Abstract
Seven lichens (Usnea antarctica and U. aurantiacoatra) and nine moss samples (Sanionia uncinata) collected in King George Island were analyzed using instrumental neutron activation analysis, and concentration of major and trace elements was calculated. For some elements, the concentrations observed in moss samples were higher than corresponding values reported from other sites in the Antarctica, but in the lichens, these were in the same range of concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and statistical analysis showed large influence of volcanic-origin particles. Also, the interplanetary cosmic particles (ICP) were observed in investigated samples, as mosses and lichens are good collectors of ICP and micrometeorites.
Highlights
The Antarctic region is still the least polluted area on our planet
The concentrations of elements in investigated samples were different depending on sampling site and species
Concentrations of elements in moss samples were greater than in lichens. This observation can be explained by fact that S. uncinata can use rhizoids to ensure some part of water supply
Summary
The Antarctic region is still the least polluted area on our planet It is isolated by ocean, cyclonic storm belts, and hard weather conditions (Shaw 1988). Soils on King George Island are mainly derived from volcanic rocks like basalts and andesite basalts, but in few sites sedimentary rocks are present, and the soils formed on these rocks are cryosols, leptosols, regosols, and fluvisols. In this environment, mosses and lichens are two of the most important groups of organisms. Mosses and lichens are protecting initial soils from weather conditions and
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