Moss Analysis Research Articles

Life under the snow: A year-round transcriptome analysis of Antarctic mosses in natural habitats provides insight into the molecular adaptation of plants under extreme environment.

Mosses are vital components of ecosystems, exhibiting remarkable adaptability across diverse habitats from deserts to polar ice caps. Sanionia uncinata (Hedw.) Loeske, a dominant Antarctic moss survives extreme environmental condition through perennial lifecycles involving growth and dormancy alternation. This study explores genetic controls and molecular mechanisms enabling S. uncinata to cope with seasonality of the Antarctic environment. We analysed the seasonal transcriptome dynamics of S. uncinata collected monthly from February 2015 to January 2016 in King George Island, Antarctica. Findings indicate that genes involved in plant growth were predominantly upregulated in Antarctic summer, while those associated with protein synthesis and cell cycle showed marked expression during the winter-to-summer transition. Genes implicated in cellular stress and abscisic acid signalling were highly expressed in winter. Further, validation included a comparison of the Antarctic field transcriptome data with controlled environment simulation of Antarctic summer and winter temperatures, which revealed consistent gene expression patterns in both datasets. This proposes a seasonal gene regulatory model of S. uncinate to understand moss adaptation to extreme environments. Additionally, this data set is a valuable resource for predicting genetic responses to climatic fluctuations, enhancing our knowledge of Antarctic flora's resilience to global climate change.

Analysis of atmospheric deposition in the territory of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania by biomonitoring data

Attention to the tourism potential of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania is increasing with the attendant need to monitor and control atmospheric air pollution.Aim. The assessment of the possibility of using mosses as biomonitors for determining the content of heavy metals and other trace elements in the atmosphere of the territory of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania.Material and Methods. The green mosses Hylocomium splendens and Pleurosium schreberi were used as bioindicators. Multi-element chemical analysis of mosses was carried out using X-ray fluorescence and the morphology and composition of dust fallouts on the moss surfaces was studied using a scanning electron microscope equipped with an X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometer.Results. The maximum concentration of Pb, Zn, Cr, As, Sn, Sb, Ba, Cd, Cu, Ti, Ce, As, Fe, Sr is observed in mosses in areas of the territory with a high aerotechnogenic load. The analysis of biomonitor moss in the area of the Fiagdonna tailing dump indicates that recultivation measures had been effective. Toxic elements fall on moss surface in form of fine particles as large as 1 micron and pose a danger to human health.Conclusions. The abnormally high content of Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Ce, As, Fe, Sr, Ti, Ba in the composition of biomonitor mosses was registered in the zone of influence of mining and processing enterprises (in the area of the Unal tailings dump) and metallurgical industries in Vladikavkaz (JSC Electrozinc and JSC Pobedit. The base source of toxic elements was determined to be fine aerotechnogenic particles that accumulate on the surface of mosses, thus confirming the high efficiency of their use for monitoring. The territory near the village of Dur Dur can be recommended as a background for ecological and geochemical research.

Doğu Karadeniz Bölgesi Sahil Otoyol Çevresindeki Karayosunlarında Trafik Kaynaklı Ağır Metal Analizleri

Bu çalışmanın amacı; Giresun-Samsun otoyol çevresindeki karayosunları kullanılarak Trafik kaynaklı ağır metal kirliliğini belirleyebilmektir. Karayosunları, ağır metalleri biriktirebilme yeteneğinden dolayı, ağır metal hava kirliliğinin belirlenmesinde oldukça uygun biyoindikatörlerdir. Türkiye’nin Doğu Karadeniz bölgesinde yer alan Giresun-Samsun otoyolu çevresindeki karayosunlarının ağır metal analizleri InductivelyCoupledPlasma–MassSpectrometer (ICP-MS) cihazı kullanılarak belirlendi. Karayosunlarının kalitatif analizleri neticesinde Cr, Fe, Mn, V, Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb ve Co olduğu belirlendi. Şehir merkezlerinden toplanan karayosunlarındaki konsantrasyon değerleri sırasıyla 15.12, 6087.31, 301.12, 27.80, 74.20, 38.48, 56.69, 19.40 ve 9.10, mg/kg olarak belirlenirken, şehirler arasından toplanan karayosunlarının ağır metal konsantrasyonları ise 15.56, 4751.23, 247.93, 28.03, 83.71, 33.72, 48.38, 17.20 ve 6,97 kg/kg olarak belirlendi. Genelde karayosunlarında, Krom(Cr), Demir(Fe), Mangan(Mn), Vanadyum(V), Çinko(Zn), Bakır(Cu), Nikel(Ni), Kurşun(Pb) ve Kobalt(Co)’ınkonsantrasyonlarının 2006 ve 2017 yılları arasında azaldığı görüldü. Fakat bu azalmaya rağmen karayosunlarındaki ağır metal konsantrasyonları hala yüksektir.

The complete plastid genome of an Antarctic moss Chorisodontium aciphyllum (Hook. f. & Wilson) Broth (Dicranaceae, Dicranales)

Plastid genomes are useful markers in resolving plant phylogenetic relationships for various taxonomic groups. Here, we sequenced and de novo assembled the complete plastid genome sequence of an Antarctic moss Chorisodontium aciphyllum (Hook. f. & Wilson) Broth using genome skimming data. The newly generated plastid genome is conserved in structure and gene content compared with that of other Bryopsida. Plastid phylogenetic analysis of mosses recovered a robust phylogeny in which Chorisodontium aciphyllum clustered with Fissidens nobilis from the Dicranales. The plastid genome sequence of C. aciphyllum will aid future evolution and diversification studies of land plants.

A global analysis of mosses reveals low phylogenetic endemism and highlights the importance of long‐distance dispersal

AbstractAimDigitization of herbarium specimens and DNA sequencing efforts in the past decade have enabled integrative analyses of patterns of diversity and endemism in a phylogenetic context. Here, we compare the best available floristic databases to a comprehensive specimen database to examine spatial patterns of moss phylogenetic assembly. We test the hypotheses that (1) mosses exhibit phylogenetic regionalization, (2) islands contain significantly high phylogenetic diversity and (3) that moss phylogenetic endemism is low on a global scale.LocationGlobal.TaxonMosses.MethodsWe developed a phylogeny of 3654 moss species using 25 markers and compiled a global specimen database from online repositories. We calculated floristic and phylogenetic measures of diversity and endemism and performed randomizations to test for significant deviations from expectations. We use rarefaction and extrapolation to alleviate substantial differences in sampling effort across the globe. We used both phylogenetic and floristic methods to test for spatial regionalization. We compare our specimen‐based results to those obtained using a floristic dataset.ResultsPhylogenetic diversity is more robust to missing data than species richness. Mean phylogenetic distance was significantly higher than expected in areas with high species richness, indicating that reported richness in these areas is likely a product of repeated colonization. Phylogenetic endemism is low globally. Phylogenetic regionalizations cluster into a Holarctic/Holantarctic temperate region, a pantropical region, and a region composed of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.Main ConclusionsFuture efforts for collecting, sequencing and databasing moss species should focus on the tropics, particularly Africa and Southeast Asia. We provide further evidence to support several important theories developed in moss biogeography, including the role of long‐distance dispersal in shaping floristic patterns, the dominance of anagenesis in driving patterns of island diversity, and the role of climatic instability in driving patterns of assembly in the Holarctic.

RESEARCH OF HEAVY METALS IN THE ATMOSPHERIC AIR OF GOYGOL DISTRICT AS A BIOINTICATOR

RESEARCH OF HEAVY METALS IN THE ATMOSPHERIC AIR OF GOYGOL DISTRICT AS A BIOINTICATOR

Are modern pollen assemblages from soils and mosses the same? A comparison of natural pollen traps from subtropical China

This study investigated the pollen spectra from 46 pairs of soil and moss samples (pairs collected within a 1 m2 squared area). The samples were collected from six common subtropical vegetation communities in the Meiling Mountains, southeast China, with the vegetation proportions recorded at the collection point. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to investigate the separation of the paired assemblages and to determine whether different plant communities produced distinctive pollen spectra. Paired soil and moss samples captured similar levels of variability in the pollen assemblages retained, but there are systematic differences in the mean values of key groups of taxa. Monte Carlo sampling shows that, in most cases, intra-pair differences are greater than could be explained by counting uncertainty alone.In this study, discriminant analysis of surface soil and moss found that 91.3% of the soil samples and 87% of the moss samples were correctly classified into their vegetation communities. However, the detailed pollen assemblages suggest that mosses provide a more accurate representation of the contemporary vegetation composition than soils.Pollen assemblages from moss samples seem to record local vegetation more accurately than those from soil samples. Higher vegetation diversity within an arboreal forest community leads to greater differences between moss-soil pairs. In bamboo forests, pollen assemblages in soils and moss show strong influence from the surrounding communities, which makes it hard to identify bamboo forest via surface sample pollen assemblages alone.

Assessment of heavy metal and other toxic elements deposition in the Karaganda Region based on moss analysis

В работе приведены результаты оценки загрязнения окружающей средыследовыми элементами на основе анализа мхов-биомониторов, собранных в центральномКазахстане. Концентрации элементов определяли с помощью нейтронного активационногоанализа и атомной абсорбционной спектрометрии в Объединенном институте ядерныхисследований. В целом было определено 39 элементов, в том числе тяжелые металлы.

Исследование состава мха – естественного биоиндикатора для мониторинга воздуха Восточно-Казахстанской области

Here are the results of determining the chemical composition of moss in the East Kazakhstan region. The following research stages were carried out: harvesting plant materials; methods of taking samples of the studied material for analysis; determination of the concentration of elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Developed methods for dry and wet ashing bioindicator. The results of the analysis of moss obtained by the ICP-MS method and the instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) method are compared. The reliability of the results of the analysis by the method of additives and photometric determination of the concentration of elements was determined.

Biomonitoring with mosses: Uncertainties related to sampling period, intra-site variability, and cleaning treatments

To assess the level of sampling period uncertainty and the main components of the measurement uncertainty, such as: sampling, preparation and analysis a total of 63 samples of Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt. moss species and their duplicates were collected from the same sampling sites in September of 2014, and March and July of 2015. After each sampling campaign, the samples (primary sample – S1 and its duplicate – S2) were divided into two equal and homogenous samples (P1 and P2) for preparation. The P1 samples were subjected to dry cleaning whereas the P2 samples to wet cleaning. After digestion in a closed microwave system, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn were determined in all these samples using FAAS and GFAAS techniques. The highest concentrations were noted in July samples. However, the average element contents were as follows: July > March ≈ September for Cu and Mn, July > March > September for Fe, and July ≈ March > September for Zn. The level of sampling period uncertainty was the highest for Fe and Mn, and the lowest for Cu. In 2014 the measurement uncertainty (srmeas) of Fe, Mn and Zn (expressed as a sum of sampling (srsamp), preparation (srprep) and analytical (sranal) uncertainty) was mainly affected by intra-site variability, so the contribution of sampling uncertainty to the srmeas values was the highest. In 2015 the cleaning procedure had the main impact of the measurement uncertainty of Fe and Zn, so the srmeas values were mainly loaded by the srprep values. For Cu and Mn the same relationship between the srsamp and srprep values was maintained in 2014 and 2015. In all cases, the sum of sampling, preparation and analytical uncertainty did not exceed 35%. However, high values of preparation uncertainty of Fe and Zn obtained in 2015 should make us more critical of the results from the analysis of mosses collected within different sampling periods and cleaned using different wet/dry cleaning methods.

Assessment of Atmospheric Deposition and Spatial Variability of Trace Metals in Kandy City and Suburbs using Bio-monitoring Technique in Mosses

Deposition of atmospheric Trace metals (TMs) was investigated in this study through the analysis of mosses that have been grown at nine locations within the Kandy Municipal Council area and its suburbs. Hyophila sp. moss was selected for TM analysis with referring their common availability. After cleaning, dried mosses samples were digested with conc. HNO3 in microwave digesting system. Digested samples were analysed for Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb using Inductive Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Average TM concentrations in mosses, were resulted with the order of Fe>Al>Zn>Mn>Cu> Pb> Cr>Ni>Cd. The highest and lowest metal concentrations were recorded for Al and Cd as 12,150 and 0.2 mg/kg respectively. Principle factor analysis suggested two major factors; vehicular emission and geographical location, responsible for the TM concentrations in mosses. Factor analysis indicated that approximately about 73% of the TMs in the atmosphere are by the two factors whereas majority from that to be from the vehicular emission. Apart from that, trans-boundary pollution could identify as one of the major factors for TMs in Kandy. Spatial distributions are not significant for the metals that have identified as geogenic origin and others were reported with clear spatial distribution with having highest accumulations in the areas those experiencing higher traffic activities. The ecosystem risk values are still in the acceptable levels in the means of trace metals in mosses. Key words: mosses, bio-monitoring, trace metals, atmospheric deposition

HEAVY METALS POLLUTION ASSESMENT OF UNDERPOPULATED REGIONS USING THE EXAMPLE OF THE NORTH-WESTERN REGION OF RUSSIA

Two following factors determine the topicality of the preset study: increasing role of recreation branch in the modern Russian economy and necessity to search for unpolluted, "control" territories as a precondition of efficient environmental monitoring. The goal of the present paper is to assess the heavy metals (HM) pollution of unpopulated territory using a combined approach. Methods. The assessment of HM pollution was made in the part of Volga-Baltic canal and adjacent north - western territory of Vologodskaya oblast. The study region is a sparsely populated territory situated far from industrial centers. The samples sediments, fish and mosses were subjected to the "wet" combustion with HNO3 H2O2 mixture. The concentrations of chalcophylic (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) and rear earth elements in these samples (the core sample of bottom sediments, fish muscles caught in Lake Vozhe, Belousovskoye and Vytegorskoye reservoirs and in bog mosses) were determined using ICP-MS DRC-e mass spectrometer. Results. The study revealed that increase of Zn and Pb concentrations in the bottom sediments related to its deposition with atmospheric fallout. At the same time, low contents of Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in the moss Sphagnum magellanicum may indicate inconsiderable level of atmospheric pollution in previous years. The levels of concentration of these elements in the fish muscles were within the limits legislated by sanitary norms (SanPiN). Conclusions. The present study based on the combined approach including analysis of bottom sediment cores, moss and fish tissues allows to make a conclusion that studied unpopulated region of Russia (northwestern part of Vologodskaya oblast) is environmentally clean in respect to heavy metals. Hence, this region may be used for recreation and environmental monitoring.

Trace elements in soil, lichens, and mosses from Fildes Peninsula, Antarctica: spatial distribution and possible origins

Antarctica is a region of great scientific interest, and several countries have scientific stations installed in that place. The exploration of Antarctica continent may be causing an impact on the environment. So, this study aims to evaluate the distribution of Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, and V through the analysis of soil, lichens, and mosses from Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica. Soil, lichens, and mosses samples were obtained from 13 points along the entire length of Fildes Peninsula, and the trace elements were determined by ICP OES. The concentration ranges (μg/g) were: Soil—Cr 5.92–28.96; Cu 81.59–123.68; Ni 20.11–41.07; Zn 43.25–73.21; V 123.52–206.06; Lichens—Cr 0.76–2.12; Cu 0.74–16.79; Ni < LD-1.88; Zn 4.97–12.06; V 0.96–20.95; Mosses—Cr 2.03–14.74; Cu 27.09–59.64; Ni 2.15–13.71; Zn 13.16–36.69; V 15.79–89.23. In general, these concentrations can be associated with several factors since this region presents intense human occupation and so the use of fossil fuels can be major source of the trace elements investigated.

Preliminary Results of PIXE Analysis of Mosses for Air Pollution Monitoring in Hanoi Using Pelletron Accelerator

Abstract: Air pollution is a major problem in many cities in Vietnam. The existence of heavy metals in dust particles in the air impacts negatively on human health. There are many different methods to collect dust in the air and analyse the heavy metals concentration. The method using mosses as a biological indicator for monitoring air pollution has been using widely around the world. This paper presents the preliminary results of using moss for analysis of heavy metals in the air in Hanoi by PIXE technique on Pelletron electrostatic accelerator of the VNU, University of Science (HUS).

Shape analysis of moss (Bryophyta) sporophytes: Insights into land plant evolution.

The alternation of generations life cycle represents a key feature of land-plant evolution and has resulted in a diverse array of sporophyte forms and modifications in all groups of land plants. We test the hypothesis that evolution of sporangium (capsule) shape of the mosses-the second most diverse land-plant lineage-has been driven by differing physiological demands of life in diverse habitats. This study provides an important conceptual framework for analyzing the evolution of a single, homologous character in a continuous framework across a deep expanse of time, across all branches of the tree of life. We reconstruct ancestral sporangium shape and ancestral habitat on the largest phylogeny of mosses to date, and use phylogenetic generalized least squares regression to test the association between habitat and sporangium shape. In addition, we examine the association between shifts in sporangium shape and species diversification. We demonstrate that sporangium shape is convergent, under natural selection, and associated with habitat type, and that many shifts in speciation rate are associated with shifts in sporangium shape. Our results suggest that natural selection in different microhabitats results in the diversity of sporangium shape found in mosses, and that many increasing shifts in speciation rate result in changes in sporangium shape across their 480 million year history. Our framework provides a way to examine if diversification shifts in other land plants are also associated with massive changes in sporophyte form, among other morphological traits.

The flora of Cunningham Inlet, Somerset Island, Nunavut: history, analysis, and new collections of vascular plants, mosses, lichens, and algae

New collections of vascular plants, bryophytes, lichen, and algae are reported for Cunningham Inlet on the north coast of Somerset Island, Nunavut. This list of 48 species of vascular plants, 13 bryophytes, 10 lichens, and five algae includes 136 specimens collected in 2013 and 39 previously unreported specimens from the National Herbarium of Canada at the Canadian Museum of Nature (CAN), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Vascular Plant Herbarium (DAO), and University of Alberta (ALTA). Ten vascular plants from previous collecting in 1958 are re-reported here to give a comprehensive account of the vascular plant flora of the region. Two vascular plants are recorded for the first time for Somerset Island: Smooth Draba (Draba glabella Pursh) and Edlund’s Fescue (Festuca edlundiae S. G. Aiken, Consaul &amp; Lefkovitch).

Sphagnum mosses of Lake Germanovskoe catchment area («Valaam Archipelago» Natural Park)

The list of sphagnum mosses of the swamped part of Lake Germanovskoe catchment area («Valaam Archipelago» Natural Park) is provided for the first time. The Valaam Archipelago is located in the northern part of Lake Ladoga, in Republic of Karelia. The largest Valaam Island takes over 2/3 of the archipelago area — 27.8 km2. The ecological characteristics of sphagnum mosses are discussed. A detailed investigation of ecotopes and plant communities dominated by sphagnum mosses was conducted. The study of tree stands, herb and moss layers, soils and analysis of Lake Germanovskoe hydro-chemical characteristics were carried out to define the conditions of Sphagnum habitats. Different sphagnum mosses dominate in ecotopes with various regime of moisture. The swamped part of Lake Germanovskoe catchment area is determined as having mesotrophic characteristics. Аnalysis of the ecological characteristics of sphagnum mosses shows the same result.

On the systematic position of the genus Timmiella (Dicranidae, Bryopsida) and its allied genera, with the description of a new family Timmiellaceae

Based on our molecular phylogenetic analysis of haplolepideous mosses with concatenated sequences of chloroplast rps4 and rbcL genes, a new family Timmiellaceae is erected to accommodate the genera Timmiella and Luisierella, both of which have been formerly included in the family Pottiaceae. The family Timmiellaceae is resolved as a second-branching clade together with Distichium (Distichiaceae) within the Dicranidae (haplolepideous moss) lineages and phylogenetically distinct from the Pottiaceae. Reassessment of morphological characters suggests that a combination of the characters: 1) adaxially bulging and abaxially flat leaf surfaces, 2) sinistrorse or straight peristomes, when present, and 3) sinistrorsely arranged operculum cells is unique to Timmiellaceae and discriminates it from other haplolepideous moss families.

Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis of moss and soil from abandoned mining of Pb-Zn ores.

This research investigates heavy metal pollution around one of the most important mining areas in Turkey, the Sebinkarahisar (Giresun) lead-zinc mining, by means of analyzing moss and soil samples collected in the neighborhood of the copper mining at different distances. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (Epsilon 5, PANalytical, Almelo, The Netherlands) is utilized in the experiments. The results have indicated that the both moss and soil samples contain aluminum, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, barium, cerium, tungsten, and lead. The comparison of the heavy metal concentrations with the typical measurements in the world and with the limit values for the human health has revealed the critical heavy metal pollution levels in the region. The possible consequences of these results are briefly discussed from the point of potential hazards to ecology and human health.

Monitoring of Metal Deposition by Moss Barbula Constricta J. Linn., from Mussoorie Hills in the India

The moss Barbula constricta J. Linn. was used as an active bio-monitor for estimation of atmospheric metal deposition and its seasonal trend to assess the metal (Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd) status of Mussoorie city and its adjoining areas. Moss transplants were exposed for four months, each period representing winter, summer and monsoon season data at the distances of 0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 km during 2003 to 2007. Significantly higher levels of Zn, Pb, and Cu were measured in the moss harvested at the end of each season. The values of metals at different distances from the city center were higher than in the background samples treated as control. Patterns of moss analysis for seasonal and annual metal data were closely identical. Values of metals were the highest during summer followed by winter, and the lowest in monsoon. It was found that an increase recorded in the sampling sites in the past 5 years could be due to the rapid economic development and the manifold increase in tourist activities. Results from the present moss surveys make the examination of both spatial and temporal trends of metals possible, and also confirm the validity of moss B. constricta J. Linn. as a reliable bio-monitor, and recommend it for the bio-mapping program. Data from existing surveys of metal concentrations in moss is filling a gap due to very limited information available in this field. In addition, it is an invaluable resource for policy makers in preparing the strategies for mitigation. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.67.1.1750