Lichens are one of the most responsive components of the ecosystem to reactive forms of nitrogen.... more Lichens are one of the most responsive components of the ecosystem to reactive forms of nitrogen. In this work, we selected the lichen genera Cladonia and Usnea, composed of terricolous and epiphytic lichens respectively, and described as sensitive to nitrogen, to test the effects of different doses of nitrogen on lichen physiological parameters (photobiont and mycobiont vitality, chitin quantification, nitrogen content and stable isotopes analysis). The main objectives were to check if the activation of protective mechanisms could be stimulated in case of chronic stress (low nitrogen increase for prolonged time), and, if so, if a toxicity threshold could be identified above which these mechanisms fail. The two lichen genera were generally affected by prolonged exposure to increased nitrogen availability. However, Cladonia rangiformis was able to maintain physiological functioning at the lowest nitrogen doses used, whereas thalli of Usnea become overwhelmed. Moreover, the mycobiont ...
A common view is that honeybees are mostly managed by beekeepers for commercial purposes or as a ... more A common view is that honeybees are mostly managed by beekeepers for commercial purposes or as a hobby, especially in Europe. This misconception is probably due to the lack of systematic studies on wild colonies of honeybees in Europe in comparison to other regions of the world. Since we are used to considering this species as "domesticated", we may be induced to disregard activities not distinctly linked with colony survival, reproduction, or productivity. Washboarding is one of them in which the entire colony stops resource collection activities; numerous individual bees assemble on the front side of the hive and perform repetitive movements back and forth. They are curiously synchronised but apparently without a scope. In this exploratory work, we carried out a literature review of available, mostly grey, literature. Assuming this behaviour may be linked to cavity-nesting and to tree trunks or rocks being rough surfaces hosting various cryptogams, we performed preliminary observations and manipulative experiments. From our survey, we depict that washboarding is frequently reported in grey literature/beekeepers' reports, but rarely mentioned in scientific literature. Beekeepers who responded to a designed questionnaire observed this behaviour in various ecological situations, with no trend emerging. Our preliminary experiment of placing cryptogams in front of managed hives resulted in honeybees removing lichens (foliose types) or covering with propolis, and all species were affected. Further research is needed to clarify if lichens are removed because of their chemical compounds, because of hosting potentially toxic microorganisms, or collected as resources.
Atmospheric nitrogen (N) inputs in the Mediterranean Basin are projected to increase due to fossi... more Atmospheric nitrogen (N) inputs in the Mediterranean Basin are projected to increase due to fossil fuel combustion, fertilizer use, and the exacerbation of agricultural production processes. Although increasing N deposition is recognized as a major threat to ecosystem functioning, little is known about how local environmental conditions modulate ecosystem function response to N addition, particularly in the context of Mediterranean-Basin ecosystems. Here, we assess how N addition affects important ecosystem properties associated with litter decomposition, soil physical-chemical properties, soil extracellular enzymatic activity and microbial abundance across three long-term N addition experimental sites in the Mediterranean Basin. Sites were located in El Regajal (Madrid, Spain), Capo Caccia (Alghero, Italy), and Arrábida (Lisbon, Portugal) and are all representative of Mediterranean shrublands. No common pattern for litter decomposition process or other studied variables emerged amo...
Lichens have long been considered as composite organisms composed of algae and/or cyanobacteria h... more Lichens have long been considered as composite organisms composed of algae and/or cyanobacteria hosted by a fungus in a mutualistic relationship. Other organisms have been gradually discovered within the lichen thalli, such as multiple algal species, yeasts, or even viruses. Of pivotal relevance is the existence of the lichen microbiome, which is a community of microorganisms that can be found living together on the lichen surface. This community performs a growing number of functions. In this entry, we explore the journey of lichens being considered from a dual partnership to a multi-species symbiotic relationship.
In the quest for eco‐friendly products with biostimulant properties, foliar application of wood d... more In the quest for eco‐friendly products with biostimulant properties, foliar application of wood distillate (WD) was tested on the growth and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). WD (pyroligneous acid) is a by‐product of plant biomass pyrolysis and is rich in biologically active substances like polyphenols, alcohols, acids and esters. In this work, chickpea plants were sprayed weekly with 100 ml 0.25% (v/v) chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) WD during the whole growing period, and at the end physiological and nutritional analyses were performed both on the whole plant and on seeds. While plant height and weight did not change significantly, seeds showed an increase in diameter (+11.2%) and weight (+33.3%), and in the content of starch (+45.9%), total soluble protein (+12.9%), total polyphenol (+16.4%) and antioxidant power (+28.4%). Overall, the content of essential free amino acids increased, except for lysine (−3.4%), phenylalanine (−10.5%) and methionine (−13.7%). Among all the m...
ÉCLAIRE Effects of Climate Change on Air Pollution Impacts and Response Strategies for European Ecosystems Seventh Framework Programme Theme: Environment Project Final Report
The central goal of ECLAIRE is to assess how climate change will alter the extent to which air po... more The central goal of ECLAIRE is to assess how climate change will alter the extent to which air pollutants threaten terrestrial ecosystems. Particular attention has been given to nitrogen compounds, especially nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ammonia (NH3), as well as Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs) in relation to tropospheric ozone (O3) formation, including their interactions with aerosol components. ECLAIRE has combined a broad program of field and laboratory experimentation and modelling of pollution fluxes and ecosystem impacts, advancing both mechanistic understanding and providing support to European policy makers. The central finding of ECLAIRE is that future climate change is expected to worsen the threat of air pollutants on Europe’s ecosystems. Firstly, climate warming is expected to increase the emissions of many trace gases, such as agricultural NH3, the soil component of NOx emissions and key BVOCs. Experimental data and numerical models show how these effects will tend to increase atmospheric N deposition in future. By contrast, the net effect on tropospheric O3 is less clear. This is because parallel increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations will offset the temperature-driven increase for some BVOCs, such as isoprene. By contrast, there is currently insufficient evidence to be confident that CO2 will offset anticipated climate increases in monoterpene emissions. Secondly, climate warming is found to be likely to increase the vulnerability of ecosystems towards air pollutant exposure or atmospheric deposition. Such effects may occur as a consequence of combined perturbation, as well as through specific interactions, such as between drought, O3, N and aerosol exposure. These combined effects of climate change are expected to offset part of the benefit of current emissions control policies. Unless decisive mitigation actions are taken, it is anticipated that ongoing climate warming will increase agricultural and other biogenic emissions, posing a challenge for national emissions ceilings and air quality objectives related to nitrogen and ozone pollution. The O3 effects will be further worsened if progress is not made to curb increases in methane (CH4) emissions in the northern hemisphere. Other key findings of ECLAIRE are that: 1) N deposition and O3 have adverse synergistic effects. Exposure to ambient O3 concentrations was shown to reduce the Nitrogen Use Efficiency of plants, both decreasing agricultural production and posing an increased risk of other forms of nitrogen pollution, such as nitrate leaching (NO3-) and the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O); 2) within-canopy dynamics for volatile aerosol can increase dry deposition and shorten atmospheric lifetimes; 3) ambient aerosol levels reduce the ability of plants to conserve water under drought conditions; 4) low-resolution mapping studies tend to underestimate the extent of local critical loads exceedance; 5) new dose-response functions can be used to improve the assessment of costs, including estimation of the value of damage due to air pollution effects on ecosystems, 6) scenarios can be constructed that combine technical mitigation measures with dietary change options (reducing livestock products in food down to recommended levels for health criteria), with the balance between the two strategies being a matter for future societal discussion. ECLAIRE has supported the revision process for the National Emissions Ceilings Directive and will continue to deliver scientific underpinning into the future for the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution.
The ECLAIRE project (Effects of Climate Change on Air Pollution Impacts and Response Strategies f... more The ECLAIRE project (Effects of Climate Change on Air Pollution Impacts and Response Strategies for European Ecosystems) is a four year (2011-2015) project funded by the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7).
While restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have strongly limited and affected the work o... more While restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have strongly limited and affected the work of scientists and communicators, the pandemic has also encouraged the development of new ways of networking and public engagement. People have had to resort to virtual events, with a subsequent proliferation of webinars, online meetings, and digital resources. In this situation we have had to find new ways of measuring the impact of these activities. Using the activities of the Italian Lichen Society (Società Lichenologica Italiana, SLI), Google Trends and colleagues' contributions, we evaluated the performances and impacts of virtual tools on lichenological literacy. We compared the relative success of virtual and in-person events and the effort required; we evaluated followers' appreciation of various categories of posts on SLI Facebook page; and designed a questionnaire to collate information on individual experiences of in-person and virtual events linked to lichens. As expected, online events generally required less effort to put together and deploy than in-person events and engaged more people, especially when recorded and made available online for a long time. Using online searches for the word "lichens" we found an association with national events, and there was a notable increase in membership of SLI over the last 10 years, demonstrating an increasing interest by people in lichens. Without excluding the positive effects of in-person experiences, we believe that online events offer a powerful tool to help increase interest in, and knowledge about lichens. This interest may help to mitigate the impact of anthropogenic activities on this sensitive component of the ecosystem and help human-lichen relationships.
Este artigo é de acesso livre, distribuído sob licença Creative Commons com a designação CC-BY-NC... more Este artigo é de acesso livre, distribuído sob licença Creative Commons com a designação CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0, que permite a utilização e a partilha para fins não comerciais, desde que citado o autor e a fonte original do artigo.
Lichen δ 15 N is a suitable tool to interpret the spatial distribution of NH 3 sources. • X. pari... more Lichen δ 15 N is a suitable tool to interpret the spatial distribution of NH 3 sources. • X. parietina kept its potential photosynthetic activity at higher NH 3 doses than E. prunastri. • Tolerant species are preferred to sensitive ones in areas with high N pollution.
Soils are being degraded at an alarming rate and thereby also crucial ecosystem goods and service... more Soils are being degraded at an alarming rate and thereby also crucial ecosystem goods and services. Nitrogen (N) enrichment is a major driver of this degradation. While the negative impacts of N enrichment on vegetation are well known globally, those on various ecological interactions, and on ecosystem functioning, remain largely unknown. Because Mediterranean ecosystems are N limited, they are good model systems for evaluating how N enrichment impacts not only vegetation but also ecological partnerships and ecosystem functioning. Using a 7‐year N‐manipulation (dose and form) field experiment running in a Mediterranean Basin maquis located in a region with naturally low ambient N deposition (<4 kg N ha−1 y−1), we assessed the impacts of the N additions on (i) the dominant plant species (photosynthetic N‐use efficiency); (ii) plant–soil ecological partnerships with ectomycorrhiza and N‐fixing bacteria; and (iii) ecosystem degradation (plant–soil cover, biological mineral weatherin...
Environmental science and pollution research international, Jan 11, 2017
Atmospheric dust pollution, especially particulate matter below 2.5 μm, causes 3.3 million premat... more Atmospheric dust pollution, especially particulate matter below 2.5 μm, causes 3.3 million premature deaths per year worldwide. Although pollution sources are increasingly well known, the role of ecosystems in mitigating their impact is still poorly known. Our objective was to investigate the role of forests located in the surrounding of industrial and urban areas in reducing atmospheric dust pollution. This was tested using lichen transplants as biomonitors in a Mediterranean regional area with high levels of dry deposition. After a multivariate analysis, we have modeled the maximum pollution load expected for each site taking into consideration nearby pollutant sources. The difference between maximum expected pollution load and the observed values was explained by the deposition in nearby forests. Both the dust pollution and the ameliorating effect of forested areas were then mapped. The results showed that forest located nearby pollution sources plays an important role in reducin...
Symbiotic lifestyle - 8th International Symbiosis Society (ISS) congress, Lisbon (Portugal), 12–18 July 2015
Symbiosis, 2016
BWe are all lichens^ (Gilbert et al. 2012). In other words, we are not, and have never been, indi... more BWe are all lichens^ (Gilbert et al. 2012). In other words, we are not, and have never been, individual functional entities, and scientists need to adapt to the paradigm in which symbiosis is not an exception but one of the main characteristics of biological systems. During their long-lasting co-existence, organisms have evolved strong interdependencies, often with microbes (Selosse et al. 2014), so that organisms cannot anymore be viewed as independent units. If one doubts this, the presentations delivered at the 8th International Symbiosis Society (ISS) congress held in Lisbon (Portugal), 12–18 July 2015, should provide enough evidence on how the success of living organisms relies on their biological and functional networks. In fact, symbiosis is increasingly viewed as a fundamental component of plant and animal life on Earth contributing to organismal health, nutrition, survival, and even development. With ca. 300 participants from 33 countries, the congress, which had the theme BSymbiotic lifestyle^, was composed of 11 thematic sessions, spanning a range of symbiotic systems, and 8 focused sessions, each devoted to a specific symbiotic association. The symbiotic Blifestyle^ was also assessed in daily plenary talks on very diverse aspects of symbiosis ranging from an historical to a contemporary focus, and even to a consideration of societal implications. One of the aims of the ISS Congresses is to disseminate the concept of symbiosis and its importance among scientific but also non-scientific communities. Scientific dissemination beyond the congress is ensured by this special volume of the journal Symbiosis. The social impact of the event is based on the now traditional hands-on teaching session on symbiosis. In this, no less than 20 symbiotic models integrated with protocols for study, suitable for classroom activities, adjustable to students at distinct levels, were presented in an Bopen access^ session. Lichens, mycorrhizae, anemones and xanthellae, cereal weevils and their bacteria, as well as phototrophic symbioses in plankton, etc., represented all ecosystems. The dynamics established around the teaching session (Fig. 1) motivated participation by the many students and teachers, eager to introduce the subject of their favourite symbiosis. Particular importance and one of the high moments of the teaching session was the presentation by 10–11 year old students of a poster on experimental work with earthworms undertaken during the school year. In fact, Gregory Crocetti and Briony Barr reminded us that we are never too young to start being fascinated by the concept of symbiosis, presenting the Small Friends book series that tells stories about symbiotic relationships between microbes and larger forms of life. This special ISS Congress volume comprises a selection of papers based on the works presented at the congress, which describes a variety of networking strategies involving molecular, physical, or physiological communication between plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. The dual nature of lichens was first proposed in 1866, 12 years before the term BSymbiose^ was proposed to describe the union of unlike organisms (Mitchell 2014). In spite * Silvana Munzi ssmunzi@fc.ul.pt
Nitrogen deposition effects on leaf physiology of Mediterranean species
Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and climate change are among the most relevant drivers of bio... more Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and climate change are among the most relevant drivers of biodiversity loss, also affecting ecosystem functions and services. Consequently, there is a growing need to improve our understanding of their isolated and combined effects. Atmospheric N deposition can alter plant functionality and diversity because of species differences in resource acquisition, resource-use efficiency and allocation, and growth response. Nitrogen deposition might increase also the susceptibility of plants to other biotic and abiotic stresses like drought events increasing shoot:root ratios, changing the response pattern of stomatal conductance to drought, altering the Water Use Efficiency. We hypothesized that N addition would increase mesophyll conductance in order to support the increased demand for CO2 by an augmented photosynthetic capacity. However, during drought stress, these effects would disappear or even reverse to avoid excessive water loss. The hypothesis wi...
A comprehensive biomonitoring programme should integrate several methods distributed along the bi... more A comprehensive biomonitoring programme should integrate several methods distributed along the biomonitoring chain, allowing to detect exposure, threads and impacts. In the case of a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI), biomonitoring of air pollution can contribute to source attribution, detection of ongoing processes and assessment of environmental effects. Three different methods were used to assess the biological effects of air pollution around a MSWI using lichens as biomonitors: (1) lichen diversity; (2) bioaccumulation of trace elements; and (3) physiological status (photosynthetic efficiency, cell membrane damage, viability). The first method takes into account the native lichen flora, while the other two were applied to thalli of the lichen Evernia prunastri transplanted for 6 months in the study area. Lichen diversity and physiological parameters reflected the effects of air pollution around the incinerator and the surrounding industrial area. High frequencies of non-nitrophilous species corresponded to sites with higher environmental quality, while high frequencies of nitrophilous species corresponded to sites with higher level of eutrophication. Transplanted samples showed increased cell membrane damage and reduced vitality respect to control samples. Bioaccumulation of trace elements pointed at the atmospheric origin of Hg depositions in the area. These results suggest that an integrated use of lichen-based methods along the biomonitoring chain can provide useful biological outputs for decision-makers to establish correct sustainable waste management policies.
Lichens as ecological indicators in urban areas: Beyond the effects of pollutants
ABSTRACT 1. In this work, we hypothesized that in urban areas with reduced pollution levels, loca... more ABSTRACT 1. In this work, we hypothesized that in urban areas with reduced pollution levels, local climatic conditions can be an important driver of lichen diversity. Thus, lichen functional groups could be used to study the effects of the urban heat island, characterized by higher temperature and lower humidity in urban than in peri-urban areas. To test this hypothesis, we sampled functional groups of epiphytic lichens in 48 forest remnants of a Mediterranean urban area (Almada, Portugal).2. Of all tested functional groups (including those most closely associated with air pollution), groups related to water requirements showed the most significant correlations with surrounding artificial areas, roads and forest. These results suggest that the current major driver of lichen diversity is the climate within the urban area rather than air pollution, as frequently assumed.3. The analysis of local climate using meteorological data of temperature and humidity confirmed the existence of urban heat island in the study area.4. Synthesis and applications. The analysis of lichen functional groups gave an integrated response to the climatic modifications occurring in urban areas, namely to the urban heat island, suggesting that lichens can be used as a tool to evaluate the impact of urban areas on local climate and the effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation strategies if pollution levels are low.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
iNaturalist is a widely-utilized platform for data collection and sharing among non-professional ... more iNaturalist is a widely-utilized platform for data collection and sharing among non-professional volunteers and is widely employed in citizen science. This platform's data are also used in scientific studies for a wide range of purposes, including tracking changes in species distribution, monitoring the spread of alien-invasive species, and assessing the impacts of urbanization and land-use change on biodiversity. Lichens, due to their year-round presence on trees, soil and rocks, and their diverse shapes and colours, have captured the attention of iNaturalist users, and lichen records are widely represented on the platform. However, due to the complexity of lichen identification, the use of data collected by untrained, or poorly trained volunteers in scientific investigation poses concerns among lichenologists. To address these concerns, this study assessed the reliability of lichen identification by iNaturalist users by comparing records on the platform with identifications ca...
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