Revisions for Lichen for Air Quality Biomonitoring
| 11 CURRENT | fongvania |
September 23, 2022 04:26
| over 1 year ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors, or bioindicators. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and LimitationsUse CasesThere are many benefits to using lichen to assess air quality compared to traditional instrumentation. Namely, biomonitoring with lichens tends to be lower cost than installing monitoring instruments or collecting samples, and there is a database of baseline "clean" lichen community composition in Forest Service plots for comparison. Furthermore, lichen have a wide geographic range and can monitor air quality in locations not amenable to sensors or equipment, making them suitable for assessing relative air quality in a region. Limitations and ConsiderationsHowever, you should be aware of the limitations and considerations of using lichens for air quality biomonitoring. As with all bioindicators, lichen composition and health are influenced by factors other than the parameter of interest, which in this case is air quality, so other environmental variables such as temperature, relative humidity, available substrates, elevation, and precipitation need to be collected and used to isolate the pollution signal. In other words, multivariate analysis is often required. Another consideration is that lichens do not absorb particulates, and there are limited methods to use lichen to assess PM. In addition, while academic research on this topic is abundant, to our knowledge, there is no known precedent for a large-scale US community science project using lichen as air quality bioindicators, and US regulatory agencies are often unfamiliar with lichen monitoring data. Thus, it is critical to clearly communicate monitoring design and/or to convert lichen data into pollutant concentration units familiar to regulators through co-location with instrumented monitors and calibration. Currently, lichen are most useful as low-cost screening tools to identify pollution hotspots and prioritize placement of more expensive equipment. MethodsCategories of Methods
Specific MethodsCommunity Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis Other Guidance for Study DesignDetermining Lichen Species of Interest The number of species and the species considered in the study depend on several factors. - Study method
Spatial Sampling When collecting data on epiphytic lichen, to characterize an area, it is impractical to survey all the trees in the entire area of interest. So how do you survey a subset of the trees while making sure that the subset (also known as sample), can adequately represent the entire area? Enter: spatial sampling. First, you need to determine what is the parameter you are sampling–is it a fixed area, like a city block or a grid, or is it a single tree? Then, you can consider the main sampling strategies:
After determining your sampling method, you will want to collect a "pilot" sample to test out your fieldwork technique(s) and inform a final sample size. You can then use the instructions laid out in the "Sampling Size" section to estimate a sample size for a given margin of error. Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators Consulting Experts Questions[questions:lichen] Research notes[notes:lichen] Wikis[wikis:lichen] Activities[activities:lichen]
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| 10 | fongvania |
September 14, 2022 06:41
| over 1 year ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors, or bioindicators. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and LimitationsUse CasesThere are many benefits to using lichen to assess air quality compared to traditional instrumentation. Namely, biomonitoring with lichens tends to be lower cost than installing monitoring instruments or collecting samples, and there is a database of baseline "clean" lichen community composition in Forest Service plots for comparison. Furthermore, lichen have a wide geographic range and can monitor air quality in locations not amenable to sensors or equipment, making them suitable for assessing relative air quality in a region. Limitations and ConsiderationsHowever, you should be aware of the limitations and considerations of using lichens for air quality biomonitoring. As with all bioindicators, lichen composition and health are influenced by factors other than the parameter of interest, which in this case is air quality, so other environmental variables such as temperature, relative humidity, available substrates, elevation, and precipitation need to be collected and used to isolate the pollution signal. In other words, multivariate analysis is often required. Another consideration is that lichens do not absorb particulates, and there are limited methods to use lichen to assess PM. In addition, while academic research on this topic is abundant, to our knowledge, there is no known precedent for a large-scale US community science project using lichen as air quality bioindicators, and US regulatory agencies are often unfamiliar with lichen monitoring data. Thus, it is critical to clearly communicate monitoring design and/or to convert lichen data into pollutant concentration units familiar to regulators through co-location with instrumented monitors and calibration. Currently, lichen are most useful as low-cost screening tools to identify pollution hotspots and prioritize placement of more expensive equipment. MethodsCategories of Methods
Specific MethodsCommunity Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis Other Guidance for Study DesignDetermining Lichen Species of Interest The number of species and the species considered in the study depend on several factors. - Study method
Spatial Sampling When collecting data on epiphytic lichen, to characterize an area, it is impractical to survey all the trees in the entire area of interest. So how do you survey a subset of the trees while making sure that the subset (also known as sample), can adequately represent the entire area? Enter: spatial sampling. First, you need to determine what is the parameter you are sampling–is it a fixed area, like a city block or a grid, or is it a single tree? Then, you can consider the main sampling strategies:
Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators Consulting Experts Questions[questions:lichen] Research notes[notes:lichen] Wikis[wikis:lichen] Activities[activities:lichen]
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| 9 | fongvania |
July 21, 2022 06:13
| almost 2 years ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors, or bioindicators. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and LimitationsUse CasesThere are many benefits to using lichen to assess air quality compared to traditional instrumentation. Namely, biomonitoring with lichens tends to be lower cost than installing monitoring instruments or collecting samples, and there is a database of baseline "clean" lichen community composition in Forest Service plots for comparison. Furthermore, lichen have a wide geographic range and can monitor air quality in locations not amenable to sensors or equipment, making them suitable for assessing relative air quality in a region. Limitations and ConsiderationsHowever, you should be aware of the limitations and considerations of using lichens for air quality biomonitoring. As with all bioindicators, lichen composition and health are influenced by factors other than the parameter of interest, which in this case is air quality, so other environmental variables such as temperature, relative humidity, available substrates, elevation, and precipitation need to be collected and used to isolate the pollution signal. In other words, multivariate analysis is often required. Another consideration is that lichens do not absorb particulates, and there are limited methods to use lichen to assess PM. In addition, while academic research on this topic is abundant, to our knowledge, there is no known precedent for a large-scale US community science project using lichen as air quality bioindicators, and US regulatory agencies are often unfamiliar with lichen monitoring data. Thus, it is critical to clearly communicate monitoring design and/or to convert lichen data into pollutant concentration units familiar to regulators through co-location with instrumented monitors and calibration. Currently, lichen are most useful as low-cost screening tools to identify pollution hotspots and prioritize placement of more expensive equipment. MethodsCategories of Methods
Specific MethodsCommunity Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis Other Guidance for Study DesignDetermining Lichen Species of Interest The number of species and the species considered in the study depend on several factors. - Study method
Spatial Sampling Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators Consulting Experts Questions[questions:lichen] Research notes[notes:lichen] Wikis[wikis:lichen] Activities[activities:lichen]
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| 8 | fongvania |
July 21, 2022 02:38
| almost 2 years ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors, or bioindicators. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and LimitationsUse CasesThere are many benefits to using lichen to assess air quality compared to traditional instrumentation. Namely, biomonitoring with lichens tends to be lower cost than installing monitoring instruments or collecting samples, and there is a database of baseline "clean" lichen community composition in Forest Service plots for comparison. Furthermore, lichen have a wide geographic range and can monitor air quality in locations not amenable to sensors or equipment, making them suitable for assessing relative air quality in a region. Limitations and ConsiderationsHowever, you should be aware of the limitations and considerations of using lichens for air quality biomonitoring. As with all bioindicators, lichen composition and health are influenced by factors other than the parameter of interest, which in this case is air quality, so other environmental variables such as temperature, relative humidity, available substrates, elevation, and precipitation need to be collected and used to isolate the pollution signal. In other words, multivariate analysis is often required. In addition, while academic research on this topic is abundant, to our knowledge, there is no known precedent for a large-scale US community science project using lichen as air quality bioindicators, and US regulatory agencies are often unfamiliar with lichen monitoring data. Thus, it is critical to clearly communicate monitoring design and/or to convert lichen data into pollutant concentration units familiar to regulators through co-location with instrumented monitors and calibration. Currently, lichen are most useful as low-cost screening tools to identify pollution hotspots and prioritize placement of more expensive equipment. MethodsCategories of Methods
|Artificial substrates such as plastic air filters and burlap| |Cost|Lab testing cost varies; $50-$250 per sample depending on processing steps required and elements to test for. Laboratory-grade specimen bags can be expensive||| |Considerations|Lab turnaround times can take 6-12 months||| Specific MethodsCommunity Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis Other Guidance for Study DesignDetermining Lichen Species of Interest Spatial Sampling Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators Consulting Experts Questions[questions:lichen] Research notes[notes:lichen] Wikis[wikis:lichen] Activities[activities:lichen]
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| 7 | fongvania |
July 21, 2022 02:26
| almost 2 years ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors, or bioindicators. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and LimitationsUse CasesThere are many benefits to using lichen to assess air quality compared to traditional instrumentation. Namely, biomonitoring with lichens tends to be lower cost than installing monitoring instruments or collecting samples, and there is a database of baseline "clean" lichen community composition in Forest Service plots for comparison. Furthermore, lichen have a wide geographic range and can monitor air quality in locations not amenable to sensors or equipment, making them suitable for assessing relative air quality in a region. Limitations and ConsiderationsHowever, you should be aware of the limitations and considerations of using lichens for air quality biomonitoring. As with all bioindicators, lichen composition and health are influenced by factors other than the parameter of interest, which in this case is air quality, so other environmental variables such as temperature, relative humidity, available substrates, elevation, and precipitation need to be collected and used to isolate the pollution signal. In other words, multivariate analysis is often required. In addition, while academic research on this topic is abundant, to our knowledge, there is no known precedent for a large-scale US community science project using lichen as air quality bioindicators, and US regulatory agencies are often unfamiliar with lichen monitoring data. Thus, it is critical to clearly communicate monitoring design and/or to convert lichen data into pollutant concentration units familiar to regulators through co-location with instrumented monitors and calibration. Currently, lichen are most useful as low-cost screening tools to identify pollution hotspots and prioritize placement of more expensive equipment. MethodsCategories of Methods||Elemental Analysis|Community Analysis|Physiological Assessment|Transplant Study| |------|------|------|------|------| |Description |Collect lichen samples for laboratory analysis to determine identifies and concentrations of elements of interest|Collect and compare information on richness, abundance, and presence/absence of indicator species over geographic space or time.| Analyze changes in lichen anatomy and photosynthetic ability of naturally occurring lichen or transplanted specimens in response to exposure to pollutants. Examples of parameters to measure include chlorophyll concentrations, chlorophyll fluorescence, cell membrane integrity, CO2 exchange capacity.|Transplanting healthy lichen to a test area and measuring physiological response and/or elemental accumulation.| |Expertise Required|Lichen Identification, Laboratory Analysis, Results interpretation|Lichen Identification|Lichen Identification|Lichen Collection and Transplantation| |Equipment|Hand lens, Special laboratory-grade collection bags |Hand lens|Varies, but can include:
Laboratory-grade specimen bags can be expensive ||| |Considerations|||| Specific MethodsCommunity Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis Other Guidance for Study DesignDetermining Lichen Species of Interest Spatial Sampling Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators Consulting Experts Questions[questions:lichen] Research notes[notes:lichen] Wikis[wikis:lichen] Activities[activities:lichen]
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| 6 | fongvania |
July 07, 2022 06:21
| almost 2 years ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors, or bioindicators. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and LimitationsThere are many benefits to using lichen to assess air quality compared to traditional instrumentation. Namely, biomonitoring with lichens tends to be lower cost than installing instruments, and there is a database of baseline "clean" lichen community composition in Forest Service plots. Lichen have a wide geographic range and can monitor air quality in locations not amenable to sensors or equipment, making them suitable for assessing relative air quality in a region. However, you should be aware of the limitations and considerations of using lichens for air quality biomonitoring. As with all bioindicators, lichen composition and health are influenced by factors other than the parameter of interest, which in this case is air quality, so other environmental variables such as temperature, relative humidity, available substrates, elevation, and precipitation need to be collected and used to isolate the pollution signal. In addition, regulatory agencies in the US tend to be unfamiliar with lichen monitoring data. Thus, it is critical to clearly communicate monitoring design and/or to convert lichen data into pollutant concentration units familiar to regulators through co-location with instrumented monitors and calibration. Currently, lichen are most useful as low-cost screening tools to identify pollution hotspots and prioritize placement of more expensive equipment. MethodsCategories of Methods
Specific MethodsCommunity Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis Other Guidance for Study DesignDetermining Lichen Species of Interest Spatial Sampling Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators Consulting Experts Questions[questions:lichen] Research notes[notes:lichen] Wikis[wikis:lichen] Activities[activities:lichen]
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| 5 | fongvania |
June 06, 2022 06:11
| almost 2 years ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors, or bioindicators. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and Limitations[Placeholder] MethodsCategories of Methods
Specific MethodsCommunity Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis Other Guidance for Study DesignDetermining Lichen Species of Interest Spatial Sampling Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators Consulting Experts Questions[questions:lichen] Research notes[notes:lichen] Wikis[wikis:lichen] Activities[activities:lichen]
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| 4 | fongvania |
June 03, 2022 06:12
| almost 2 years ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and Limitations[Placeholder] MethodsCategories of Methods
Specific MethodsCommunity Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis Other Guidance for Study DesignDetermining Lichen Species of Interest Spatial Sampling Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators Consulting Experts ResourcesHands-On Learning |
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| 3 | fongvania |
June 03, 2022 06:11
| almost 2 years ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and Limitations[Placeholder] Methods## Categories of Methods
## Specific Methods Community Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis ## Other Guidance for Study Design Determining Lichen Species of Interest Spatial Sampling Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators Consulting Experts ResourcesHands-On Learning |
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| 2 | fongvania |
June 03, 2022 06:09
| almost 2 years ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and Limitations[Placeholder] Methods## Categories of Methods
## Specific Methods Community Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis ## Other Guidance for Study Design Determining Lichen Species of Interest Spatial Sampling Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators |
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| 1 | fongvania |
June 03, 2022 06:07
| almost 2 years ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and Limitations[Placeholder] Methods## Categories of Methods
## Specific Methods Community Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis ## Other Guidance for Study Design Determining Lichen Species of Interest Spatial Sampling Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators |
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| 0 | fongvania |
June 03, 2022 06:07
| almost 2 years ago
__ BackgroundLichen are not plants, but rather a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Macrolichen (leafy or bushy lichen) that grow on trees obtain all their nutrients from the surrounding air, moisture, and rain, which means that they also absorb many of the chemicals and pollutants present in the air and can serve as mini living air quality monitors. You can learn more about lichen and their main functional groups in this research note This page will hopefully be helpful to folks at various stages in the air quality study design process. Anyone just starting to design an air quality study or reassessing an ongoing study can use this wiki to assess whether bioindicators can and should be integrated into the study. Use Cases and Limitations[Placeholder] Methods## Categories of Methods ||Elemental Analysis|Community Analysis|Physiological Assessment|Transplant Study| |------|------|------|------|------| |Description |Collect lichen samples for laboratory analysis to determine identifies and concentrations of elements of interest|Collect and compare information on richness, abundance, and presence/absence of indicator species over geographic space or time.| Analyze changes in lichen anatomy and photosynthetic ability of naturally occurring lichen or transplanted specimens in response to exposure to pollutants. Examples of parameters to measure include chlorophyll concentrations, chlorophyll fluorescence, cell membrane integrity, CO2 exchange capacity.|Transplanting healthy lichen to a test area and measuring physiological response and/or elemental accumulation.| |Expertise Required|||| |Equipment|||| |Cost|||| |Considerations|||| ## Specific Methods Community Analysis Physiological Assessment Elemental Analysis ## Other Guidance for Study Design Determining Lichen Species of Interest Spatial Sampling Converting Observations to Air Quality Indicators |
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