Lichens and air quality in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Wetmore CM and National Park Service. 1987. Lichens and air quality in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Denver, CO
This park wide survey produced a species list and assessed the effects of air quality using elemental analyses. The lichen flora was found to be less diverse than that reported 100 years prior, with many species most sensitive to sulphur dioxide no longer present. Collections were made at 33 localities. The present lichen flora of the park is considerably less diverse than that reported 100 years ago with a loss of 64% of the species. Many of the species most sensitive to sulphur dioxide are no longer present including many of the lichens with blue green algae. The distributions of the sensitive species are absent in the southeast indicating higher pollution there. The lichens at ridge-top localities in the southeast have few species and the ones present are in poor health. The elemental analysis shows no significant trends in accumulation levels but all sulphur levels are higher than in clean areas. There is apparently both a broad regional pollution and an additional local pollution entering the park from the southeast.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Wetmore, Clifford; National Park Service
- Date of Issue
- 1987-06
- Units
- DEWA
- Keywords
- Air Quality, Atmospheric Sciences, Lichen (Mycophycophyta), Monitoring, Research Report, Survey
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Air and Climate | Air Quality | Air Contaminants