ABSTRACT: This study was undertaken with the aim of selecting one or more lichen species that are the most suitable for transplant-based surveys of air pollution in Tunisia, in areas where the local native lichen vegetation is scanty or missing at all. To this purpose, four epiphytic (tree inhabiting) lichen species (Evernia prunastri, Flavoparmelia caperata, Parmotrema perlatum, Ramalina farinacea) were collected from the Babouch forests, a remote and unpolluted area of NW Tunisia, and analyzed for their content of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), namely Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn, by ICP-MS. Moreover, also the physiological status of the lichen samples was evaluated by measuring their chlorophyll content, photosynthetic efficiency, and spectral reflectance. The results indicated
