Does UV-B influence biomass growth in lichens deficient in sun-screening pigments?

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Authors

LARSSON Per VEČEŘOVÁ Kristýna CEMPÍRKOVÁ Hana SOLHAUG Knut-Asbjorn GAUSLAA Yngvar

Year of publication 2009
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Environmental and Experimental Botany
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Field Botany
Keywords Lobaria pulmonaria; Xanthoria aureola; Melanins; Anthraquinones; UV-B; Temperature
Description This study aimed to assess biomass growth as a response variable in lichens during short-term laboratory experiments. To do this,we studied the influence of UV-B and temperature on lichen performance including the synthesis of solar radiation screening cortical compounds. The pioneer lichen Xanthoria aureola from exposed sea cliffs and the old forest lichen Lobaria pulmonaria were cultivated for 15 days in the laboratory in a factorial experiments with temperature (12 and 21 C) and UV-B (0, 0.1, 0.3 and 1.0Wm-2) as treatments. Growth was not influenced by UV-B alone in these pigment-deficient transplants, suggesting that UV-B had little adverse effects on either of the lichen bionts. In conclusion, lichen growth and the synthesis of protective compounds are highly responsive lichen processes in short-term experiments.The cortical sun screens (parietin and melanic compounds) were synthesized in the presence of UV-B, and increased statistically significantly with increasing UV-B at both cultivation temperatures.
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