Cladonia rangiferina

Boileau, L. J. R., Nieboer, E. Richardson, D. H. S. (1985a). Uranium accumulation in the lichen Cladonia rangiferina (L.) Wigg. Part I. Uptake of cationic, neutral, and anionic forms of the uranyl ion. Canadian Journal of Botany, 63, 384-9. 

Other lichens exhibit impressive disjunctions between the southern and northern hemisphere ( bipolar distribution, Galloway and Aptroot, 1995). Some species showing circum-bipolar disjunctions are completely absent in the tropics examples include Parmeliopsis ambigua and Verrucaria maura (Litterski, 1999). Others are additionally found in tropical montane and subalpine areas (Litterski, 1999), and are then often widespread in the cool and temperate zones of the northern and southern hemisphere. In subtropical and tropical climates, these species only occur in higher altitudes, corresponding to montane and subalpine zones e.g. Cladonia rangiferina (Litterski, 1999). 

Rankovic B, Misic M (2007) Antifungal activity of extract of the lichens Alectoria sarmentosa and Cladonia rangiferina. Mikol Fitopatol 41 276—281... 

Kreuzer and Schauer (1971) reported a smaller difference in the Cs content between the upper and lower parts of Cladonia sylvatica and Cladonia rangiferina than for Cladonia alpestris. This is probably due to the different textures of the upper parts and different relations between the algae and fungal cells within the lichens. The factors affecting the distribution of - Cs and Sr in lichen thalli are discussed later in the subsection on translocation. 

Barashkova (1963) studied to what extent the connection between the living tops of Cladonia rangiferina thalli and the substratum is maintained through the dead basal portion of the thalli. She conducted water-culture and field experiments. The growth of thalli was faster on substrata rich in nutrients and quantitative microscopic measurements revealed that the enhanched growth was directly proportional to the amount of the phyco-biont. So there must exist translocation of nutrients within the thalli from the base to the top. 

A more detailed picture of the mobility of cations within the thallus was obtained by Nevstrueva et al. (1967), who immersed the green tops of Cladonia rangiferina in an aqueous solution of Cs or Sr chlorides of 2 nCi/ml at pH 7.0. After 4-11 days the distribution of the nuclides became constant within the thalli. Strontium-90 was distributed in the lichen evenly, measured per unit dry weight, both in the part which was immersed in the solution and in the older part which was left in the air. On the contrary, Cs was concentrated predominantly at the part of the thallus which was in the solution. Only about 5% of the Cs was translocated to the older part. Similar distribution was observed if the old part of the thallus was dipped into the solution. When the whole lichen was immersed into the solution, the two nuclides were distributed relatively evenly in the thallus with a tendency to accumulate in the older part. All this means that Cs and Sr can migrate relatively freely in the thallus from top to base and backward. Strontium-90 can also be washed out of the thallus more rapidly than 3 Cs. 

Kreuzer, W., and Schauer, T. (1971). The vertical distribution of Cs in Cladonia rangiferina and Cladonia sylvatica. Personal communication. 

Adams, M. S. (1971). Effects of drying at three temperatures on carbon dioxide exchange of Cladonia rangiferina (L.). Photosynthetica 5, 124-127. 

Ramakrishnan, S., and Subramanian, S S. (1965). Amino acids composition of Cladonia rangiferina, Cladonia gracilis and Lobaria isidiosa. Curr. Sci. 34, 345-347. 

A more sensitive reaction of the lichens was generally found when the soaked thalli were exposed immediately to —10°, —20°,..., or — 196°C for 24 or 6 hours (Kappen and Lange, 1970b, 1972). The photosynthetic rate of most of the lichens was irreversibly depressed at — 196°C (see Fig. 9) with the exception of Xanthoria elegans and Lecanora melanophthalma from Antarctica. Fresh thalli of Cladonia rangiferina collected from New York... 

Fig. 9. Freezing tolerance of soaked thalli of 3 lichen species, indicated by maximum restoration of gross photosynthesis in the postculture (% of normal). The thalli were cooled rapidly. —, Cladonia rangiferina M — M, Ramalina maciformis a. .. a, Roccella fucoides. (After Kappen and Lange 1972.)...

Cladonia rangiferina in the light (10 klux) released about one-half the CO2 that they evolved in the dark (Kappen and Lange, 1972). 

The plant growth hormone ethylene was detected in the lichen Ramalina duriaei by Epstein 281, 282). Ott and Zwoch 569) analyzed Cetraria islandica, Cladonia rangiferina, C. arbuscula, C. sulfurina, C. cornuta, C. pyxidata, Peltigera lactucifolia and Usnea aurantiaco-ater for ethylene and found it in amounts of 0.8-5.5 pl/g dry weight/ hour. The presence of hydrocarbons with 17-33 carbon atoms has been reported 317) in Cetraria nivalis, C. crispa and Siphula ceratites in other lichens C-27, C-29 and C-31 were the main hydrocarbons 765). The hydrocarbons of the odoriferous fraction of Evernia prunastri have been examined 357). 

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