Rhynchostegium Riparioides Research Articles

Exploring the Metatranscriptome of Bacterial Communities of Two Moss Species Thriving in Different Environments-Terrestrial and Aquatic.

Mosses host diverse bacterial communities essential for their fitness, nutrient acquisition, stress tolerance, and pathogen defense. Understanding the microbiome's taxonomic composition is the first step, but unraveling their functional capabilities is crucial for grasping their ecological significance. Metagenomics characterizes microbial communities by composition, while metatranscriptomics explores gene expression, providing insights into microbiome functionality beyond the structure. Here, we present for the first time a metatranscriptomic study of two moss species, Hypnum cupressiforme (Hedw.) and Platyhypnidium riparioides (Hedw.) Dixon., renowned as key biomonitors of atmospheric and water pollution. Our investigation extends beyond taxonomic profiling and offers a profound exploration of moss bacterial communities. Pseudomonadota and Actinobacteria are the dominant bacterial phyla in both moss species, but their proportions differ. In H. cupressiforme, Actinobacteria make up 62.45% and Pseudomonadota 32.48%, while in P. riparioides, Actinobacteria account for only 25.67% and Pseudomonadota 69.08%. This phylum-level contrast is reflected in genus-level differences. Our study also shows the expression of most genes related to nitrogen cycling across both microbiomes. Additionally, functional annotation highlights disparities in pathway prevalence, including carbon dioxide fixation, photosynthesis, and fatty acid biosynthesis, among others. These findings hint at potential metabolic distinctions between microbial communities associated with different moss species, influenced by their specific genotypes and habitats. The integration of metatranscriptomic data holds promise for enhancing our understanding of bryophyte-microbe partnerships, opening avenues for novel applications in conservation, bioremediation, and sustainable agriculture.

Macrophyte-Based Assessment of Upland Rivers: Bioindicators and Biomonitors

For the first time, a macrophyte-based assessment of ecological status was related to the accumulated heavy metals and trace elements (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in aquatic plants. Three moss and two vascular plant species were applied as biomonitors: Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw., Leptodictyum riparium (Hedw.) Warnst., Platyhypnidium riparioides (Hedw.) Dixon, invasive Elodea canadensis Michx., and Myriophyllum spicatum L. Three streams were assessed as good at a high ecological status which correlated with low contamination based on calculated contamination factors (CFs) and metal pollution index (MPI). Two sites evaluated in moderate ecological status were revealed to be in heavy trace element contamination. The most significant was the accumulation of moss samples from the Chepelarska River under mining impact. Mercury exceeded the environmental quality standard (EQS) for biota in three of the studied upland river sites.

Ecological Preferences and Indication Potential of Freshwater Bryophytes-Insights from Croatian Watercourses.

A comprehensive survey of Croatian watercourses covering the whole of the national territory and investigating inherent watercourse heterogeneity was conducted to explore the ecological responses of the most frequent freshwater bryophytes with respect to water chemistry variables and land use within the catchment area. Direct multivariate ordination (CCA) of vegetation data paired with 18 environmental variables revealed that freshwater bryophytes and their assemblages were segregated along the gradients of water chemistry and the proportion of natural and urban area within the catchment. Generalized additive models (GAM) were employed to explore the ecological responses of individual species. The results showed that most of the investigated species preferred natural, clean, well-oxygenated watercourses, with low nutrient and organic matter content, as well as with low electrical conductivity. Species such as Palustriella falcata, Eucladium vertcillatum, Dichodontium flavescens and Jungermannia atrovirens had narrow ecological niches and were restricted to pristine watercourses, while the most frequent and widely distributed species, such as Fontinalis antipyretica, Rhynchostegium riparioides, Cratoneuron filicinum, Fissidens crassipes, Cinclidotus fontinaloides and C. riparius, had a wide ecological tolerance. Riccia fluitans and Leptodyctium riparium had wide ecological ranges, but with optima in hypereutrophic waters with high nutrient and organic content, as well as high electrical conductivity. Furthermore, these two species were frequently associated with a high share of intensive agriculture and a low share of natural land within the catchment.

Croatian freshwater bryoflora-diversity and distribution.

An extensive macrophyte field survey of running and standing waters was conducted from 2016 to 2021 at 786 sampling sites across Croatia as a part of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. This survey is the first to present a comprehensive floristic catalogue of the freshwater bryoflora, along with an analysis of the distribution and diversity patterns on a national level. In all, 83 bryophyte species (68 mosses and 15 liverworts) were recorded in the 228 sites, with average species richness of 4.17 species per site. The most frequent species were Fontinalisantipyretica, Rhynchostegiumriparioides, Leptodictyumriparium and Cratoneuronfilicinum. The majority of the species encountered were rarely found, with over 70% of species recorded on less than 10 sampling sites and the majority of the species not being truly aquatic, rather being classified as facultative aquatics. The Dinaric Ecoregion, characterised by clean, cold, fast-flowing karstic rivers, especially in the Continental Subecoregion, supported higher freshwater bryophyte diversity than the lowland Pannonian Ecoregion, with mostly slow, eutrophic lowland watercourses with unstable sandy and gravelly alluvial sediments. Chorological comparison of Croatian eco- and subecoregions revealed the expected dominance of circumpolar and European elements, i.e. temperate chorotypes, as well as some biogeographical differences. The most frequent life forms were aquatic trailings and turfs. Amongst the recorded species, perennials and colonists were the most represented life strategies. The analysis of both the life-form and life-strategy spectra showed some differences amongst the Croatian regions, supporting the fact that the Dinaric Ecoregion provides more truly aquatic habitats and microhabitats suitable for the freshwater bryophytes, while in the Pannonian Ecoregion freshwater bryophytes dominantly inhabit the periodically submerged riparian zones, for example shaded lowland forest streams and rivulets or gently sloping margins of rivers and lakes.

Combined use of native and transplanted moss for post-mining characterization of metal(loid) river contamination

Abandoned mine sites are a cause of great environmental concern, being potential sources of toxic elements for adjacent aquatic ecosystems with intrinsic difficulties for their management (i.e. episodic nature of pollution, technical difficulties and high costs of monitoring, remoteness). Aquatic macrophytes can find effective application in these situations, providing cost-effective data for instream water quality assessment. In this study, native and transplanted specimens of the aquatic moss Platyhypnidium riparioides were used to evaluate metal(loid) contamination in a river receiving multiple acidic and metalliferous drainages from sulphide mineralized areas and derelict mines. Analysis of native P. riparioides thalli was used to identify, in the upland course of the river, the pattern of contamination (As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) which was related to the geo-environmental features of the watershed and the nearby historical mining areas. Attenuation of metal(loid) availability in the lowland river, apparently due to eco-hydrological and physic-chemical processes, was also highlighted by spatial trends of concentrations data of native and transplanted moss. The latter, deployed for 21 days at specific stretches of the river and in a tributary hydrologically connected with a dismissed mine, supported the identification of point sources (i.e. mine effluents, metallurgical waste piles amassed on the banks of the river) and the reckoning of their quantitative impact on different segments of the watercourse. By exploring multi-elemental and native-to-transplant relationships, differences in metal(loid) accumulative capacities were recognized between sampled thalli and exposed moss bags in relation to the severity of the contamination. The observed discrepancy in the accumulation of As, Fe, Ni and Pb in highly contaminated areas between native and transplanted moss of P. riparioides raises questions on the possible competing mechanisms of element uptake and retention. These findings prompt studies to discern possible limitations of the transplanting moss technique under extreme stream-quality conditions.

Metal(loid) accumulation in aquatic plants of a mining area: Potential for water quality biomonitoring and biogeochemical prospecting

Aquatic bryophytes can accumulate extremely high levels of chemical elements because of their unique morphology and physiology which is markedly different from vascular plants. Four aquatic mosses—Fontinalis squamosa, Brachythecium rivulare, Platyhypnidium riparioides, Thamnobryum alopecurum—and a freshwater red alga Lemanea fluviatilis along with water samples from the streams of Góis mine region in Central Portugal were analyzed for 46 elements. Despite being below detection levels in the water samples, the elements Zr, V, Cr, Mo, Ru, Os, Rh, Ir, Pt, Ag, Ge and Bi were obtained in the plant samples. The moss T. alopecurum had the highest mean concentrations of 19 elements followed by B. rivulare (15 elements). Maximum accumulation of Rb, Ta and Au, however, was seen in the alga L. fluviatilis. Bioconcentration factors > 106 were obtained for a few metals. The investigation confirms that aquatic bryophytes can be suitable for water quality biomonitoring and biogeochemical prospecting in fresh water bodies owing to their high accumulative capacity of multi-elements from their aquatic ambient.

TOTAL PHENOL CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF MOSSES FROM YENICE FOREST (IDA MOUNTAIN)

Recent pharmacological investigations of bryophytes have proven that the active principles present in these plants are quite unique and having potential chemical application and antioxidant capacity. In this study, the volatile components in extracts from Thuidium tamariscinum (Hedw.) Schimp. and Platyhypnidium riparioides (Hedw.) Dixon, Kazdağları (Kalkim-Yenice, Çanakkale, Turkey) were isolated by solid phase micro extraction technique and identified by mass selective detector gas chromatography (GC-MS). Antioxidant capacities of these species were determined by CERAC and CUPRAC methods and phenolic contents by Folin-Ciocalteu method.

Distribution of rare earth elements, thorium and uranium in streams and aquatic mosses of Central Portugal

The distribution of 14 rare earth elements, Th and U was studied in streams of the study area at 21 sites. Aquatic mosses are known to accumulate even metabolically nonessential or toxic metals in concentrations much higher than their aqueous environment due to their unique morphology and physiology. Thus, the capacity of metal amplification in four aquatic mosses (Fontinalis squamosa, Brachythecium rivulare, Platyhypnidium riparioides and Thamnobryum alopecurum) was also evaluated as a potential bioindicator/biomonitoring tool. Thirteen REEs (0.001–2.81 μg L−1) and U were detected in the stream water. Mean content of lighter rare earth elements (LREEs) was higher than that of heavier rare earth elements (HREEs). Fourteen REEs and two actinides were detected in moss samples, including Yb and Th which were below detection level in water samples. LREE uptake (0.17–12.2 mg kg−1) was greater than HREE uptake (0.02–0.78 mg kg−1) in all mosses. Uptake of LREEs was observed in the order: B. rivulare >T. alopecurum >F. squamosa >P. riparioides and that of HREEs in the order: T. alopecurum >B. rivulare >F. squamosa >P. riparioides. Mean U content (0.68–1.62 mg kg−1) in the mosses was found in the order: B. rivulare >F. squamosa >T. alopecurum >P. riparioides. Th content ranged from 0.4 to 2.36 mg kg−1 in the order: B. rivulare >T. alopecurum >P. riparioides >F. squamosa. One-way ANOVA indicated a statistically significant difference (P ≤ 0.01) in mean concentrations of all elements (individually) in moss samples except for U. Highest bioconcentration factors of six REEs each were observed in B. rivulare (La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb and Dy) and T. alopecurum (Nd, Gd, Ho, Er, Tm and Lu). The highest BCFs for Pr and U were obtained in F. squamosa and P. riparioides, respectively. These species hold promise for biomonitoring studies in the future.

Trace elements in native and transplanted Fontinalis antipyretica and Platyhypnidium riparioides from rivers polluted by uranium mining

The past uranium/polymetallic mining activities in the Sudety (SW Poland) left abandoned mines, pits, and dumps of waste rocks with trace elements and radionuclides which may erode or leach out and create a potential risk for the aquatic ecosystem, among others. In the present work four rivers affected by effluents from such mines were selected to evaluate the application of aquatic mosses for the bioindication of 56 elements. Naturally growing F. antipyretica and P. riparioides were compared with transplanted samples of the same species. The results demonstrate serious pollution of the examined rivers, especially with As, Ba, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ti, U and Zn, reaching extremely high concentrations in native moss samples. In the most polluted rivers native F. antipyretica and P. riparioides samples showed significantly higher concentrations of As, Ba, Cu, Fe, La, Nd, Ni, Pb, U and Zn than corresponding transplanted samples, whereas at less polluted sites a reverse situation was sometimes observed. Transplanted moss moved from clean to extremely polluted rivers probably protects itself against the accumulation of toxic elements by reducing their uptake. Selection of native or transplanted F. antipyretica and P. riparioides depended on the pollution load.

Bryophytes of Alpine and Apennine Mountain Streams: Floristic Features and Ecological Notes

Abstract Floristic and ecological features of aquatic bryophytes, and main abiotic factors, were studied in 23 mountain streams located in the Western Alps and Central Apennines (Italy). At 46 stations, a total of 36 taxa were collected. Most species showed both low occurrence (≤ 2 records) and low cover respect to sampled area (< 4%). However, in over 50% of stations, bryophyte communities with at least three species and cover over 10% were recorded. Platyhypnidium riparioides, Fontinalis antipyretica subsp. antipyretica and Hygrohypnum luridum were the most common and abundant species. Other species, more rarely recorded, have limited distribution in the Mediterranean region (Blindia caespiticia) and Italy (Hygrohypnum duriusculum). Some species show specific ecological preferences. In particular, Hygrohypnum luridum and Palustriella falcata are mostly linked to turbulent and cold waters (11.0–16.0°C), neutro-alkaline (7.3–8.4), with low conductivity (< 160 µS) and phosphates (< 0.01 mg/l) values. Brach...

Accumulation of Arsenic and Copper by Bryophytes Growing in an Aquatic Environment near Copper Mine Tailings

Bryophytes with high As accumulation affinity were identified in the aquatic environment. We surveyed a stream near copper mine tailings and then conducted laboratory experiments to confirm As accumulation in the bryophytes with high As affinity. We found that a moss, Scopelophila cataractae, accumulates As in addition to Cu in aquatic environments and confirmed it in laboratory experiments. The highest value for As in S. cataractae from the field survey was 1300 mg/kg dry weight at relatively low As concentrations in the stream water (0.005 mg/L). In addition, Brachythecium plumosum and Rhynchostegium riparioides may also be useful bryophytes for accumulation of Cu and As, though the mechanisms of As accumulation might differ between these two bryophytes and S. cataractae.

Development of a standard protocol for monitoring trace elements in continental waters with moss bags: inter- and intraspecific differences.

This paper is a contribution for validating a standard method for trace element monitoring based on transplants and analysis of aquatic bryophytes, in the framework of the EC Directive 2000/60. It presents the results of an experiment carried out to assess significant differences in the amount and variability of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in three moss species (Cinclidotus aquaticus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Platyhypnidium riparioides) and two different parts of the moss (whole plant vs apical tips). Mosses were caged in bags made of a plastic net and transplanted for 2 weeks to an irrigation canal impacted by a waste water treatment plant. Trace element concentrations were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) before and after exposure to the experimental and control sites in five samples. Enrichment factors >>2 were found for Cu, Ni, Mn, Pb and Zn in all moss species, lower in C. aquaticus, intermediate in F. antipyretica and higher in P. riparioides (the species we recommend to use). The analysis of apical tips after exposure instead of the whole plant led to (I) lower concentrations of As, Co, Cr, Fe and Zn in C. aquaticus (-7 to -30%) and of Fe and Pb (-13, -18%) in P. riparioides, (II) higher concentrations of Cu, Ni and Zn (+14 to +18%) in P. riparioides, while (III) no significant difference (p > 0.05) in F. antipyretica. Data variability after exposure was generally lower in apical tips, especially in C. aquaticus and in F. antipyretica, less in P. riparioides. In the aim of standardizing the moss-bag technique, the analysis of apical tips is recommended.

Acid–base status mediates the selection of organic habitats by upland stream invertebrates

Freshwater bryophytes support large numbers of invertebrates, but their importance compared to other organic habitats, e.g. submerged terrestrial leaf-litter, is seldom assessed. There is also little information about how water quality might affect bryophyte–invertebrate interactions. Here, we compare macroinvertebrate colonisation of bryophytes and leaf-litter in streams of contrasting acidity. Litterbags containing the liverwort Nardia compressa, a moss mixture dominated by Platyhypnidium riparioides, and oak leaves (Quercus spp.) were exposed in replicate streams at the Llyn Brianne Stream Observatory (Wales, UK), and collected after 42 and 75 days. The family richness and abundance of invertebrates were significantly higher in circumneutral than acid samples. In circumneutral streams, both were significantly higher in oak and N. compressa than in P. riparioides. Under acid conditions, invertebrate colonisation of bryophytes declined markedly relative to oak, due largely to reduced numbers of the otherwise-dominant Leuctridae. Invertebrate assemblage composition differed with both acid–base status and litter type, with acid-tolerant taxa positively associated with bryophytes. We conclude that oak litter and N. compressa are equally valuable habitat under circumneutral conditions, but in acid streams bryophyte quality declines even for acid-tolerant taxa. This effect is consistent with invertebrates using bryophytes as more than physical habitat alone.

Island floras are not necessarily more species poor than continental ones

Island floras are not necessarily more species poor than continental ones

Moss bags as sentinels for human safety in mercury-polluted groundwaters

An equation to estimate Hg concentrations of <4 μg/L in groundwaters of a polluted area in NE Italy was set out by using transplants of the aquatic moss Rhynchostegium riparioides as trace element bioaccumulators. The equation is derived from a previous mathematical model which was implemented under laboratory conditions. The work aimed at (1) checking the compliance of the uptake kinetics with the model, (2) improving/adapting the model for groundwater monitoring, (3) comparing the performances of two populations of moss collected from different sites, and (4) assessing the environmental impact of Hg contamination on a small river. The main factors affecting Hg uptake in the field were-as expected-water concentration and time of exposure, even though the uptake kinetics in the field were slightly different from those which were previously observed in the lab, since the redox environmental conditions influence the solubility of cationic Fe, which is a negative competitor of Hg(2+). The equation was improved by including the variable 'dissolved oxygen concentration'. A numerical parameter depending on the moss collection site was also provided, since the differences in uptake efficiency were observed between the two populations tested. Predicted Hg concentrations well fitted the values measured in situ (approximately ±50%), while a notable underestimation was observed when the equation was used to predict Hg concentration in a neighbouring river (-96%), probably due to the organic pollution which hampers metal uptake by mosses.

Monitoring of aquatic mosses and sediments: a case study in contaminated rivers, Bulgaria

Aquatic mosses and sediments were monitored along Topolnitsa River Basin (Bulgaria), copper-producing and mining region. Six mosses were applied as biomonitors: Bryum turbinatum, Fontinalis antipyretica, Leptodictyum riparium, Platyhypnidium riparioides, Rhizomnium punctatum and Sciuro-hypnum plumosum. Background levels were determined for both plants and fine fraction of sediments collected from an unpolluted site. Contamination factors (CFs) and metal pollution index at each site were presented. The highest sediment enrichment with toxic elements was found in Zlatishka River. Strong increase above background levels showed all 13 heavy metals and toxic elements in biomonitors from stations at Zlatishka and Pirdopska rivers. The two moss species adopted as biomonitors for the first time – Bryum turbinatum and Rhizomnium punctatum – showed high CFs for several heavy metals and contributed to chemical pollution pattern assessment. The parallel use of mosses and sediments in the monitoring study, as well as the applied statistical tools, led to the conclusion that mosses as higher plants revealed pollution patterns not detected by sediments. Results also showed that in a seriously contaminated aquatic environment, which requires rapid assessment, different moss species can be applied for water-monitoring purposes to present preliminary picture of pollution patterns and to direct further studies.

Water pollutant monitoring with aquatic bryophytes: a review

Bryophytes are non-vascular plants with large biomass and high production level in freshwaters. Aquatic bryophytes are used to assess the ecological status. They are a stress-tolerant group, and many species have a wide trophic range. Aquatic bryophytes are used as indicators by the presence or absence of a pollutant, or as monitors to measure pollutant concentrations. Here, we review major advances in bryomonitoring from a range of countries, mainly in Europe. Monitored elements include Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Ni, Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn, V, 137Cs, 134Cs, 235U, 236Ra, 232Th and 40K. We illustrate the advantages of low-cost methods for monitoring water quality. Biomonitoring includes (1) passive observation and analysis of native bryophytes and (2) active biomonitoring based on species transplantation for a fixed exposure period. Two widespread northern hemisphere aquatic mosses, Fontinalis antipyretica and Platyhypnidium riparioides, are the most common biomonitors.

Does water facilitate gene flow in spore-producing plants? Insights from the fine-scale genetic structure of the aquatic moss Rhynchostegium riparioides (Brachytheciaceae)

Hydrochory plays a key role in the maintenance, diversity and evolution of aquatic plants and has traditionally been thought to (i) decrease or erase patterns of isolation-by-distance, (ii) increase outbreeding, and (iii) result in a downstream increase of genetic diversity. These hypotheses, which are especially relevant in organisms with water-mediated fertilization and a high ability to disperse vegetatively, are tested here from fine-scale spatial analyses of genetic variation at both the haploid and diploid phases in the aquatic moss Rhynchostegium riparioides (Hedw.) Cardot. A substantial geographical partitioning of genetic variation was found at the scale of the river basin and indirect measures of dispersal point to an overall weaker dispersal ability of the moss diaspores than pollen or wind-dispersed seeds. These observations, as well as the high Fis observed at the diploid stage and the very close proximity of potential fathers of the heterozygous diploid genotypes, strongly challenge the hypothesis that water enhances sperm and diaspore-mediated gene flow. In R. riparioides, the severe dispersal limitations revealed by the spatial analyses of genetic structure suggest that shoot fragments rather than spores are involved in local dispersal, which is fully consistent with the low levels of genetic diversity observed within populations. Extremely limited routine dispersal by unspecialized vegetative diaspores, coupled with discrete episodes of local population extinctions and colonizations by spores, account for the absence of a downstream increase of genetic diversity. As a result, although spore-producing plants are typically seen as most efficient dispersers, and although streams are traditionally seen as dispersal corridors, severe limitations of clonal dispersal at the local scale and discrete opportunities of random spore dispersal and establishment among colonies, both explain why typical metapopulation processes also apply to aquatic mosses.

Environmental effects on species richness of macrophytes in Slovak streams

Abstract The effect of 19 environmental variables on species richness of macrophytes was studied in 39 Slovak streams. The studied streams were poor in species; in total, 88 macrophyte taxa were found and the average number of macrophytes per sampling site was 4, ranging from 0 to15. The most frequently occurring macrophytes were filamentous algae (occurrence at 38.6% of sampling sites), followed by Rhynchostegium riparioides (28.4%) and Phalaris arundinacea (19.3%). The strongest environmental gradient in the sampling site detected by factor analysis (factor 1 explains more than 32% variability) is related to the portion of artificial banks, shading by woody vegetation along banks, flexuosity of stream course and the portion of natural land cover in the contact zone of the stream, and can be interpreted as a natural-anthropogenic gradient. The following variables had the highest correlations with species richness of macrophytes: shading by woody vegetation (r=−0.507), portions of artificial bank (r=0.488), flexuosity (r=−0.457) and distance from stream source (r=0.388).

Contribution to the knowledge of the bryoflora of running waters of CentralItaly

The present study focused on the bryoflora of watercourses of the Tiber River basin watercourses (Central Italy). A total of 20 bryophyte species, which included 14 mosses and 6 liverworts, were collected at 32 river stations. Most species were recorded at stations of the watercourses' upper sections, which have rocky substrate and where there is cool and well oxygenated running water, with low trophic load. Only few species, such as Leptodictyum riparium, Cinclidotus fontinaloides and Riccia fluitans, were also found at stations of the middle and lower sections, which are characterized by slow-flowing, turbid, warm and eutrophic waters. Some species are widely distributed, among which Fontinalis antipyretica ssp. antipyretica and Platyhypnidium riparioides, while others are very rare, such as Cinclidotus aquaticus, Dialytrichia mucronata and R. fluitans. Some of the collected species are new regional records (Hygroamblystegium fluviatile, D. mucronata), regional confirmations of rare taxa in Italy (C.aquaticus) or confirmations of old regional reports (Hygroamblystegium tenax, C. fontinaloides, Aneura pinguis).