Air quality and distribution of Lichens as biomonitors in some Serbian territories

Abstract

This paper deals with using lichens as a bioindicators of the air quality. A bioindication and physical- chemical detection of air pollution in Zrenjanin has not been carried out. Over recent decades, air quality has become environmental problem worldwide due to industrial activities and road traffic. Atmospheric monitoring has been necessary to control air quality and reduce pollution sources. Air quality is a topic that attracts more and more attention especially with the problem of human health. Biomonitoring is based on the detection and monitoring of changes that occur on different levels of the biological organization for living organisms under the influence of air pollutants. It was noted that not all lichen species are equally likely to indicate different levels of air pollution. The assessment of lichen biodiversity was based on the calculation of lichenic abundance indices. This research work deals with using lichens as a bioindicators of the air quality and it was conducted from various Serbia locations. Also, it is shown the relationship between the Serbian air qualities, and how lichens act as a bioindicator for the air quality, in some parts of Serbia such as in Sremska Mitrovica city, Fruska Gora mountine, Palic Lake and Silver Lake. The bioanalysis of the samples from investigated sites indicates the presence of different lichen taxa, which shows that these sites are rich in lichen species. Information about the air quality index of Zrenjanin city as an example of the Serbian cities which demonstrates the chemical pollutants, climate changes for example weather, wind and temperature This work also shows the distribution of the lichens which can be found in the investigated sites. The presence of lichen indicates that the air quality in these sites: Sremska Mitrovica city, Fruska Gora mountine, Palic Lake and Silver Lake is quite good. It was concluded that the presence of epiphytic lichens plays an important role in determining the air pollution in those sites. By the presence of these lichens, we have found that the most dominant lichen taxa were Rhizocarpon geographicum, Lecanora muralis, Lecanora muralis, Rhizocarpon geographicum, Xanthoria parietina and Xanthoria candelaria.