Metal tolerances and cotolerances in the moss Funaria hygrometrica

Protonemal growth in populations collected from most Cu-contaminated soils was inhibited by only 10-30% on media with 10 μg g -1 Cu, whereas populations from other sites were inhibited by >80%. Population differences in tolerance of Zn, Cd and Ni were not clearly related to environmental contamination by these metals. Variation among populations in growth on the metal treatments (except Cu) was related to generalized differences in growth rates rather than to metal tolerance per se. Populations differed by up to 400% in the propensity to form stems on control nutrient medium, and stem formation was negatively correlated with protonemal growth, suggesting trade-offs between these 2 stages of gametophyte development. In comparison with flowering plants, generalized vigor and cross-tolerance between metals may play a more important part in the ability of F. hygrometrica to colonize contaminated oils, and metal-specific tolerant ecotypes may be less important. -from Author

Duke Scholars

Author A. Jonathan Shaw Biology