The production of stress ethylene relative to the concentration of heavy metals and other elements in the lichen hypogymnia physodes

摘要

The objective of this study was to examine fluctuations in the production of ethylene by the lichen Hypogrymnia physodes indicative of environmental stress caused by air pollutants. In addition, we investigated the accumulation capacity of H. Physodes, transplanted in the vicinity of two streets having slow traffic and a highway in the city of Oulu, N. Finland, for a short period (45 d). The amounts of stress ethylene produced by the transplanted lichens was compared with the amounts of airborne elements accumulated in the thallus.