Species Indicator



What Is An Indicator Species?
An indicator species is an organism whose presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition.
Lichens, which are a combination of an alga and a fungus growing together, are indicators of air pollution, especially sulfur dioxide, a waste product of burning sulfur-containing fossil fuels. Leafy lichens tolerate some air pollution and crusty lichens can survive with higher levels of pollutants. If no lichens are present, it usually indicates heavy air pollution.
Lichens
Lichens are mutualistic association between a photosynthetic organism (algae or cyanobacterium) and a fungus. Fungi obtain food and O2 resulted from photosynthetisis in algae, while algae can maintain its moisture because of fungi as well as obtaining CO2 and minerals. Fungi composing lichens are usually from the groups of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, while the symbiont are usually coming from Cyanobacteria and Chlorophyta (green algae).
Lichens perform asexual reproduction through fragmentation, releasing pasrt of the body (thallus). The released body part is called Soredia. Soredia is part of lichen body composed of algae and fungi. There are three types of lichens.
a.       Crustose, thin layer covering substrate (Lecidia sp.)
b.      Fruticose, flat or rounded branches net (Usnea)
c.       Foliose, leaf form (Parmelia)
Foliose

 
Crustose
Lichens can be found everywhere from artic to tropical area. Lichens can live on substrate with limited organic compounds, such as on stone, plant trunk and infertile soil. Lichens activity can cause stone to decompose. Eventually, the organic compounds resulted from stone will form basic soil component. Because of that, licjens are called pioneer organisms.
Lichens are very sensitive to air pollutions. A polluted area can be identified through low population area. Because of that, lichens can be used as air pollution indicator. 
Lichens as  bio indicators of atmospheric pollution in Porto, Portugal, Journal of Biodiversity and Ecological Sciences, No.1,Vol.1,Issue 1ISSN:2008-9287 Winter 2011JBES
Marisa Freitas, Natália Costa, Matilde Rodrigues, Joana Marques, Manuela Vieira da Silva
Lokasi: Malang City, East Java, Indonesia

Komentar

  1. Unknown10 Mei 2017 pukul 16.09

    Hello, it's a good blog!
    i love how you describe indicator species and make an example of it.
    maybe you can add more example of indicator species :)

    please, kindly visit & comment on my blog as well
    http://regiailmahani.blogspot.co.id/
    thanks, xoxo

    BalasHapus
  2. Unknown14 Mei 2017 pukul 17.19

    nice

    BalasHapus
  3. Yulista Trias15 Mei 2017 pukul 06.08

    Ruri, bolehkah saya bertanya, bagaimana mekanisme lichen sebagai bioindikator pencemaraan udara ?

    BalasHapus

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