Terrestrial Mosses Research Articles

Monitoring of Heavy Metals and Nitrogen Concentrations in Mosses in the Vicinity of an Integrated Iron and Steel Plant: Case Study in Czechia

A biomonitoring study using terrestrial mosses was performed in the vicinity of an Integrated Iron and Steel plant near the Czech–Polish border. Moss samples were collected in two seasons (June, October) in order to embrace the effect of the heating season on the pollution levels. The contents of metals (Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, As, Sb and Hg) were determined using the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES), Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and contents of N, C, H via elemental analysis. The influence of the proximity of the factory, the heating season and modelled concentrations of particulate matter <10 µm (PM10) on determined concentrations of elements were studied via multivariate statistical methods using clr-transformed data. This approach led to the first-time demonstration that not only the distance from the industrial source but also the sampling season and PM10 concentrations significantly affect the elemental content in mosses; the association of the emissions from the source and the determined concentrations of elements in moss samples were more evident outside the heating season (October). The analyses of transformed data revealed the association of Fe, Cr, V, As and Al with the coarse particles and their dominant spatial distribution depending on the prevailing wind directions. The spatial distribution of Mn, Zn and Cd, which are carried by fine particles, appears to depend more on atmospheric dispersion and long-range transport, and, thus, these metals should be considered weak markers of the pollution load in the close surroundings of an industrial source.

Vegetation Types Attributed to Deforestation and Secondary Succession Drive the Elevational Changes in Diversity and Distribution of Terrestrial Mosses in a Tropical Mountain Forest in Southern China

(1) Background: Detailed diversity information regarding terrestrial mosses in a tropical forest ecosystem and an understanding of the drivers behind moss distribution provide crucial data for the management and conservation of forest ecosystems. Mosses are critical components of tropical forest ecosystems due to their high diversity and biomass, and they also fulfill essential ecological functions. Here, we report the first study into the relative importance of vegetation types and elevational gradient for the diversity, distribution and community structure of terrestrial moss species in southern China. (2) Methods: Five elevations spaced 200 m apart in the tropical mountain forest on the northern aspect of Tai Mo Shan were selected. The diversity, distribution, and geographical patterns of terrestrial mosses in response to altitudinal changes were examined. Differences in the biotic variables of terrestrial mosses between elevations were tested using a one-way ANOVA. Curve estimation regression models were used to describe the responses of the biotic variables to the elevation gradient. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was performed to identify and measure the associations among biotic variables of terrestrial mosses and abiotic environmental factors. (3) Results: Fifty-three terrestrial moss species belonging to 20 families and 31 genera were recorded along the altitudinal gradient on Tai Mo Shan. Microclimate factors including dew point and rainfall were strongly associated with the cover and thickness of the ground moss species. There were no obvious richness changes of terrestrial mosses along the elevation gradient. In total, 33 of the 51 species were tropically distributed, 14 species were found across East Asia and the tropical regions, 10 species had an East Asian pattern and 8 were temperate species. (4) Conclusions: Vegetation types significantly affect the diversity and distribution of terrestrial moss species. Although they are influenced by the East Asian and temperate climate with frequent human activities, terrestrial mosses on Tai Mo Shan are primarily tropical in nature. Forest conservation and restoration should be implemented to sustain and improve the diversity of terrestrial mosses and understory plants on Tai Mo Shan, especially at higher elevations.

Description of a new diatom species—Microcostatus dexteri sp. nov.—from terrestrial habitats in southern Poland

A new Microcostatus species was found during a study focusing on diatoms present on soils and among terrestrial mosses. Unlike most known European species of this genus, it has easily distinguishable striae under the light microscope and a distinct central area. Additionally, the newly described species shows lack of conopeum and pseudoconopeum. A detailed morphological characterisation using light and scanning electron microscopy of a new species from the genus Microcostatus and comparison to the most similar taxa are given.

The diversity of moss in the Cemoro Kandang hiking trail, Mount Lawu and the Baturraden botanical gardens, Central Java

Moss plants in tropical mountain forest areas play an essential role in water balance and the forest’s nutrient cycle, serving as a substrate, food source, and a place for forest organisms to live. This study aims to analyze the diversity of moss plants in Mount Lawu and Baturraden Botanical Gardens based on the height of the place and substrate type. Moss plants were observed along the Cemoro Kandang hiking trail and around the Baturraden Botanical Garden. A total of 30 species of mosses consisting of 19 species of true mosses, 10 species of liverworts, 1 species of hornworts. The moss plants on the hiking trail are included in 13 orders and 20 families. There are 13 species of mosses found in the Baturraden Botanical Garden, including 7 orders and 10 families, including 8 species of true mosses, 4 species of liverworts, and 1 species hornworts. The highest moss species diversity at the two locations is true mosses (Bryophyta). Most of the mosses are terrestrial mosses. True mosses are evenly distributed in the highlands rather than the lowlands.

Molecular phylogeny of a new gonostomatid ciliate revealing a discrepancy between interphasic and cell divisional patterns (Ciliophora, Hypotricha)

The morphology, ontogenesis, and molecular phylogeny of a new ciliate, Gonostomum koreanum n. sp., discovered in a terrestrial moss sample from South Korea, were investigated. Morphologically, it is characterized by a gonostomatid oral apparatus, two macronuclear nodules, six frontoventral rows, the two rightmost of which (frontoventral rows V and VI) extend posteriorly to near pretransverse and transverse cirri, and three dorsal kineties each with a single caudal cirrus posteriorly. The new species is easily confused with members of the genus Metagonostomum because of the long frontoterminal cirral row but differs mainly in the de novo (vs. intrakinetal) origin of anlage VI, a character found only in Gonostomum and Paragonostomum. To solve the discrepancy between the interphasic and ontogenetic patterns, we additionally performed morphological and multigene analyses on three gonostomatid species, namely Gonostomum koreanum n. sp. and its morphologically (M. gonostomoida) and ontogenetically (G. kuehnelti) most similar species. The multigene analyses show that the new species is closely related to G. kuehnelti and the core gonostomatids consists of five groups based on the origin of the frontoventral rows.

Migration of 238U and 226Ra Radionuclides in Technogenic Permafrost Taiga Landscapes of Southern Yakutia, Russia

This article describes the features and migration patterns of natural long-lived heavy radionuclides 238U and 226Ra in the major components of the environment including rocks, river waters, soils, and vegetation of permafrost taiga landscapes of Southern Yakutia, which helped us to understand the scale and levels of their radioactive contamination. Different methods have been used in this study to determine the content of 238U and 226Ra in various samples, including gamma-ray spectrometry, X-ray spectroscopy, laser excited luminescence, and emanation method. It was determined that the main source of radioactive pollution of soil and vegetation cover, as well as surface waters in these technogenic landscapes, are the dumps of radioactive rock that were formed here as the result of geological exploration carried out in this area during the last third of the 20th century. The rocks studied were initially characterized by a coarse, mainly stony gravelly composition and contrasting radiation parameters, where the gamma radiation exposure rate varied between 1.71 and 16.7 µSv/h, and the contents of 238U and 226Ra were within the range 126–1620 mg/kg and 428–5508 × 10−7 mg/kg, respectively, and the 226Ra: 238U ratio was 1.0. This ratio shifted later on from the equilibrium state towards the excess of either 238U or 226Ra, due to the processes of air, water, and biogenic migration. Two types of 238U and 226Ra radionuclides migration were observed in studied soils, namely aerotechnogenic and hydrotechnogenic, each of which results in a different intraprofile radionuclide distribution and different levels of radioactive contamination. In this study, we also identified plants capable of selective accumulation of certain radionuclides, including Siberian mountain ash (Sorbus sibiricus), which selectively absorbs 226Ra, and terrestrial green and aquatic mosses, which accumulate significant amounts of 238U.

Reduced-Impact Logging Maintain High Moss Diversity in Temperate Forests

Forestry harvesting represents an important economic activity around the world. Habitat degradation due to forest harvesting contributes to biodiversity loss; therefore, it is necessary to implement logging management aimed at reducing its impact. Forest management by reduce-impact logging (RIL) involves cutting trees following regulations focused on diminishing the impact on biodiversity by following harvesting plans based on forestry inventories and participation of trained workers. In Mexico, RIL is applied mainly in temperate habitats and its effectiveness has been assessed based on vascular plants. In this study, we analyzed the diversity and community structure of terrestrial and epiphytic mosses in managed (sites number = 3) and conserved (sites number = 3) sites in the temperate forest of Sierra Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico. Likewise, we evaluated the potential function of mosses as indicators of habitat degradation. Environmental variables were also quantified at local (canopy coverage, altitude, daily temperature, and light) and regional (total annual rainfall, orientation, and slope) scales to evaluate potential relationships with the community and species diversity. We documented 70 mosses species with a diversity (alfa, beta) and community structure similar between managed and conserved sites. For terrestrial mosses, we found marginal differences in their communities, likely related to species coverture variation in managed sites. The diversity and community structure epiphytic mosses were not statistically different in managed and conserved sites. Only the daily variation in light intensity was positively related to the variation of alpha diversity of epiphytic mosses. The species Dicranum sumichrastii Duby and Leptodontium viticulosoides (P. Beauv.) Wijk & Margad. can be considered as ecological indicators for conserved and managed sites, respectively, likely due to their relationship with light and humidity conditions. Our results suggest that that forest management by RIL could be considered as a promising tool to balance timber production and moss diversity.

Testing different methods of estimating edaphic inputs in moss biomonitoring.

Although soil is known to contribute to the concentrations of elements in moss, protocols for atmospheric biomonitoring with terrestrial moss do not include recommendations on how to address this factor. As a result, researchers indiscriminately use a wide range of detection/correction methods without considering whether the results are equivalent. In this study, three of these methods were compared: i) use of the enrichment factor (EF) index; ii) calculation of the ratios of different elements in soil and moss, and subtraction of the contribution of soil concentrations from the raw concentrations of elements in mosses (SCS); and iii) positive matrix factorization (PMF), a receptor modelling method for source apportioning based on multivariate analysis techniques. The aim of the comparison was to determine whether the methods produce equivalent results and, if not, which method is the most appropriate for use in moss biomonitoring surveys. The data used corresponded to 146 samples of Pseudoscleropodium purum collected from a regular sampling grid of 15×15km in Galicia (NW Spain). Comparison of the methods revealed that, although they yield relatively similar results, the corresponding interpretations are not equivalent and none of the methods provides a reliable estimate of the soil contribution to the concentrations of elements in moss samples. Independently of the technique applied, use of Ti as a reference element is not recommended, because, at least in this study, it was present at unusually high levels in moss. Given the absence of a reliable correction method and the fact that most elements are present in fairly high amounts in the soil, we recommend using atmospheric biomonitoring with moss only for Cu, Zn and Cd, i.e. for those elements in moss for which the soil contributes very low amounts and corrections are not therefore necessary.

Distribution and diversity of meiofauna along an aquatic-terrestrial moss ecotone

Summary This study provides first insights into the moss-dwelling meio-invertebrate community inhabiting mosses collected from underwater, splash-water and adjacent terrestrial habitats along a Swedish lake. Additionally, changes in both species and functional diversity of the nematode community were followed. Total meio-invertebrate mean densities and biomass peaked at 10 644.2 ± 2391.8 individuals (g dry weight (DW) moss)−1 and 14 199.3 ± 5037.3 μg DW (g DW moss)−1 underwater, 1 m away from the shoreline, where the community was strongly dominated by rotifers, followed by nematodes. Total invertebrate biomass in terrestrial mosses was much lower, indicative of a significantly higher carrying capacity of moss patches in aquatic environments, which provide a high level of resource turnover as well as a buffer against desiccation and extreme temperature fluctuations. We found a total of 74 nematode species and maximum diversity was attained 1 m away from the shoreline and at the splash-water zone. The underwater mosses at the shoreline thus housed the most diverse and abundant assemblages of meio-invertebrates, suggesting they may play an important ecological role at the land-water interface. Evidenced by the multiple shifts in dominance, our study clearly showed that feeding types differed between habitats. The taxonomic and functional segregation of the nematode community along the ecotone further indicated that the composition of nematode species assemblages has the potential to mirror the ecological changes of the study site, even at small scales.

Patterns and mechanisms of heavy metal accumulation and tolerance in two terrestrial moss species with contrasting habitat specialization

Anthropogenic activities have increased exposure to heavy metal pollution in previously uncontaminated ecosystems, threatening plant communities. Considering that phenotypic variation underlies rapid adjustment to challenging environmental conditions in natural populations, the study of variation in traits related to plant response to heavy metal stress provides valuable insight into the likelihood of a population’s survival. This paper investigates patterns of intraspecific phenotypic variation for heavy metal accumulation and tolerance in bryophytes, one of the most resilient and relatively understudied plant taxa. We examined two moss species with contrasting affinities for heavy metals: the heavy metal specialist Scopelophila cataractae, and the facultative metallophyte Ceratodon purpureus. We sampled four populations of S. cataractae in close microhabitats with different contamination levels of Cd and Cu, one population of C. purpureus in an urban area, and separate lab-maintained male and female isolates from one population of C. purpureus growing in axenic conditions. After clonally propagating all populations under control, Cd and Cu treatments, we measured plant fitness, oxidative damage, and Cd and Cu accumulation. Scopelophila cataractae isolates from microhabitats with higher levels of metals in the field (Sc2, Sc3) were more tolerant than those collected in less contaminated microhabitats (Sc1, Sc4). Sc2 and Sc3 accumulated significantly less Cu in the leaves compared to the stem which could limit damage to their main photosynthetic organs and contribute to the observed differences in Cu tolerance. In contrast C. purpureus showed intraspecific differences in tolerance to Cd and Cu, but not in accumulation. These differences arose among isolates that had never been exposed to heavy metals before. We also report the first evidence for sexual dimorphism for Cd tolerance in this species, with females being more tolerant than males. Altogether, our results provide novel insights into the mechanisms used by bryophytes to deal with heavy metal stress, as well as the first evidence for metal-dependent, sex-specific differences in heavy metal tolerance in bryophytes.

Heavy metals in different moss species in alpine ecosystems of Mountain Gongga, China: Geochemical characteristics and controlling factors.

Terrestrial mosses are promising tracers for research concerning metal atmospheric deposition and pollution. Concentrations of Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, Sr, Cd, Ba, and Pb in different moss species from Mountain Gongga, China were analyzed to investigate the effects of growth substrates, geographic elevation, and type of moss species on the accumulation characteristics of heavy metals, as well as to identify heavy metal sources. The ability of heavy metals to accumulate in moss varied significantly, with low concentrations of Cd and Co; medium concentrations of Cr, Ni, and Pb; and high concentrations of Zn, Sr, and Ba. Elevation significantly influenced the accumulation characteristics of heavy metals, with high concentrations found at lower elevations due to proximal pollution. Growth substrate and moss species were found to have certain influence on the bioconcentration capacities of heavy metals in moss in this study. Correlation analysis showed similar sources for Sr, Zn, and Ba, as well as for Ni, Co, and Cr. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was consistent with atmospheric deposition of Pb and Cd; substrate sources of Cr, Co, and Ni; and anthropogenic sources of Ba, Sr, and Zn. This research characterized the accumulation characteristics of heavy metals and their influence factors in different mosses found in alpine ecosystems and provides a reference for future studies in similar areas.

Initiation of radioecological monitoring of forest soils and plants at the Lithuanian border region before the start of the Belarusian nuclear power plant operation.

Knowledge of the background activity concentrations of anthropogenic radionuclides before the start of operation of the new nuclear power plant in Belarus, BelNPP, is an issue of great importance for neighbouring countries. In this study, we provide the pilot characterisation of the Lithuanian part of the 30-km zone of the BelNPP, emphasising the forest plants, terrestrial mosses, forest organic and mineral topsoil to describe the preoperational radioecological state of the pine forest ecosystem. Key anthropogenic radionuclides (14C, 3H, 137Cs and 239,240Pu) were analysed. The 14C specific activity varied from 97.80 ± 1.30 to 102.40 ± 0.79 pMC. The 3H specific activity in the tissue-free water tritium form varied from 13.2 ± 2.2 TU to 20.8 ± 2.3 TU, which corresponded to the 3H level of precipitation in this region. The activity concentrations of 239,240Pu in soil and moss samples did not exceed 1 Bq/kg and were mainly due to global fallout after nuclear tests. The 137Cs inventory in the pine forest soils of the Lithuanian part of the BelNPP 30-km zone varied from 930 ± 70 to 1650 ± 430 Bq/m2. High variation of the inventory and uneven distribution in the soil profile conditioned a wide range of 137Сs activity in terrestrial plants from 1.0 ± 0.5 to 40.5 ± 1.8 Bq/kg dry weight. The abundance of microorganisms in different seasons and soil depths do not exceed the natural levels. According to PCA loads, the number of microorganisms and variability of 137Cs specific activity is determined by soil abiotic parameters.

Achnanthes Bory Sensu Stricto (Bacillariophyta) from Terrestrial Habitats of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), with Description of Achnanthes pseudoinflata sp. nov.

The aim of the present work was to present the ecological and morphological characteristics of species from the genus Achnanthes Bory sensu stricto, which develops in terrestrial mosses near the Rio de Janeiro Botanic Garden, Brazil. A literature comparison was made with other similar species, including the LM and SEM analysis of original material bearing Achnanthes inflata (Kützing) Grunow housed at the Grunow Collection in Vienna, and data from the available literature. Samples were collected from clumps of moss growing on tree trunks, and from a concrete wall within the botanic garden. Four taxa from the genus Achnanthes were recorded: A. coarctata, A. inflata var. gibba, A. mauiensis and Achnanthes pseudoinflata sp. nov. The main morphological differences between these taxa were cell dimensions (length and width), striae and areolae density. The most common diatom species found in these samples were Humidophila sp. (90%), Humidophila contenta (74.8%), Luticola moreirae (17.9%), and Achnanthes pseudoinflata sp. nov. (7.4%).

Moss biomonitoring and air pollution modelling on a regional scale: delayed reflection of industrial pollution in moss in a heavily polluted region?

A passive biomonitoring survey using terrestrial mosses was performed in a heavily polluted industrial region on the border between Czechia and Poland in a regular grid of 41 sampling points. The concentrations of 38 elements were determined in the moss samples, using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA). Simultaneously, air pollution modelling was performed using the Czech reference methodology Symos'97 for the year of the sampling (2015) and 3years prior (2012) in order to compare the results of both the approaches and evaluate the credibility of the moss biomonitoring method. The NAA results were transformed according to the principles of compositional data analysis and assessed using hierarchical clustering on principal components. The resulting clusters were compared with the results of air pollution modelling using one-way analysis of variance. The association of determined clusters with the pollution from industrial sources was confirmed only for the results of the 2012 modelling. This validates the complementarity of the air pollution modelling and the moss biomonitoring, ascertains the moss biomonitoring as a valid method for long-term pollution assessment and confirms one of the fundamentals of moss biomonitoring, the reflection of the atmospheric conditions prevailing in the period before the sampling.

Assessment of atmospheric deposition in Central Russia using moss biomonitors, neutron activation analysis and GIS technologies

Moss biomonitoring technique was applied to study peculiarities of the spatial distribution of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals on the territory of the Vladimir and Yaroslavl regions of Russia. During the summer 2018, samples of the terrestrial mosses Pleurosium shreberi were collected at the 126 sites evenly distributed over the territory of investigated regions. The combination of neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry allowed to determine more than 30 elements in moss samples. To identify the main sources of air pollution multivariate data analysis technique—factor analysis was applied, while the deposition patterns of pollutants was illustrated using GIS technology. Median values of the elements were compared with the results obtained for other regions in Russia, which participated in moss survey studies. The contamination factors, Geo-accumulation Index and pollution load index were calculated for the following elements As, Sb, Pb, V, Cd, W, Fe, Cr, Ni and Co. The dominant anthropogenic sources of air pollutants in studied regions can be attributed to industrial activity and transport.

A Non‐steady State Model Based on Dual Nitrogen and Oxygen Isotopes to Constrain Moss Nitrate Uptake and Reduction

AbstractEpilithic mosses are early colonizers of the terrestrial biosphere, which constitute a special ecosystem regulating rock‐atmosphere interactions. Terrestrial mosses can take up nitrate (NO3−), a major form of bioavailable N, from soil substrates. However, the importance of substrate NO3− relative to atmospheric NO3− remains unclear in moss NO3− utilization. This has prevented the understanding of moss NO3− dynamics and their responses to environmental N loadings. This study investigated monthly concentrations, δ15N, and δ18O of NO3− in four epilithic moss species from August 2006 to August 2007 in Guiyang, southwestern China. We developed a non‐steady state isotope mass‐balance model to evaluate fractional contributions of atmospheric NO3− (Фatm) and soil NO3− (Фsoil), moss NO3− uptake flux (Finflux), moss NO3− reduction flux (Freduction), and the percentage of NO3− reduction in moss NO3− uptake (freduced). The monthly Фsoil values averaged 53 ± 13% and the monthly freduced values averaged 50 ± 35%. Both the monthly Freduction and freduced increased as the monthly Finflux increased, particularly when the Фsoil values were higher than Фatm values. However, the amount of annual NO3− reduction (219.7 ± 30.5 μg‐N/g, dw) accounted for only 1.0 ± 0.2% of the bulk N of the mosses. We conclude that half of the NO3− in epilithic mosses is derived from the soil NO3− and that NO3− uptake from the soil induces moss NO3− reduction, but the total NO3− assimilation contributed a low fraction of the total N in the studied mosses. These findings are important for understanding N sources and N dynamics in terrestrial mosses.

Moss-inhabiting diatoms as ecological indicators in Neora Valley National Park (Eastern Himalaya), India

Terrestrial mosses which retain moisture provide a suitable ambience for diatoms colonization and suitable experimental platforms for observing climate change impact. The distribution and diversity patterns of such epibryic diatom communities are governed by various biotic and abiotic factors of moss habitats. The present study is first of ever attempt to investigate the moss-inhabiting diatoms in relation to various abiotic environmental variables from the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). Samples were collected from 23 different sites in the Neora Valley National Park in Eastern Himalayas and analyzed through standard methods. Two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and cluster analysis (CA) performed to classify the samples and habitats while direct canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to determine the linkage between moss-inhabiting diatom species from various sample and abiotic environmental gradients. A total of 27 diatoms found colonizing on terrestrial moss patches from 23 sites of the park. CCA ordination plots showed that pH, conductivity and relative humidity were the primary factors influencing the diatom diversity and distribution, but altitude and temperature had no influence on the species distribution. But, correlation study on the average valve length of the most abundant and frequent taxa of Neora Valley National Park, i.e. Eunotia paludosa, E. bigibba and Hantzschia amphioxys, in relation to the environmental variables like, altitude, moisture content, relative humidity and temperature revealed a significant inference. The average valve length of these three diatoms decreases in warmer and drier climatic conditions at lower altitudes. Thus, these can be considered as potential indicator species to observe any climate change.

Copper Content and Resistance Mechanisms in the Terrestrial Moss Ptychostomum capillare: A Case Study in an Abandoned Copper Mine in Central Spain.

We present a case study on the tissue absorption of copper of a widely distributed moss species, Ptychostomum capillare in the polluted soil of an abandoned copper mine in central Spain. We studied the soil properties in a copper soil pollution gradient and sampled the moss tufts growing on them in four plots with contrasted soil copper levels. We determined the copper content in the soil and in the moss tissues. On these moss samples, we also performed histochemical tests and X-ray dispersive spectrometry coupled with scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), both in untreated shoots and in samples where surface waxes were removed. We checked the behavior of this species using a metallophillous moss, Scopelophila cataractae, for comparative purposes. Copper contents in P. capillare seem to depend more on available, rather than total soil copper contents. Our results indicate that this moss is able to concentrate 12-fold the available soil copper in soil with low available copper content, whereas in the most polluted soil the concentration of Cu in the moss was only half those levels. Both histochemical and SEM-EDX tests show no surface copper in the mosses from the least polluted plot, whereas in samples from the soil with highest copper content, the removal of surface waxes also reduces or removes copper from the moss shoots. Our observations point at a mixed strategy in P. capillare in this copper mine, with metal accumulation behavior in the lowest Cu plot, and an exclusion mechanism involving wax-like substances acting as a barrier in the most polluted plots. These distortions impede the estimation of environmental levels and thus compromise the value of this moss in biomonitoring. We highlight the need of extending these studies to other moss species, especially those used in biomonitoring programs.

Forest mosses sensitively indicate nitrogen deposition in boreal background areas

Mosses take up nitrogen (N) mainly from precipitation through their surfaces, which makes them competent bioindicators of N deposition. We found positive relationships between the total N concentration (mossN%) of common terrestrial moss species (feather mosses Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens, and a group of Dicranum species) and different forms of N deposition in 11–16 coniferous forests with low N deposition load in Finland. The mosses were collected either inside (Dicranum group) or both inside and outside (feather mosses) the forests. Deposition was monitored in situ as bulk deposition (BD) and stand throughfall (TF) and detected for ammonium (NH4+-N), nitrate (NO3−-N), dissolved organic N (DON), and total N (Ntot, kg ha−1yr−1). Ntot deposition was lower in TF than BD indicating that tree canopies absorbed N from deposition in N limited boreal stands. However, mossN% was higher inside than outside the forests. In regression equations, inorganic N in BD predicted best the mossN% in openings, while DON in TF explained most variation of mossN% in forests. An asymptotic form of mossN% vs. TF Ntot curves in forests and free NH4+-N accumulation in tissues in the southern plots suggested mosses were near the N saturation state already at the Ntot deposition level of 3–5 kg ha−1yr−1. N leachate from ground litterfall apparently also contributed the N supply of mosses. Our study yielded new information on the sensitivity of boreal mosses to low N deposition and their response to different N forms in canopy TF entering moss layer. The equations predicting the Ntot deposition with mossN% showed a good fit both in forest sites and openings, especially in case of P. schreberi. However, the open site mossN% is a preferable predictor of N deposition in monitoring studies to minimize the effect of tree canopies and N leachate from litterfall on the estimates.

Perspective of mitigating atmospheric heavy metal pollution: using mosses as biomonitoring and indicator organism.

Mosses were proved as an ideal and reliable biomonitor as well as an indicator of atmospheric trace metal pollution. They are used as model indicator species of air pollution since long back due to their simple structure, genetic diversity, totipotency, rapid colony-forming ability, and high metal resistance behavior. Bryomonitoring technique is gradually being popularized as an economically viable procedure for estimating the degrees of environmental health and evaluating the toxic pollutants in biosphere. Thus, in the present scenario, many parts of the world use these organisms for monitoring the air pollution. This article describes an overview of the relationship of terrestrial mosses with trace metals with respect to their uptake, accumulation, and toxification as well as detoxification and tolerance mechanisms. The review article explicitly expresses the caliber of the cryptogamic mosses in establishing the pristine environment around the world. It also highlights the underpinning mechanisms and potential for future research directions. We have referred more than 250 articles, which deals with the assessment and impact of different heavy metals on 52 numbers of different moss species belongs to different climatic zones. The present review covers the research work in this area carried out worldwide since 1965.