Department of Plant Taxonomy, Phytogeography and Herbarium, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Kopernika 27, 31-501, Kraków, Poland,
Environ Monit Assess. 2014 Sep;186(9):5897-910. doi: 10.1007/s10661-014-3827-1. Epub 2014 Jun 7.
This study aims to determine changes in the structure of cryptogamic vegetation of poor psammophilous grassland along a pollution gradient near a zinc smelter to evaluate the potential of species assemblages as bioindicators of soil condition. Lichens and bryophytes were examined in study plots along six transects in four distance zones, and the physicochemical properties of corresponding soil samples were analysed. Four different responses of species to substrate contamination were identified, with a distinct group of species resistant to and favoured by metal contamination. Although species richness decreases as one approaches the smelter, the gradual replacement of certain sensitive species by resistant ones was observed along the pollution gradient. The results enabled us to develop a useful tool to diagnose strongly polluted sites. Two different cryptogamic assemblages of well-recognised key species characteristic for strongly polluted and lightly polluted sites were distinguished. We conclude that cryptogamic community structure clearly corresponds to the degree of soil contamination, thus demonstrating high bioindicative value. The study confirmed the high relevance of the community approach in metal pollution biomonitoring.
本研究旨在确定锌冶炼厂附近贫瘠沙生草原中隐花植物群落在污染梯度上的结构变化，以评估物种组合作为土壤状况生物指示剂的潜力。在四个距离带的六条测线上的研究样地中检查了地衣和苔藓植物，并分析了相应土壤样本的理化性质。确定了物种对基质污染的四种不同反应，有一组明显的物种对金属污染具有抗性和偏好性。尽管随着靠近冶炼厂，物种丰富度会降低，但在污染梯度上，某些敏感物种逐渐被抗性物种所取代。研究结果使我们能够开发出一种有用的工具来诊断强污染的地点。区分出了两种具有高度生物指示价值的特征性隐花植物组合，一种是强污染地点，另一种是轻度污染地点。我们得出结论，隐花植物群落结构与土壤污染程度明显对应，因此表现出高度的生物指示价值。该研究证实了群落方法在金属污染生物监测中的高度相关性。
