Bryological patterns and streamwater acidification in the Vosges Mountains (N.E. France): An analysis tool for the survey of acidification processes

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 36; no. 6; pp. 1275 - 1289
• Main Authors: Thiebaut, Gabrielle, Vanderpoorten, Alain, Guerold, François, Boudot, Jean-Pierre, Muller, Serge
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-03-1998; Elsevier; Elsevier science
• Subjects: Acidification; aluminum; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; aquatic plants; Biological and medical sciences; Bryophytes; Bryopsida; calcium; community ecology; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on plants and fungi; Environmental sciences & ecology; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; indicator species; inorganic ions; Life sciences; limnology; magnesium; Marsupella emarginata; monitoring; nitrates; potassium; Rhynchostegium riparioides; Sciences de l’environnement & écologie; Sciences du vivant; streams; Streamwater; Vosges Mountains; water pollution; water quality; France; Vosges; Lorraine; Europe; France, Vosges Mts; Vosges Mountains; acidification; streamwater; bryophytes; Phytotoxicity; Mountain; Acidification; Bryophyta; Aluminium; Stream; Water pollution; Inorganic element
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/S0045-6535(97)00373-1

The relationships between water chemistry and aquatic bryoflora in the Vosges Mountains (Eastern France) were studied in an attempt to survey the processes of acidification. 6 chemical variables (pH, Mg
2+, Ca
2+, K
+, NO
3
−, Al) were used to explain the segregation of the bryophytic communities concerning 19 species in 31 study sites. Ca
2+, Mg
2+ and a lesser extend pH and Al are the four variables best explaining the relationships between the bryophytes and the chemical data. Acidophilous species as
Marsupella emarginata seem to be sensitive to high cations concentrations. On the contrary neutrophilous species as
Rhynchostegium riparioides may be more sensitive to the toxicity of protons or Al than to lacks of cations. The combinations of bryophytes are used to reconstitute the chemical variables and the precision of the modelling is assessed.