Time- and dose-dependency of the effects of nitrogen pollution on lichens

Abstract

The present work aims at testing if exposure time and dose play a role in the response of lichen species to nitrogen (N) pollution. To this purpose, samples of the N-sensitive Evernia prunastri and the N-tolerant Xanthoria parietina were treated for 5 weeks either with solutions of NH 4NO 3 0.05 and 1 M, or (NH 4) 2SO 4 0.025 and 0.5 M. Photosynthetic efficiency was measured as an indicator of sample vitality. The results showed that the lowest concentrations were ineffective at the beginning, but after several supplies both compounds inhibited photosynthetic activity of E. prunastri. The highest concentrations had a deleterious effect, but with a temporal trend. For X. parietina no effect was found for the lowest concentrations, while the same trend shown by E. prunastri was instead observed following treatments with the highest concentrations. It was concluded that the response of lichens to N supply is not only species-specific, but also time- and dose-dependent. The results give a clue on field studies on the relationships between lichens and N pollution.