Inter- and intraspecific variation of mosses in tolerance to copper and zinc

Abstract

Tolerance of Funaria hygrometrica to Cu and Zn was greater in populations that originated on soil with high concentrations of these metals. Protonemal growth was more inhibited by the metals than was germination; Cu was more toxic than Zn. The pattern of population differentiation for heavy metal tolerance in this species is much like that of flowering plants. Five populations of Physcomitrium pyriforme, which does not occur on metal-contaminated soil, were all highly tolerant of Zn but extremely intolerant of Cu. Significant variation in tolerance to Cu and Zn occurred among populations, but tolerance did not correlate with metal contents in native substrates. This pattern differs from that of flowering plants. from Authors