Abstract
Epiphytic bryophytes and lichens in urban and suburban areas were investigated. Thy were growing under the influence of various factors caused by serious urbanization including air pollution, desiccation and others. The changes of the composition of species for epiphytic bryophyte and lichen communities along the gradient of NOX concentration were studied in Kanagawa Prefecture, where the obvious urbanization gradient was found from the northeastern maritime industrial zone to the southwestern rural zone. On the basis of the results obtained from the present survey，this study area was divided into four zones (Zone A-D)，according to the difference of epiphytic community. Zone A, a species rich zone and characterized by the occurrence of such rural species as Parmelia spp. and Clastobryella kusatsuensis, is located only in the southwestern part of the prefecture. On the contrary, Zone D，a species poor zone and characterized by the presence of such wide spread species as Lepraria sp., is located in the northeastern industrial zone. Both Zones B and C are located between Zones A and D, and they contain the composition of species which are intermediate between the composition of species in Zones A and D. These composition of species are similar to that found in Zone A，but lacking the species most sensitive to the air pollution. Zone B shows more rural characteristics than zone C. The latter was，however, also located in the central part of the prefecture which is commonly occupied by zone B. This suggests that the secondary pollution originated from maritime industrial zone could affect the composition of species in the epiphytic community along the river.
