Biochemical transformation of Cetraria islandica lichen in the course of its aging and dying off

摘要

Chemical properties and microbiological characteristics of different parts of the thallus of lichen Cetraria islandica were studied in order to find the boundary between the parts of the thallus that are living and those that are dying off. The regularities of changes in the contents of total carbon, nitrogen, water-soluble hydrocarbons, and hemicelluloses during the aging of Cetraria islandica were determined. This lichen is widespread in the mountainous tundras of the Khibiny Mountains and in the southern taiga subzone of Estonia. The transformation of organic matter in the lower part of Cetraria islandica thallus is accompanied by changes in the number of microorganisms participating in the mineralization process. Data on the qualitative composition of microflora destroying the lichens, its biomass, and chemical composition of organic matter of the thallus can be used to assess the intensity of destruction processes.