Criptógamas epífitas como bioindicadores de la calidad de aire en la ciudad de El Pangui

Abstract

Abstract: Air pollution is one of the major environmental problems affecting urban and rural areas, producing diseases associated with this problem. Epiphytic cryptogams (lichens and bryophytes) have been used as a guide to assess atmospheric pollution; due to that accumulate high concentrations of pollutants in their tissues. Air quality was evaluated in twelve sampling zones (four in the peri-urban zone, five in the urban zone and three in the forest zone as control zones), where the frequency and coverage of bryophytes and epiphytic lichens were recorded on each tree covering an area of 10 x 50 cm. We analyze effects of zone and DAP on species richness with generalized linear model (GLM) and species composition among the different zones was evaluated using a non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis (NMDS) and a permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA). The species richness and composition was higher in the control zones related to better air quality.