Scientists' Contributions

Air quality monitoring with lichens: A presentation and comparison of different common methods

Randolph Kricke & Guido Benno Feige

Universit„t Essen, Botanisches Institut, 45117 Essen, Germany

    Attempts of air quality assessment with lichens have enormously developed to standardised methods and official guidelines in several countries. Within the framework of passive monitoring qualitative (phytosociological) approaches have been used first while quantitative methodologies gained more and more weight since the 1970s. Besides this the active bioindication with lichen transplants also plays a great role. According to different requirements nowadays all techniques are successfully used in several countries.

    The assets and drawbacks of several methods (IAP, VDI-guideline, phytosociological approaches) are pointed out and discussed. Special attention will be paid to the fact that in most European countries air pollution is subject to vital changes and consequently methods have to be adjusted.