Use of an epiphytic moss to biomonitor pollutant levels in southwestern Pennsylvania

A native epiphytic moss (Dicranum montanum Hedw.) growing on the trunks of northern red oak trees (Quercus rubra L.) was utilized to biomonitor atmospheric deposition within a mixed-hardwood forest along a ridgetop in southwestern Pennsylvania. Factor analysis and analysis of means revealed a location-related chemical signature in the forest moss that was spatially associated with local industrial/urban emissions, and especially with the metals/transition metals As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn. This study documented the usefulness of D. montanum as a biomonitor for pollutant deposition, the utilization of epiphytic stem mosses in capturing stemflow pollutants, and provides a baseline dataset for monitoring relative changes in emissions/ depositions in the study area.