Differences Between Sensitivity of Mycobiont and Photobiont of Cladonia sp. Lichens to Different Types of Nitrogen Exposure

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Web End = Water Air Soil Pollut (2015) 226: 243 DOI 10.1007/s11270-015-2512-5

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Web End = Differences Between Sensitivity of Mycobiont and Photobiont of Cladonia sp. Lichens to Different Types of Nitrogen Exposure

Ivana Maslakov & Ivana Biov & Michal Goga &

Michal Kuchr & Martin Bakor

Received: 3 March 2015 /Accepted: 22 June 2015 /Published online: 8 July 2015 # Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015

Abstract Lichens absorb water, gases, dissolved substances, and especially pollutants by the entire surface, and they are considered to be the indicators of air quality. In our experiment, a sensitivity of Cladonia arbuscula subsp. mitis and Cladonia furcata lichens with the same photobiont Trebouxia was tested to nitrogen excess through a sensitivity of both the photobiont and mycobiont. Lichen ecophysiological parameters like chlorophyll a fluorescence, chlorophyll a integrity, the content of photosynthetic pigments, ergosterol, soluble proteins, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and secondary compounds were measured during two experiments that differed in time of nitrogen exposure. In the short-term experiment, also higher nitrogen concentrations were used to evaluate the dependence of different nitrogen concentrations. In the short-term experiment, lichens were soaked at the different solutions

of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) for describing an immediate effect of range of NH4NO3 concentrations. In the long-term experiment, lichens were sprayed with low NH4NO3 concentrations for 3 months for evaluating the effect of naturally occurring low nitrogen concentrations. Results showed that lichens responded differently in spite of having the same photobiont. The mycobiont of C. arbuscula subsp. mitis was more sensitive than mycobiont of C. furcata. In higher nitrogen concentrations, the photobiont of C. furcata was more sensitive than C. arbuscula subsp. mitis photobiont. Both lichens exhibited signs of damage; therefore, we conclude that they are sensitive to nitrogen excess, whileC. arbuscula subsp. mitis is more sensitive species. The secondary compound content did not change in neither of lichen species. Cladonia sp. response to nitrogen excess depends on length and nitrogen dose exposure.

Keywords Cladonia sp. . Nitrogen . Photobiont . Mycobiont

1 Introduction

The no protective waxy cuticle allows contaminants to move freely into the lichens. A cell wall...