Adaptation to metals in widespread and endemic plants.
Journal Article (Review;Journal Article)
Bryophytes, including the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, occur in a variety of habitats with high concentrations of metals and have other characteristics that are advantageous for studies of metal tolerance. Mosses may evolve genetically specialized, metal-tolerant races less frequently than flowering plants. Some species of mosses appear to have inherently high levels of metal tolerance even in individuals that have not been subjected to natural selection in contaminated environments. Scopelophila cataractae, one of the so-called copper mosses, not only tolerates extremely high concentrations of metals in its substrates, but requires these substrates for optimum growth. This species should be included in mechanistic studies of tolerance at the cellular and molecular levels.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Shaw, AJ
Published Date
- December 1994
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 102 Suppl 12 /
Start / End Page
- 105 - 108
PubMed ID
- 7713025
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC1566729
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1552-9924
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0091-6765
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1289/ehp.94102s12105
Language
- eng