Belguidoum A, Haichour R, Lograda T, Ramdani M. 2021. Biomonitoring of air pollution by lichen diversity in the urban area of Setif, Algeria. Biodiversitas 23: 970-981. The use of living organisms in air quality monitoring has received increasing attention in recent years. Lichens, pioneer and colonizing organisms, are directly sensitive to environmental changes. This results in a loss of vitality or complete destruction of the thallus. The objective of this study is to assess and map the air quality of the Setif region, Algeria by lichens, using bio-indication indices. For air quality assessment, lichen species frequency, the Shannon-Wiener index, Atmospheric Purity Index (IAP), and Air Quality Index (IAQ) were used. Sixty stations were sampled across the region, representing the various level of landscape factors and anthropogenic activities. The study recorded 54 lichen species in urban areas of Setif belonged to 29 genera and 19 families, of which crustose and foliose, were the most common in the region. The pollution indicators (IAP, IAQ) showed an important correlation between them and a difference between rural and urban ecosystems. Anthropized urban areas showed very high air pollution. This is probably due to industrial and agricultural activities, but especially to gas emissions from vehicles. The majority of studied stations belonged to an area with very high atmospheric pollution. In addition, the presence of the species Xanthoria parietina in all the stations studied facilitates to use of it as a reliable biomonitor of plant tolerance to pollutants in urban ecosystems.

The chemical composition of essential oil isolated from Chrysanthemum fontanesii and C. coronarium by hydrodistillation, was analysed by GC and GC/MS. A total 66 compounds representing 97.9% of the oil were identified in C. fontanesii, and 44 components representing 97.2% of the total oil in C. coronarium. The chemical composition of C. fontanesii and C. coronarium, is very different, the only common components are α-pinene, β-pinene, myrcene and Δ3-carene. The Essential oil of C. fontanesii and C. coronarium was tested for antibacterial activity against nine bacteria strains. The oil showed modest effect against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and it has no significant antibacterial activity against the other bacteria tested. The population of C. fontanesii studied showed a diploid chromosome number 2n = 2x = 18 and a tetraploid 2n = 4x = 36 for C. coronarium.

Fatima A, Messaoud R, Takia L. 2019. Relationship between lichen diversity and air quality in urban region in Bourdj Bou Arriridj, Algeria. Biodiversitas 20: 2329-2339. The lichenic biodiversity can be an excellent instrument for measuring air quality biomonitoring in urban and industrial areas. Two bio-monitoring techniques were used to assess and map the levels of air quality in Bordj Bou Arreridj region (BBA), an urban area located in Eastern Algeria, and to identify species sensitive to air pollution. The first one was based on the diversity and abundance of epiphytic lichens, while the other technique was using two bio-indication indices. Epiphytic lichens were sampled from thirty-four stations chosen on the basis of the presence of suitable phorophytes on which it is possible to observe lichens. The assessment of lichen biodiversity was based on the calculation of lichenic abundance indices (LA) and the Shannon index (H'). For the determination of the different levels of air pollution, the indices of atmospheric purity (IAP) and lichen diversity (LDV) were used. There were 62 identified species belong to 19 families and 31 genera of lichens, among which crustacean and foliose thalli were the most common in the region. Lichen biodiversity decreased as the sampled location approaching industrial sources and road traffic. The IAP ranged from 16.19-79.82 and LDV values ranged from 12.50-52.16. The results showed a significant relationship between lichen diversity and air quality, and indicated low atmospheric pollution in the BBA region. This study allowed us to draw up a list of sensitive species and tolerant species to air pollution.

The hydrodistilled oils from the aerial parts of Genista ulicina Spach. and G. vepres Pomel., which are endemic to Algeria, were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the oil of G. ulicina, 41 compounds were identified representing 90.8% of the total oil, and in G. vepres, 61 compounds representing 84.5% of the total oil. The analyses showed that the major constituents of the oils were lauric acid (14.3% – 8.5%), myristic acid (11.5% – 5%), linoleic acid (3.1% –11.7%) and palmitic acid (18.6% – 26.4%). Using a diffusion method, the oils showed significant antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923).