Chlorophyll content and morphological changes in cellular structure of Rhynchostegium riparioides (Hedw.) Card. (Brachytheciaceae, Musci) and Fontinalis hypnoides Hartm. (Fontinalaceae, Musci) in response to water pollution and transplant containers on Palancia river (East, Spain)

This paper examines chlorophyll content and morphological changes in cellul ar structure induced by transplanting two species of aquatic bryophytes, Rh ynchostegium riparioides (Hedw.) Card. and Fontinalis hypnoides Hartm., in different sites of the rio Palancia (Castellon, East Spain). Two transplant ing devices have been tested, a nylon mesh bag and a plastic net cylinder. We found that the changes in cellular structure mainly affect chloroplasts and follow a sequence of alterations which ends with cellular death. Damage s have been quantified as percentage of leaf surface affected. Cellular alt erations appeared in the first week and percentage of leaf surface affected increased with time. Results show these alterations to be unspecific sympt oms of any kind of stress and damage, although they appear earlier and with more intensity in those sites with polluted water. Fontinalis hypnoides se ems to be sensitive to transplanting device stress.