Role of mosses as heavy metal absorbants –an innovative tool for environmental conservation
Gauri S. Soman
Department of Botany Maharshi Dayanand College, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra (India) Email-drgssoman@rediffmail.com Indian J. Applied & Pure Bio. Vol. 29(2), 267-269 (2014).
ABSTRACT
Environmental pollution is increasing day by day posing serious problem for flora and fauna. Mosses are highly sensitive to pollution and are bioindicators of pollution and forest conditions.An analysis of few mosses of Kodaikanal in Southern Ghats has reveled that mosses absorb heavy metal pollutants from environment.Thus they can be used as innovative tool for monitoring and conserving environmental pollution. Mosses are highly developed groups of bryophytes having a unique position between lower cryptogams and vascular plants prefering marshy swamps or wetland habitats for their abundant growth. Kodaikanal is a beautiful hill town in South India amidst Palni hills in Tamil Nadu characterized by heavy rainfall. Mosses grow there abundantly