Clonal in vitro propagation of peat mosses ( L.) as novel green resources for basic and applied research.

As builders and major components of peatlands, (peat mosses) are very important organisms for ecosystems and world's climate. Nowadays many species as well as their habitats are largely protected, while their scientific and economic relevance remains considerable. Advanced methods of in vitro cultivation provide the potential to work in a sustainable way with peat mosses and address aspects of basic research as well as biotechnological and economical topics like biomonitoring or the production of renewable substrates for horticulture ( farming).

Matrix solid phase dispersion method for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in moss.

In this work a matrix solid-phase dispersion extraction method, followed by programmed temperature vaporization-gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry determination is proposed for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in moss samples. A devitalized, cultivated Sphagnum palustre L. moss clone obtained from the "Mossclone" EU-FP7 Project was used for the optimization and validation of the proposed method.

Interannual changes in δ¹⁵N values in Fucus vesiculosus L.

The natural abundance of (15)N (δ(15)N) has been widely used to detect anthropogenically derived N loads in environmental impact studies. The present study involved retrospective analysis of subsamples of Fucus vesiculosus L. collected during a period of three years (2008-2010) from two sites: a control site, within a coastal reference area, and an area affected by the effluents of a marine land-based fish farm.

Establishing reference values of spectral reflectance indices in transplants of Pseudoscleropodium purum for potential use in atmospheric biomonitoring.

We studied the spatiotemporal variation of the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and the chlorophyll content index (CHL index) in a terrestrial moss, using self-watering transplants distributed in 8 sampling sites that were sampled periodically during up to 4 years. We did not detect any seasonal patterns or difference between the studied sites, and therefore the variation across the sites reflected the influence of environmental variables in the area. We established the reference thresholds associated with physiological stress as -0.

Lolium perenne as a biomonitor of atmospheric levels of fluoride.

The aim of the present study was to develop a standardised protocol for the use of Lolium perenne cultures to biomonitor the surroundings of an aluminium smelter. Five ecological stations, which corresponded to air quality network monitoring sites pertaining to the smelter, were selected for study. Cultures of L.