Ramalina eckloniias a bioindicator of atmospheric pollution in Argentina

Abstract

The lichen Ramalina ecklonii (Spreng.) Mey. and Flot. was transplanted to 24 biomonitoring sites along three transects in the western area of Córdoba, Argentina, and tested for chlorophyll, phaeophytin conjugated dienes concentration, soluble protein content, and sulfur accumulation. The transects represented three levels of vehicular traffic. Significant differerences were observed in sulfur content, phaeophytin b, total phaeophytin, and dry mass to fresh mass ratio (DM/FM). A pollution index (PI) was calculated based on the ratio of phaeophytin a to chlorophyll a and the ratio of sulfur and conjugated dienes in transplanted specimens to sulfur and conjugated dienes in the control specimens. Significant differences in PI among the transects were observed; the lowest PI was at the control site, and the highest along the sampling line having the greatest amount of traffic. Key words: lichen, Ramalina ecklonii, biomonitoring, air pollution.