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Annals of Botany 78: 711-717, 1996
© 1996 Annals of Botany Company

A New Laboratory Technique for Studying the Effects of Heavy Metals on Bryophyte Growth

M. SIDHU and D. H. BROWN

School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UG, U.K.

June 12, 1996 ; June 21, 1996

A novel, non-destructive method for measuring moss gametophyte growth rates is presented. Standard 2-cm moss gametophores are supported vertically on Velcro strips held within a clear perspex box, with their bases resting in liquid. Shoots sampled from the field were either continuously exposed to test solutions via their cut bases, or by preliminary pulse-immersion. Growth was assessed by linear extension, or final dry mass, and showed different patterns and sensitivities to heavy metals using the two exposure methods. A biologically appropriate assessment of toxicity was established, using tissue concentrations comparable to material from polluted field sites, by considering the cellular location of heavy metals in shoots. A linear relationship was established between apical growth and intracellular Zn concentration recovered in the newly produced gametophyte tissue, irrespective of the method of exposure or Zn concentration in the remaining or original shoot portion. The limitations and ambiguity associated with many heavy-metal monitoring and toxicity studies are addressed, and the advantages and further applications offered by this growth system are discussed.

Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus ; growth; heavy metal effects; cadmium; copper; lead; zinc; bioassay


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