Summary
Canopy coverage analysis was used to examine the synecological changes exhibited by vascular plants and terrestrial mosses in a white spruce association exposed to SO2 fumigation. Both these understory components were found to decline in coverage as SO2 stress increased, but mosses were more sensitive to SO2 in the more heavily stressed areas. This was observed along both an angle-dependent and a distance-dependent gradient of pollution stress. Diversity steadily declined with increasing SO2 stress along the angle-dependent gradient but some localized increases in diversity occurred with increasing stress along the distance-dependent gradient. This was due to invasion of openings resulting from attrition of SO2-sensitive species by weedy angiosperms and by vegetative growth of moss species more tolerant of pollution stress. Conclusions have been drawn about the reproductive strategy of vascular plants and mosses subjected to increasing concentrations of SO2. We have elucidated the ecological consequences for community structure of the systematic removal of pollution-sensitive understory species from an otherwise stable vegetation unit.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen, E.B., Forman, R.T.T.: Plant species removals and old-field community structure and stability. Ecology 57, 1233–1243 (1976)
Collins, S.: Benefits to understory from canopy defoliation by gypsy moth larvae. Ecology 42, 836–838 (1961)
Crum, H.A., Steere, W.C., Anderson, L.E.: A new list of mosses of North America north of Mexico. Bryol. 76, 85–130 (1973)
Daubenmire, R.: Plant communities: A textbook of plant synecology. New York: Harper and Row 1968
Dochinger, L.S., Seliskar, C.E.: Air pollution and the chlorotic dwarf disease of eastern white pine. For. Sci. 16, 46–55 (1970)
Elgmork, K., Hagen, A., Langeland, A.: Polluted snow in southern Norway during the winters 1968–1971. Environ. Pollut. 4, 41–52 (1973)
Gilbert, O.L.: Further studies on the effect of sulphur dioxide on lichens and bryophytes. New Phytol. 69, 605–627 (1970a)
Gilbert, O.L.: A biological scale for the estimation of sulphur dioxide pollution. New Phytol. 69, 629–634 (1970b)
Good, N.F.: A study of the natural replacement of chestnut in six stands in the highlands of New Jersey. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 95, 240–253 (1968)
Hagen, A., Langeland, A.: Polluted snow in southern Norway and the effect of the melt-water on freshwater and aquatic organisms. Environ. Pollut. 5, 45–57 (1973)
Hitchcock, C.L., Cronquist, A.: Flora of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle: Univ. of Washington Press 1973
Holling, C.S.: Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Ann. Rev. Ecol. System. 4, 1–23 (1973)
Houston, D.B., Dochinger, L.S.: Effects of ambient air pollution on cone, seed, and pollen characteristics in eastern white and red pines. Environ. Pollut. 12 1–5 (1977)
Karnosky, D.F., Stairs, G.R.: The effects of SO2 on in vitro forest tree pollen germination and tube elongation. J. Environ. Qual. 3, 406–409 (1974)
Keever, C.: Causes of succession on old fields of the Piedmont, North Carolina. Ecol. Monog. 20, 229–250 (1950)
Klemm, R.F.: Environmental effects of the operation of sulfur extraction gas plants. Report of Environ. Conser. Author., Edmonton, Alberta (1972)
Koponen, T.: A guide to the Mniaceae in Canada Lindbergia 2, 160–164 (1974)
La Roi G.H., Stringer, M.H.L.: Ecological studies in the boreal spruce-fir forests of the North American taiga. II. Analyses of the bryoflora. Canad. J. Bot. 54, 619–643 (1976)
Masura, N., Syozo, F., Saburo, K.: Effects of exposure to various injurious gases on germination of lily pollen. Environ. Pollut. 11, 181–187 (1976)
McGee, C.E.: Change in forest canopy affects phenology and development of northern red and scarlet oak seedlings. For. Sci. 22, 175–179 (1975)
Moss, E.H.: Flora of Alberta Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press 1959
Nash, T.H., III: Sensitivity of lichens to sulfur dioxide Bryol. 76, 333–339 (1973)
Nash, T.H., III, Nash, E.H.: Sensitivity of mosses to SO2. Oecologia (Berl.) 17, 257–263 (1974)
Niering, W.A., Goodwin, R.H.: Creation of relatively stable shrubland with herbicides: arresting “succession” on rights-of-way and pastureland. Ecology 55, 784–795 (1974)
Pinder, J.E., III: Effects of species removal from an old-field plant community. Ecology 56, 747–751 (1975)
Rowe, J.W.: Forest regions in Canada. Ottawa, Dept. of Environ., Canad. Forest Service Pub. No. 1300 (1972)
Shannon, C.E., Weaver, W.: The mathematical theory of communication. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Press 1963
Stringer, P.W., Stringer, M.H.L.: A quantitative study of corticolous bryophytes in the vicinity of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Bryol. 77, 551–560 (1974)
Taoda, H.: Mapping of atmospheric pollution in Tokyo based upon epiphytic bryophytes. Jap. J. Ecol. 22, 125–133 (1972)
Westman, L.: Air pollution indications and growth of spruce and pine near a sulfite plant. Ambio 3, 189–193 (1974)
Winner, W.E., Bewley, J.D., Krouse, H.R.: Variations in coverage, diversity, and sulfur isotopes along two SO2 stress gradients in white spruce stands near Fox Creek, Alberta. In: Proceedings of the Alberta Sulphur Gas Workshop, Vol. III, pp. 109–124. Edmonton: Alta. Environ. 1977
Wood, C.W., Jr., Nash, T.H., III: Copper smelter effluent effects on sonoran desert vegetation. Ecology 57, 1311–1316 (1976)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Winner, W.E., Bewley, J.D. Contrasts between bryophyte and vascular plant synecological responses in an SO2-stressed white spruce association in central Alberta. Oecologia 33, 311–325 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00348116
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00348116