaria trachythallina

CR Cetrelia chicitaeCollema furfuraceumRinodina sheardii

Bacidia biatorinaCollema furfuraceumCollema ocultatum

Parmotrema reticulatum

Tab. 2: Species composition according to IUCN criteria in all four investigatedareas: RE - regionally extinct; CR - critically endagered; EN - endangered; VU-vulnerable species


EN Arthonia dispersaArthonia vinosaBacidia laurocerasiBiatora ocelliformisBryoria nadvornikianaCandelariella subdeflexaCetraria sepincolaCetrelia olivetorumDimerella luteaGyalecta flotowiiLobaria amplissimaMelanelia laciniatulaOchrolechia pallescensPannaria conopleaPertusaria flavidaPertusaria hemisphaericaPertusaria multipunctaPertusaria pertusaRamalina roesleriRinodina colobinaUsnea florida

Arthonia vinosaBacidia circumspectaBiatora ocelliformisBryoria nadvornikianaCaloplaca flavorubescensCetrelia olivetorumCollema subflaccidumDimerella luteaLobaria amplissimaLobaria scrobiculataMelanelia laciniatulaNephroma laevigatumOchrolechia subviridisPannaria conopleaPertusaria flavidaPertusaria haemisphaericaPertusaria pertusaRamalina roesleriRinodina colobinaUsnea florida

Allocetraria oakesianaBacidia laurocerasiBryoria nadvornikianaCetrelia olivetorumNephroma laevigatumOchrolechia pallescensPertusaria haemisphaericaPertusaria multipunctaPertusaria pertusaRamalina roesleriUsnea florida

Cetrelia olivetorumChaenotheca laevigataPertusaria flavidaPertusaria haemisphaericaPertusaria pertusa


VU Anaptychia ciliarisBacidia incomptaBuellia erubescensCollema nigrescensFuscidea arboricolaGyalecta truncigenaLecidella laureriLobaria pulmonariaMenegazzia terebrataMicarea adnataMycoblastus affinisNephroma resupinatumOchrolechia szatalaensisParmotrema arnoldiiParmotrema chinenseParmotrema crinitumPertusaria alpinaPertusaria coccodesPertusaria coronataPertusaria ophthalmizaRamalina fastigiataSphaerophorus globosusThelotrema lepadinumTuckneraria laureriUsnea ceratinaUsnea glabrescensUsnea rigida

Anaptychia ciliarisArthonia leucopellaeaCaloplaca obscurellaCollema nigrescensGyalecta truncigenaLobaria pulmonariaMegalaria pulvereaMenegazzia terebrataMycobilimbia carneoalbidaMycoblastus affinisOchrolechia szatalaensisParmotrema chinensePertusaria coccodesPertusaria coronataRamalina fastigiataSphaerophorus globosusThelotrema lepadinumTrapelia corticolaUsnea glabrescensUsnea rigida

Anaptychia ciliarisArthonia leucopellaeaBuellia erubescensGyalecta truncigenaHypocenomyce praestabilisLecanactis abietinaLobaria pulmonariaLoxospora cismonicaMegalaria pulvereaMenegazzia terebrataOchrolechia szatalaensisPertusaria coccodesPertusaria coronataPertusaria ophthalmizaRamalina fastigiataSphaerophorus globosusSticta sylvaticaThelotrema lepadinumTuckneraria laureriUsnea fulvoreagensUsnea rigida

Anaptychia ciliarisPertusaria coccodesRamalina fastigiata

• 335 species present altogether (considering only five main treespecies), 45 of them occur in all four investigated areas (Tab. 4)

• In polluted Zasavje region the most common species are Scoliciosporum chlorococcum (86 plots; relative frequency 0,49) andLecanora conizaeoides (60; 0,34) – Tab.5.

• In Snežnik area Lobaria pulmobaria is rather common (46; 0,35) andseveral to pollution more sensitive foliose and crustose lichens are found as well.

Julian Alps Snežnik Pohorje ZasavjeS. chlorococcum 0,07 0,20 0,01 0,49L. pulmonaria 0,07 0,35 0,06 0,00

Tab. 3: Relative frequencies of two indicative lichen species for investigatedareas

Tab. 4: Lichen species occuring in all four investigated areas

Lichen species that occur Number of plots present Lichen species that occur Number of plots present in all 4 investigated areas (of total 523) in all 4 investigated areas (of total 523)Melanelia fuliginosa ssp.glabratula 134 Candelariella reflexa 37Parmelia saxatilis 125 Buellia griseovirens 36Phlyctis argena 123 Hypogymnia tubulosa 36Scoliciosporum chlorococcum 122 Cladonia coniocraea 35Hypogymnia physodes 112 Evernia prunastri 35Pertusaria albescens 108 Parmeliopsis hyperopta 32Parmelia sulcata 95 Pertusaria leioplaca 32Pertusaria amara 95 Arthonia radiata 30Lecanora argentata 84 Pyrenula nitida 29Platismatia glauca 83 Lecanora subrugosa 27Lecidella elaeochroma 80 Cladonia pyxidata 25Pseudevernia furfuracea 80 Loxospora elatina 24Parmeliopsis ambigua 76 Mycoblastus fucatus 23Graphis scripta 72 Cladonia digitata 18Pertusaria pertusa 72 Cetrelia olivetorum 16Lecanora pulicaris 69 Xanthoria parietina 13Ochrolechia androgyna 52 Opegrapha varia 12Pertusaria haemisphaerica 48 Pseudosagedia aenea 12Parmelina pastillifera 46 Ochrolechia turneri 11Lepraria lobificans 43 Anaptychia ciliaris 10Pertusaria coccodes 42Parmelia submontana 40Vulpicida pinastri 40Lepraria incana 39Ramalina fastigiata 38

Julian Alps PohorjeSpecies F Relative frequency Species F Relative frequencyLecidella elaeochroma 36 0,31 Lecanora argentata 12 0,12Melanelia fuliginosa ssp. glabratula 35 0,30 Lecanora albella 10 0,10Phlyctis argena 33 0,28 Mycoblastus sanguinarius 9 0,09Platismatia glauca 31 0,27 Bryoria fuscescens 9 0,09Pertusaria albescens 31 0,27 Lecanora subrugosa 9 0,09Parmelia saxatilis 29 0,25 Parmelia saxatilis 9 0,09Pertusaria amara 29 0,25 Loxospora elatina 8 0,09Parmelia sulcata 27 0,23 Parmeliopsis ambigua 8 0,08Lecanora pulicaris 27 0,23 Ramalina farinacea 7 0,08Parmeliopsis ambigua 27 0,23 Pertusaria coronata 7 0,07

Pertusaria albescens 7 0,07Evernia divaricata 7 0,07Lecanora carpinea 7 0,07Thelotrema lepadinum 7 0,07Tuckermannopsis chlorophylla 7 0,07Cetrelia olivetorum 7 0,07Pertusaria coccodes 7 0,07Ochrolechia androgyna 7 0,07Fuscidea cyathoides 7 0,07Chaenotheca chrysocephala 7 0,07

Snežnik ZasavjeSpecies F Relative frequency Species F Relative frequencyPhlyctis argena 69 0,52 Scoliciosporum chlorococcum 86 0,49Parmelia saxatilis 66 0,50 Lecanora conizaeoides 60 0,34Melanelia fuliginosa ssp. glabratula 65 0,49 Lepraria incana 31 0,18Pertusaria amara 57 0,43 Melanelia fuliginosa ssp. glabratula 29 0,16Pertusaria albescens 57 0,43 Hypogymnia physodes 29 0,16Pertusaria pertusa 56 0,42 Parmelia sulcata 26 0,15Hypogymnia physodes 53 0,40 Parmelia saxatilis 21 0,12Lecanora argentata 51 0,39 Phlyctis argena 18 0,10Lobaria pulmonaria 46 0,35 lepraria eburnea 18 0,10Platismatia glauca 42 0,32 Leproloma vouauxii 17 0,10

Lepraria lobificans 17 0,10Lecanora pulicaris 17 0,10

Tab. 5: The most common lichen species for investigated areas (for each plot presence/absence of lichen species was recorded)

CONCLUSIONS

• In conclusion we can state that epiphytic lichensare very good indicators of environmentalpollution as also of continuity of ecosystems andlanduse change.

• Our data do not allow yet to construct theSlovenian red lichen list. In comparison withresults from other countries (Austria, Switzerland, Italy,..), we can see that using IUCN criteria thesame species composition appear and that we are in good way to get it.

New, statisticaly supported mappingmethod

• Methods, based on IAP (Index ofAtmospheric Purity:DeSloover 1964, LeBlanc and DeSloover 1970, Trass1971, Liebendörfer et al. 1988, Herzig et al. 1989, Nimis et al. 1991

• VDI method (VDI 1995)• European Gidelines (Asta et al 2000)

Lichen Surveying Grids

Mapping of epiphytic lichens in high-stem ochards

• High stem ochards (pears, apples, plums) represent very special habitat

• In clean air and “traditional” agriculturethey support very rich epiphytic lichenflora, which is in most countries in decline

• They are good sites for assessment airquality in rural areas

SI VDIavg. EULDVi Alt. [m]

Precipitation[mm]

T [°C] Plot fruit

trees broad leaves

fruit trees

broad leaves

fruit trees

broad leaves 1981/99

AVG 1981/99

AVG BOVEC 28,5 41,6 84,5 460 2582 9,4 DOBOVEC 25,4 33,2 58,6 640 1276 9,4 GRAHOVO PRI CERKNICI 31,0 26,8 34,6 36,0 62,8 58,0 572 1398 7,1 KOVK 21,2 24,6 20,6 21,2 30,5 41,6 613 1276 9,4 KRŠKO (RAVNI – LESKOVC) 24,0 29,5 62,8 188 1227 10,1 LJUBLJANA - BF 35,2 42,5 22,2 300 1352 10,0 LJUBLJANA - ŠENTVID 25,0 24,6 49,3 300 1346 10,0 LOG POD MANGARTOM 93,3 65,2 101,0 650 2299 9,4 PODTABOR - STRUGE 19,1 31,2 30,2 39,7 49,0 73,2 420 1398 7,1 PREŽA 44,6 46,4 49,4 53,2 88,0 108,4 630 1497 8,2 ŠTANJEL NA KRASU 24,0 26,8 53,8 310 1407 11,8 ZAPOTOK 31,2 35,7 49,2 58,3 87,8 101,2 620 1398 7,1 ZAVODNJE 10,1 29,8 13,9 637 1483 8,8 Time [min] per tree 5-10 35-45 45

Comparison of three mappingmethods

• Data obtained by the mapping using three different methods are expectable and in consistence with air quality data where available. The simplest method has the lowest resolution power in discerning differently polluted areas. Nevertheless the highest values of IAP were determined in areas with clean air (Log pod Mangartom, Preža, Struge) and the smallest values in polluted areas (Zavodnje, Kovk, Krško) Site Ljubljana (broadleaves) exhibits higher value due to mapping on Acer pseudoplatanus with better buffering capacity of the bark).

• The VDI and EU method have bigger resolution. Absolute values of »IAP«(LGW and LDV) are almost twice of SI value, specialy in using of EU method. The difference is even bigger in areas with cleaner air. The time spent to assess one tree is also three to five times bigger, indicating also the economic dimension of the procedure. When comparing overall agreement of the data we can conclude that they match rather well, and that all the methods could be used for assessing air quality by epiphytic lichens depending on aims, qualification of staff and available founds.

Lichens as accumulators of airpollutants

• Accumulation of heavy metals andradionuclides

• Passive bioindication /sampling of in nature present lichens)

• Transplant techniques: transplantation ofepiphytic or terricolous lichens (branchtechnique)

epiphytic lichens as indicators of anthropogenic impact and ......fig. 7c. mean stratum lichen cover...

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