The Application of Parmelia sulcata Taylor and Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. as Biomonitors of Atmospheric Pollution in the Central Sudetes

One of the major environmental problems in recent years is the deterioration of atmospheric air quality. Human activity in urban areas leads to the emission of particulate mat-ter containing various chemical components, including toxic heavy metals, which can accumulate in living organisms. The accumulation of pollutants by various species in mountain environments remains insufficiently understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the potential use of two species commonly co-occurring in mountain habitats—epiphytic lichen Parmelia sulcata Taylor and spruce Picea abies L., H. Karst.—as biomonitors of anthropogenic atmospheric pollution. The study was conducted in the Central Sudetes (Poland), across three site categories characterized by varying degrees of anthropogenic pressure (green, rural and urban areas). The results confirm that Parmelia sulcata can serve as a species reflecting heavy-metal contamination originating from atmospheric deposition, mainly lead, iron, cadmium and chromium, whereas the needles of Picea abies are useful mainly for indicating manganese pollution. No significant effect of anthropogenic pressure on heavy-metal concentrations was found, which is most likely related to specific air circulation in mountain areas that leads to the dispersion of air pollutants and their accumulation by the study species in the higher regions of the Central Sudetes.