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Some Aspects of the Water Relations of the Lichen Parmotrema Tinctorum Measured Using Thermocouple Psychrometry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2007

R. P. Beckett
R. P. Beckett
Affiliation:
NU Research Unit for Plant Growth and Development, Department of Botany, University of Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
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Abstract

The thermocouple psychrometer was used to determine water potential, Ψ and its components in the lichen Parmotrema tinctorum. Data suggested that using conventional pressure-volume curves to study the water relations of lichens may give anomalous results, possibly because lichens may contain appreciable amounts of intercellular water. A way of correcting pressure-volume curves to remove the effect of intercellular water is discussed. Parmotrema tinctorum had a very low osmotic potential at full turgor (c. −2.5 MPa), and a low bulk modulus of elasticit (c. 2.1 MPa). As a result, P. tinctorum lost turgor only when the relative water content dropped below 0.47. Likely benefits of this for the lichen are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Lichenologist , Volume 28 , Issue 3 , May 1996 , pp. 257 - 266
Copyright
Copyright © British Lichen Society 1996

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