Biological soil crust development affects physicochemical characteristics of soil surface in semiarid ecosystems

Chamizo, Sonia; Cantón, Yolanda; Miralles, Isabel; Domingo, Francisco

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.02.017

Cited by 292 publications

(160 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Their results also coincide with ours with respect to biocrust development reducing TOC losses as a consequence of the widely demonstrated biocrust effects of reducing water erosion (Bowker et al, 2008;Chamizo et al, 2012a;Lázaro et al, 2008) and strongly contributing to nutrient retention (Delgado-Baquerizo et al, 2010;Chamizo et al, 2012b;Kidron et al, 2010). Cyanobacteria filaments and extracellular secretions act as gluing agents, binding soil particles and increasing the formation of soil aggregates, and thus increasing soil stability (Chamizo et al, 2010(Chamizo et al, , 2012bChaudhary et al, 2009;Kidron et al, 2009;Zhao et al, 2014). Lichens, on one hand, have anchoring structures forming a cohesive mulch on the soil surface that strongly contributes to soil stability (Belnap, 2006;Belnap and Gardner, 1993), and on the other hand, grow above the soil surface, and thus provide soils with better protection from raindrop impact and detachment of particles during overland flow events than cyanobacteria (Belnap, 2006).…”

Section: Dynamics Of Oc Losses In Biocrustssupporting

confidence: 89%

“…These measured OC mobilization rates are lower than those estimated by Kidron (2001) in Negev but in agreement with those found by Barger et al (2006), who under simulated extreme rainfall, measured TOC losses of 0.9 to 7.9 g m -2 for intact late-successional dark cyanolichen crust and early-successional light cyanobacteria crust, respectively. Their results also coincide with ours with respect to biocrust development reducing TOC losses as a consequence of the widely demonstrated biocrust effects of reducing water erosion (Bowker et al, 2008;Chamizo et al, 2012a;Lázaro et al, 2008) and strongly contributing to nutrient retention (Delgado-Baquerizo et al, 2010;Chamizo et al, 2012b;Kidron et al, 2010). Cyanobacteria filaments and extracellular secretions act as gluing agents, binding soil particles and increasing the formation of soil aggregates, and thus increasing soil stability (Chamizo et al, 2010(Chamizo et al, , 2012bChaudhary et al, 2009;Kidron et al, 2009;Zhao et al, 2014).…”

Section: Dynamics Of Oc Losses In Biocrustssupporting

confidence: 84%

“…The way biocrusts modify soil surface and subsurface properties greatly depends on the type of biocrust. Thus, soil organic carbon content in the first centimeters below the biocrust is higher under lichen than the other crusts (Chamizo et al, 2012b). Consequently, after lichen crust removal more organic carbon is available to be mobilized.…”

Section: Organic Carbon Dynamics After Crust Removalmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Biocrust composition and cover affect OC content in underlying soils (Chamizo et al, 2012b), and are also factors that have been demonstrated to affect runoff and water erosion and are therefore expected to strongly influence OC mobilization. Chamizo et al (2012a) found higher infiltration in biocrusts than in physical crusts, and as a general trend, an increase in infiltration with biocrust development, that is, as cyanobacteria biomass increased and later successional species, such as lichens and mosses, colonized the soil.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dynamics of organic carbon losses by water erosion after biocrust removal

Cantón

Román

Chamizo

et al. 2014

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

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Abstract:In arid and semiarid ecosystems, plant interspaces are frequently covered by communities of cyanobacteria, algae, lichens and mosses, known as biocrusts. These crusts often act as runoff sources and are involved in soil stabilization and fertility, as they prevent erosion by water and wind, fix atmospheric C and N and contribute large amounts of C to soil. Their contribution to the C balance as photosynthetically active surfaces in arid and semiarid regions is receiving growing attention. However, very few studies have explicitly evaluated their contribution to organic carbon (OC) lost from runoff and erosion, which is necessary to ascertain the role of biocrusts in the ecosystem C balance. Furthermore, biocrusts are not resilient to physical disturbances, which generally cause the loss of the biocrust and thus, an increase in runoff and erosion, dust emissions, and sediment and nutrient losses. The aim of this study was to find out the influence of biocrusts and their removal on dissolved and sediment organic carbon losses. One-hour extreme rainfall simulations (50 mm h -1 ) were performed on small plots set up on physical soil crusts and three types of biocrusts, representing a development gradient, and also on plots where these crusts were removed from. Runoff and erosion rates, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and organic carbon bonded to sediments (S d OC) were measured during the simulated rain. Our results showed different S d OC and DOC for the different biocrusts and also that the presence of biocrusts substantially decreased total organic carbon (TOC) (average 1.80±1.86 g m -2 ) compared to physical soil crusts (7.83±3.27 g m -2 ). Within biocrusts, TOC losses decreased as biocrusts developed, and erosion rates were lower. Thus, erosion drove TOC losses while no significant direct relationships were found between TOC losses and runoff. In both physical crusts and biocrusts, DOC and S d OC concentrations were higher during the first minutes after runoff began and decreased over time as nutrient-enriched fine particles were washed away by runoff water. Crust removal caused a strong increase in water erosion and TOC losses. The strongest impacts on TOC losses after crust removal occurred on the lichen plots, due to the increased erosion when they were removed. DOC concentration was higher in biocrust-removed soils than in intact biocrusts, probably because OC is more strongly retained by BSC structures, but easily blown away in soils devoid of them. However, S d OC concentration was higher in intact than removed biocrusts associated with greater OC content in the top crust than in the soil once the crust is scraped off. Consequently, the loss of biocrusts leads to OC impoverishment of nutrient-limited interplant spaces in arid and semiarid areas and the reduction of soil OC heterogeneity, essential for vegetation productivity and functioning of this type of ecosystems.

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Section: Dynamics Of Oc Losses In Biocrustssupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Dynamics Of Oc Losses In Biocrustssupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Organic Carbon Dynamics After Crust Removalmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dynamics of organic carbon losses by water erosion after biocrust removal

Cantón

Román

Chamizo

et al. 2014

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

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“…Biocrusts play important ecological roles; they are a source of organic carbon, and free-living cyanobacteria and cyanolichens fix atmospheric nitrogen (West, 1990;Evans and Belnap, 1999;Elbert et al, 2012). Furthermore, biocrusts and their byproducts modify soil surfaces by altering surface roughness and physicochemical characteristics of the soil (Belnap, 2006;Chamizo et al, 2012). In arid lands, the effects of biocrusts on soil surface characteristics and on the organic content of the soil play a critical role in maintaining fertility, reducing erosion, and in affecting the distribution of limited resources such as water and nutrients (Eldridge et al, 2002;Bowker et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bromus tectorum litter alters photosynthetic characteristics of biological soil crusts from a semiarid shrubland

Serpe

Roberts

Eldridge

et al. 2013

Soil Biology and Biochemistry

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Invasion by the exotic annual grass Bromus tectorum has increased the cover and connectivity of fine litter in the sagebrush steppes of western North America. This litter tends to cover biological soil crusts, which could affect their metabolism and growth. To investigate this possible phenomenon, biological soil crusts dominated by either the moss Bryum argenteum or the lichen Diploschistes muscorum were covered with B. tectorum litter (litter treatment) or left uncovered (control treatment) and exposed to natural field conditions. After periods of five and ten months, we removed the litter and compared the photosynthetic performance of biological soil crusts from the two treatments. Litter induced photosynthetic changes in our samples. In both B. argenteum and D. muscorum, biological soil crusts that had been covered with litter for ten months had lower rates of gross photosynthesis and lower chlorophyll content than control samples. Similarly in both biological soil crust types, litter reduced the rate of dark respiration. For D. muscorum, the reduction in dark respiration fully compensated for the decrease in gross photosynthesis, resulting in similar values of net photosynthesis in the two treatments. In contrast, for B. argenteum, net photosynthesis was four-times greater in the control than the litter treatment. Also under litter cover, D. muscorum showed three common adaptations to shade conditions: a decrease in the light compensation point, in the light intensity needed to achieve 95% of maximal net photosynthesis, and in the chlorophyll a/b ratio. None of these changes was apparent in B. argenteum. Overall, our results indicate that photosynthetic responses to the presence of litter varied among species of the crust biota and that the litter can reduce the photosynthetic capacity of biological soil crusts. These results help to explain field observations of decreases in biological soil crust cover and changes in biological soil crust composition with increases in litter cover, and suggest that the landscape-wide invasion by B. tectorum may have substantial effects on biological soil crust performance and therefore their capacity to function in semiarid shrublands.Keywords: Biological soil crusts, Bromus tectorum, Bryum argenteum, Diploschistes muscorum, lichens, litter, mosses, photosynthesis, semiarid environments, sagebrush steppe Abbreviations: Biological soil crusts (biocrusts), ΔF/F m ', photosystem II operating efficiency, F v /F m , maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry; LCP, light compensation point, NPQ, non-photochemical quenching; PPFR 95% , light intensity necessary to achieve 95% of maximal net photosynthesis 2

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Rapidly restoring biological soil crusts and ecosystem functions in a severely disturbed desert ecosystem

Chiquoine

Abella

Bowker

2016

Ecological Applications

109

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Restoring biological soil crusts (biocrusts) in degraded drylands can contribute to recovery of ecosystem functions that have global implications, including erosion resistance and nutrient cycling. To examine techniques for restoring biocrusts, we conducted a replicated, factorial experiment on recently abandoned road surfaces by applying biocrust inoculation (salvaged and stored dry for two years), salvaged topsoil, an abiotic soil amendment (wood shavings), and planting of a dominant perennial shrub (Ambrosia dumosa). Eighteen months after treatments, we measured biocrust abundance and species composition, soil chlorophyll a content and fertility, and soil resistance to erosion. Biocrust addition significantly accelerated biocrust recovery on disturbed soils, including increasing lichen and moss cover and cyanobacteria colonization. Compared to undisturbed controls, inoculated plots had similar lichen and moss composition, recovered 43% of total cyanobacteria density, had similar soil chlorophyll content, and exhibited recovery of soil fertility and soil stability. Inoculation was the only treatment that generated lichen and moss cover. Topsoil application resulted in partial recovery of the cyanobacteria community and soil properties. Compared to untreated disturbed plots, topsoil application without inoculum increased cyanobacteria density by 186% and moderately improved soil chlorophyll and ammonium content and soil stability. Topsoil application produced 22% and 51% of the cyanobacteria density g⁻¹ soil compared to undisturbed and inoculated plots, respectively. Plots not treated with either topsoil or inoculum had significantly lower cyanobacteria density, soil chlorophyll and ammonium concentrations, and significantly higher soil nitrate concentration. Wood shavings and Ambrosia had no influence on biocrust lichen and moss species recovery but did affect cyanobacteria composition and soil fertility. Inoculation of severely disturbed soil with native biocrusts rapidly restored biocrust communities and soil stability such that restored areas were similar to undisturbed desert within three years. Using salvaged biocrust as inoculum can be an effective tool in ecological restoration because of its efficacy and simple implementation. Although salvaging biocrust material can be technically difficult and potentially costly, utilizing opportunities to salvage material in planned future disturbance can provide additional land management tools.

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Biological soil crust development affects physicochemical characteristics of soil surface in semiarid ecosystems

Cited by 292 publications

References 59 publications

Dynamics of organic carbon losses by water erosion after biocrust removal

Dynamics of organic carbon losses by water erosion after biocrust removal

Bromus tectorum litter alters photosynthetic characteristics of biological soil crusts from a semiarid shrubland

Rapidly restoring biological soil crusts and ecosystem functions in a severely disturbed desert ecosystem

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