Evolution of heavy metal tolerance in bryophytes II. An ecological and experimental investigation of the "copper moss', Scopelophila cataractae (Pottiaceae)

Scopelophila cataractae is known from several sites in S Arizona and occurs at 6 localities in the E USA. Chemical analyses of substrates from the E US localities showed that all but 1 population grew on Cu-enriched soil. The one substrate sample low in Cu was very high in Fe. Plants from 5 of the 6 localities were grown experimentally on 4 soil types ranging from highly to not contaminated, and all grew best on the soil contaminated with Cu, Pb and Zn. There was no significant variation in growth between populations on the four soil treatments. This lack of population differentiation may be related to the absence of sexual reproduction in S. cataractae in North America. from Author

Duke Scholars

Author A. Jonathan Shaw Biology