RAMALINA ECKLONII AS A BIOINDICATOR OF ATMOSPHERIC-POLLUTION IN ARGENTINA

The lichen Ramalina ecklonii (Spreng.) Mey. and Plot. was transplanted to 24 biomonitoring sites along three transects in the western area of Cbrdoba, Argentina, and tested for chlorophyll, phaeophytin conjugated dienes concentration, soluble protein content, and sulfur accumulation. The transects represented three levels of vehicular traffic. Significant differences were observed in sulfur content, phaeophytin b, total phaeophytin, and dry mass to fresh mass ratio (DM/FM). A pollution index (PI) was calculated based on the ratio of phaeophytin alpha to chlorophyll alpha and the ratio of sulfur and conjugated dienes in transplanted specimens to sulfur and conjugated dienes in the control specimens. Significant differences in PI among the transects were observed; the lowest PI was at the control site, and the highest along the sampling line having the greatest amount of traffic.