title: The application of lichens as ecological surrogates of air pollution in the subtropics: a case study in South Brazil.
abstract: The use of lichens as ecological surrogates has been an important tool to evaluate the impact of air pollution in both ecosystem and human health but remains underused in the subtropics due to lack of knowledge. Aiming to support the application of lichen as ecological surrogates of the effects of air pollution in the subtropics, we hypothesized that urbanization was an important driver of changes on lichen diversity, composition, and vitality. For that, we quantified several lichen diversity metrics (richness, cover, and community composition) and photobiont vitality in relation to atmospheric pollution or its surrogates (modeled pollutant gases, pollutants in lichen thallus, and land cover). We confirmed that air pollution was a key driver for lichen diversity. Changes in lichen community composition and vitality were very significantly related to air pollution and integrated the effect of multiple stressors (particulate matter, NOx, and Cu), thus being powerful ecological indicators of air pollution in the subtropics.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90650-001, Brazil.|cE3c, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, Campo Grande, 1649-004, Lisbon, Portugal.|Botany Department, Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, R. Dr. Salvador França, 1427, Jardim Botânico, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90690-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Natália M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: cE3c, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, Campo Grande, 1649-004, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Branquinho
authors.affiliation: cE3c, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, Campo Grande, 1649-004, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.affiliation: cE3c, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, Campo Grande, 1649-004, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pinho
authors.affiliation: Botany Department, Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, R. Dr. Salvador França, 1427, Jardim Botânico, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90690-000, Brazil.|Graduate Program in Environmental Quality, Universidade Feevale, Rodovia RS 239, 2755, Vila Nova, Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul, 93525-075, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabiane
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lucheta
authors.affiliation: Botany Department, Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, R. Dr. Salvador França, 1427, Jardim Botânico, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90690-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Suzana M A
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Ecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90650-001, Brazil. verafvargas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Vera M F
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Vargas
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D001938:Brazil; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008011:Lichens / Q000187:drug effects*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D014329:Tropical Climate; D014507:Urbanization
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: Atmospheric pollution; Bioindicators; Biomonitoring; Environmental stress; Industrial pollution; Urban pollution