2021
Martínez, D. N.; Díaz-Álvarez, E. A.; de la Barrera, E.
Selecting biomonitors of atmospheric nitrogen deposition: guidelines for practitioners and decision makers Journal Article
In: Nitrogen, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 308-320, 2021, ISSN: 2504-3129.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: atmospheric pollution, environmental indicators, environmental management, planetary boundaries, public health, public policy
@article{Martínez2021b,
title = {Selecting biomonitors of atmospheric nitrogen deposition: guidelines for practitioners and decision makers},
author = {D. N. Martínez and E. A. Díaz-Álvarez and E. de la Barrera },
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3129/2/3/21},
doi = {10.3390/nitrogen2030021},
issn = {2504-3129},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-07-12},
journal = {Nitrogen},
volume = {2},
number = {3},
pages = {308-320},
abstract = {Environmental pollution is a major threat to public health and is the cause of important economic losses worldwide. Atmospheric nitrogen deposition is one of the most significant components of environmental pollution, which, in addition to being a health risk, is one of the leading drivers of global biodiversity loss. However, monitoring pollution is not possible in many regions of the world because the instrumentation, deployment, operation, and maintenance of automated systems is onerous. An affordable alternative is the use of biomonitors, naturally occurring or transplanted organisms that respond to environmental pollution with a consistent and measurable ecophysiological response. This policy brief advocates for the use of biomonitors of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Descriptions of the biological and monitoring particularities of commonly utilized biomonitor lichens, bryophytes, vascular epiphytes, herbs, and woody plants, are followed by a discussion of the principal ecophysiological parameters that have been shown to respond to the different nitrogen emissions and their rate of deposition.},
keywords = {atmospheric pollution, environmental indicators, environmental management, planetary boundaries, public health, public policy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Díaz-Álvarez, E. A.; de la Barrera, E.
Influence of land-use on the C and N status of a C4 invasive grass in a semi-arid region: implications for biomonitoring Journal Article
In: Plants, vol. 10, pp. 942, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: atmospheric pollution, biomonitoring, buffel grass, carbon, global ecology, invasive species, nitrogen, pollution, Sonora, stable isotopes
@article{Díaz-Álvarez2021bb,
title = {Influence of land-use on the C and N status of a C4 invasive grass in a semi-arid region: implications for biomonitoring},
author = {E. A. Díaz-Álvarez and E. de la Barrera },
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/5/942},
doi = {10.3390/plants10050942},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-05-09},
journal = {Plants},
volume = {10},
pages = {942},
abstract = {Biomonitoring of atmospheric pollution is an increasingly accepted practice. However, most existing biomonitors are usually epiphytic species from mesic environments. This work assessed the suitability of buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris), an invasive C4 grass in northwestern Mexico, as a biomonitor, by means of the spatial distribution of the carbon and nitrogen content and isotopic signatures for grass samples collected from urban, agricultural, and natural areas throughout the state of Sonora. We found the highest tissue carbon content of 45.6% (on a dry weight basis) and highest nitrogen content of 3.31% for buffelgrass from the Yaqui Valley. We also found the lowest δ13C of −15.9‰, and the highest δ15N of 16.7‰ in the same region. In contrast, the lowest carbon and nitrogen content of 39.4 and 1.49% were found for Bahía de Kino and Río Sonora mountains, respectively. The lowest δ15N of 2.18‰ and the highest δ13C of −13.7‰ were measured for two remote locations. These results show the influence that pollutant emissions, including agriculture and transportation, have on elemental and isotopic composition of vegetation. Buffelgrass is most adequate for tracking carbon and nitrogen emissions in arid environments and for determining alterations on nitrogen soil reactions, as a first approximation for saturation.},
keywords = {atmospheric pollution, biomonitoring, buffel grass, carbon, global ecology, invasive species, nitrogen, pollution, Sonora, stable isotopes},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2020
Díaz-Álvarez, E. A.; de la Barrera, E.
Isotopic biomonitoring of anthropic carbon emissions in a megalopolis Journal Article
In: PeerJ, vol. 8, pp. e9283, 2020, ISSN: 2167-8359.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: atmospheric pollution, biomonitoring, biomonitors, stable isotopes, Tillandsia, urban ecology
@article{Díaz-Álvarez2020b,
title = {Isotopic biomonitoring of anthropic carbon emissions in a megalopolis},
author = {E. A. Díaz-Álvarez and E. de la Barrera},
doi = {10.7717/peerj.9283},
issn = {2167-8359},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-05-29},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {8},
pages = {e9283},
abstract = {Atmospheric pollution has become a serious threat for human health and the environment. However, the deployment, operation, and maintenance of monitoring networks can represent a high cost for local governments. In certain locations, the use of naturally occurring plants for monitoring pollution can be a useful supplement of existing monitoring networks, and even provide information when other types of monitoring are lacking. In this work, we i) determined the tissue carbon content and the δ13C values for the epiphytic CAM bromeliad Tillandsia recurvata and the relationship of both parameters with the existing CO concentrations in the Valley of Mexico basin, and ii) mapped the spatial distribution of such elemental and isotopic composition for this plant within the basin, in order to assess its potential as an atmospheric biomonitor of carbon monoxide, a pollutant with important repercussions on public health. The CO concentrations in the basin ranged from 0.41 ppm at rural locations to 0.81 ppm at urban sites. The carbon content of T. recurvata which averaged 42.9 ± 0.34% (dry weight), was not influenced by the surrounding CO concentration. In contrast, the δ13C depended on the sites where the plants were collected. For example, the values were ‒13.21‰ in rural areas and as low as –17.47‰ in an urban site. Indeed, the isotopic values had a positive linear relationship with the atmospheric CO concentrations. Given the close relationship observed between the isotopic composition of T. recurvata with the CO concentrations in the Valley of Mexico, the δ13C values can be useful for the detection of atmospheric carbonaceous emissions.},
keywords = {atmospheric pollution, biomonitoring, biomonitors, stable isotopes, Tillandsia, urban ecology},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Briones, O.; Reyes-García, C.; Díaz-Álvarez, E. A.; Tinoco-Ojanguren, C.; de la Barrera, E.; Andrade, J. L.
A few islands of preliminary research among a sea of unknown: moving plant ecophysiology forward in megadiverse countries Journal Article
In: Botanical Sciences, vol. 98, no. 98, pp. 212-216, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: atmospheric pollution, climate change, drought, ecophysiology, environmental productivity index, epiphytes, food security
@article{Briones2020,
title = {A few islands of preliminary research among a sea of unknown: moving plant ecophysiology forward in megadiverse countries},
author = {O. Briones and C. Reyes-García and E. A. Díaz-Álvarez and C. Tinoco-Ojanguren and E. de la Barrera and J. L. Andrade},
url = {http://botanicalsciences.com.mx/index.php/botanicalSciences/article/view/2546},
doi = {10.17129/botsci.2546},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-11},
journal = {Botanical Sciences},
volume = {98},
number = {98},
pages = {212-216},
abstract = {A principal intention of ecological sciences is to explain biodiversity: why are some species and not others found in certain places. As an experimental science, plant ecophysiology focuses on the interactions among plants, the environment, and other biological species. In this context, the VII Mexican Ecology Congress focused on "addressing the complexity of nature." Some examples of how ecophysiology can address said complexity were discussed during the symposium.},
keywords = {atmospheric pollution, climate change, drought, ecophysiology, environmental productivity index, epiphytes, food security},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Díaz-Álvarez, E. A.; de la Barrera, E.; Barrios-Hernández, E. Y.; Arróniz-Crespo, M.
Morphophysiological screening of potential organisms for biomonitoring nitrogen deposition Journal Article
In: Ecological Indicators, vol. 108, pp. 105729, 2020, ISSN: 1470-160X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: atmospheric pollution, CAM, global change, Latin America, Mexico, neotropical, nitrogen
@article{Díaz-Álvarez2020,
title = {Morphophysiological screening of potential organisms for biomonitoring nitrogen deposition},
author = {E. A. Díaz-Álvarez and E. de la Barrera and E. Y. Barrios-Hernández and M. Arróniz-Crespo},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X19307228},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105729},
issn = {1470-160X},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-06},
journal = {Ecological Indicators},
volume = {108},
pages = {105729},
abstract = {The intensification of different anthropic activities has led to a doubling of the emitted reactive nitrogen species since the second half of the XX century, resulting in the increase of nitrogen deposition. This poses a major threat to global biodiversity. However, in developing countries the monitoring of atmospheric deposition has shown to be difficult. For these reasons, the aim of this study was to assess, by means of a greenhouse dose-response experiment, the biomonitoring potential of two mosses, Braunia secunda and Thuidium delicatulum, and two epiphytic bromeliads, Tillandsia recurvata and Tillandsia usneoides, which are widely distributed in Latin America. A significant increase of the phosphomonoesterase activity was observed for the mosses, particularly under a High-nitrogen treatment, a parameter that decreased for the bromeliads. In turn, the nitrate reductase activity decreased over the course of the experiment for the mosses, but it remained almost unchanged for both tillandsias. While the nitrogen content for the mosses increased, it fluctuated for the bromeliads. Braunia secunda became greener under the Low-nitrogen than under the other treatments, while the coloration for T. delicatulum turned to brown under all treatments. The tillandsias remained visually unchanged under all treatments. The mosses had a clear response to the simulated nitrogen deposition, with B. secunda being more tolerant than T. delicatulum. Neither tillandsia presented a clear response to the treatments. Thus, the moss B. secunda is a very suitable species for biomonitoring nitrogen deposition, while the other species evaluated were deemed unsuitable.},
keywords = {atmospheric pollution, CAM, global change, Latin America, Mexico, neotropical, nitrogen},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2019
Díaz-Álvarez, E. A.; de la Barrera, E.
Drying protocol does not alter plant δ13C and δ15N: a baseline survey for ecological studies Journal Article
In: Isotopes in Environmental & Health Studies, vol. 55, pp. 526-531, 2019.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: atmospheric pollution, biomonitoring, ecophysiology, microwave, stable isotopes
@article{Díaz-Álvarez2019c,
title = {Drying protocol does not alter plant δ13C and δ15N: a baseline survey for ecological studies},
author = {E. A. Díaz-Álvarez and E. de la Barrera},
doi = {10.1080/10256016.2019.1673747},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-10-09},
journal = {Isotopes in Environmental & Health Studies},
volume = {55},
pages = {526-531},
abstract = {The use of stable isotopes in plant ecological studies has become widespread over the past few decades, given the potential of this tool for integrating physiological processes within an individual and allowing to track ecosystem-wide processes at various scales, with applications ranging from determining past meteorological conditions and potential adaptations of ecosystems to climate change, to biomonitoring studies of atmospheric pollution. However, the drying protocol might alter the isotopic signatures of plant samples given that high temperatures can volatilize various organic compounds or delay the halting of physiological processes at lower drying temperatures. We thus evaluated the effect of four drying protocols on the carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures for 23 species of plants. In particular, leaves were either freeze dried, placed in a herbarium drying stove (ca. 50 ºC), in a gravity convection oven (80 ºC), or microwaved (900 Watts) in 2-minute pulses, until constant weight. For each species, neither treatment led to significantly different δ13C values, which ranged from ‒31.7‰ to ‒12.4‰. The δ15N values of 21 of the species considered were not affected by the drying protocols, ranging from ‒11.6‰ to ‒8.8‰. For Tillandsia makoyana, significant differences were observed between the freeze dried and the microwaved samples and between the freeze dried samples and those dried at 50 ºC for Macroptilium gibbosifolium. },
keywords = {atmospheric pollution, biomonitoring, ecophysiology, microwave, stable isotopes},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Díaz-Álvarez, E. A.; de la Barrera, E.; Arciga-Pedraza, A.; Arróniz-Crespo, M.
Bryophyte enzymatic responses to atmospheric nitrogen deposition: A field validation for potential biomonitors Journal Article
In: The Bryologist, vol. 122, no. 3, pp. 396-403, 2019.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: atmospheric pollution, biomonitors, moss, pollution, urban ecology
@article{Díaz-Álvarez2019b,
title = {Bryophyte enzymatic responses to atmospheric nitrogen deposition: A field validation for potential biomonitors},
author = {E. A. Díaz-Álvarez and E. de la Barrera and A. Arciga-Pedraza and M. Arróniz-Crespo},
doi = {10.1639/0007-2745-122.3.396},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-08-19},
journal = {The Bryologist},
volume = {122},
number = {3},
pages = {396-403},
abstract = {The monitoring of atmospheric nitrogen deposition is necessary considering that this kind of environmental pollution is among the leading causes of global biodiversity loss. However, deploying and operating monitoring networks can be cost-prohibitive; the use of naturally occurring biomonitors can be a viable alternative for characterizing such nitrogenous pollution, with bryophytes being of particular promise. For instance, a previous dose-response greenhouse experiment evaluating potential biomonitors of different life-forms revealed that the activities of the enzymes phosphomonoesterase and nitrate reductase respond linearly to simulated nitrogen deposition for the generalist neotropical moss Braunia secunda. The present work is the field validation of B. secunda and Leptodontium pungens, a specialist of oak forests, as biomonitors of nitrogen deposition. Moss samples were collected during the 2009 dry and rainy seasons from fir and oak forests at ‘‘low-pollution’’ or ‘‘high-pollution’’ sites within the Valley of Mexico, where the megalopolis of Mexico City is located, and transported to the laboratory for colorimetric determinations of enzymatic activity. The phosphomonoesterase activity was consistently higher for both mosses from the high-pollution sites than for the low-pollution sites, while the nitrate reductase had a lower activity for the plants collected from the high-pollution sites. These results suggest that the proposed biomonitors are appropriate for the region of study.},
keywords = {atmospheric pollution, biomonitors, moss, pollution, urban ecology},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}