Soil nitrogen and climate drive the positive effect of biological soil crusts on soil organic carbon sequestration in drylands: A Meta-analysis

Xu, Hengkang; Zhang, Yingjun; Shao, Xinqing; Liu, Nan

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150030

Cited by 34 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Whereas the sparse cover of vascular plants in drylands provides few plant residues and has little impact on soil nutrient function, well‐developed biocrust communities contribute substantially to nutrients in surface soils through carbon inputs, nitrogen fixation, and increased availability of potassium and phosphorus (Kakeh et al, 2018; Liu et al, 2017; Xu et al, 2022). We propose that the species richness of biocrust communities plays a key role in soil nutrient functions due to the distinct quality and quantity of inputs from individual species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biocrust diversity enhances dryland saline soil multifunctionality

et al. 2022

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Biocrusts are multifaceted communities including mosses, lichens, and cyanobacteria that are crucial for sustaining soil functions in drylands. Most studies on biocrust functions to date have focused on biocrust cover and development, largely in nonsaline soils, and we know very little about the importance of biocrust diversity for maintaining multifunctionality in saline dryland soils. We assessed the direct and indirect linkages between biocrust richness, soil texture and salinity and soil multifunctionality by measuring 13 variables characterizing soil biological, nutrient and hydrological functions across 32 plots in a salinized dryland in northeastern Iran. We assessed the species richness of biocrust patches and characterized soil functions in bare soils. Overall, biocrust species richness declined with soil clay content and soil salinity, whereas soil salinity increased with soil clay content. Structural equation modeling showed a strong positive association between biocrust species richness and all measured dryland soil functions (soil biological, nutrient, and hydrological functions), but soil hydrological function declined with soil salinity. Overall, dryland soil multifunctionality was positively associated with biocrust species richness but negatively associated with soil clay content. Biocrust species richness likely enhances soil multifunctionality via the distinct roles of species and biocrust functional groups in providing carbon and nutrient inputs, creating favourable microsites, enhancing infiltration, and facilitating soil microbial colonization in saline dryland soils. Overall, our findings highlight a key role for biocrust diversity in facilitating and maintaining soil multifunctionality in drylands affected by soil salinity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biocrust diversity enhances dryland saline soil multifunctionality

et al. 2022

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“…The meta-analysis of the biocrusts suggested that the soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration increased by 70.9% compared to the uncrusted soil, and the random forest analysis showed that the total N was an essential determinant of the concentration of SOC, followed by climate ( p < 0.01). 128 Because of their ecological advantages, improvements in soil physical structure and stability, and enhanced concentrations of soil labile C and microbial C and N, biological soil crusts were applied (as broken-skin inoculation, moss) as a nature-based strategy (NbS) in the fields of semiarid rainfed alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.). 129 The restoration efforts of degraded lands can significantly benefit from the soil microbiota, 130 where biocrusts can be more effective than individual microbial inoculants.…”

Section: Microalgae and Cyanobacteria In Biological Soil Crusts: Sign...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential of microalgae and cyanobacteria to improve soil health and agricultural productivity: a critical view

Ramakrishnan

Raju

Venkateswarlu

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci.: Adv.

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“…Among the different biocrust constituents, mosses usually have the highest photosynthetic efficiency in optimal moisture conditions ( Lan et al , 2017 ). Therefore, they have a higher potential to sequester C ( Yang et al , 2019 ; Xu et al , 2022 ). However, they also have greater physiological limitations than lichens as aridity increases.…”

Section: Biocrust-forming Mosses As Ecosystem Engineers In Drylandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecology and responses to climate change of biocrust-forming mosses in drylands

Guevara

Maestre

2022

Journal of Experimental Botany

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The interest in understanding the role of biocrusts as ecosystem engineers in drylands has substantially increased during the last two decades. Mosses are a major biocrust component that dominate its late successional stages. In general, their impacts on most ecosystem functions are greater than those of early-stage biocrust constituents. However, it is common to find contradictory results regarding how moss interactions with different biotic and abiotic factors affect ecosystem processes. This review aims to: i) describe the adaptations and environmental constraints of biocrust-forming mosses in drylands, ii) identify their primary ecological roles in these ecosystems, and iii) synthesise their responses to climate change. Our review emphasises the importance of interactions between specific functional traits of mosses (e.g., height, radiation reflectance, morphology, shoot densities) with both the environment (e.g., climate, topography and soil properties) and other organisms to understand their ecological roles and responses to climate change. It also highlights key areas that we should research in the future to fulfil essential gaps in our understanding of the ecology and responses to ongoing climate change of biocrust-forming mosses. These include a better understanding of intra- and interspecific interactions and mechanisms driving mosses' carbon balance of during desiccation/rehydration cycles.

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Soil nitrogen and climate drive the positive effect of biological soil crusts on soil organic carbon sequestration in drylands: A Meta-analysis

Cited by 34 publications

References 58 publications

Biocrust diversity enhances dryland saline soil multifunctionality

Biocrust diversity enhances dryland saline soil multifunctionality

Potential of microalgae and cyanobacteria to improve soil health and agricultural productivity: a critical view

Ecology and responses to climate change of biocrust-forming mosses in drylands

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