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Guo Y, Bi Y, Li P, Liu T, Xiao L, Christie P. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculum and N 2-fixing plants in ecological reclamation of arid mining areas: nutrient limitation of the moss biocrust microbiome. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:60503-60519. [PMID: 39384675 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-35041-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 10/11/2024]
Abstract
Ecoenzymatic stoichiometry can reflect the ability of soil microorganisms to acquire energy and nutrients and to determine their response to environmental stresses. However, the drivers of metabolic limitation of the moss biocrust microbiome during the ecological restoration of coal mining areas are poorly understood. Therefore, in this study, enzymatic stoichiometry modeling and high-throughput sequencing were used to simultaneously determine moss biocrust microbial metabolic limitation and its relationship with moss biocrust nutrients and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) diversity in five arid and semi-arid revegetation types (Hippophae rhamnoides, Amorpha fruticosa, Cerasus humilis, Cerasus szechuanica, and Xanthoceras sorbifolium) and two microbial treatments (AMF-inoculated and uninoculated). The activities of moss biocrust carbon (C)-, nitrogen (N)-, and phosphorus (P)-acquiring enzymes and organic carbon fractions in the AMF-inoculated treatment were significantly higher than those in the uninoculated control. Moss biocrust microbial community C and P limitations were observed in the five revegetation types, with lower limitation in general in the AMF-inoculated treatment. Dinitrogen-fixing plants (Amorpha fruticosa and Hippophae rhamnoides) significantly mitigated moss biocrust microbiome C and P limitation, especially in the AMF-inoculated treatment. Furthermore, partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) shows that moss biocrust organic carbon fractions (- 0.73 and - 0.81 of the total effects, respectively) and AMF diversity (- 0.73 and - 0.81 of the total effects) had negative effect on microbial C and P limitation, suggesting that more efficient active nutrients and AMF diversity are important factors alleviating limitation of moss biocrust microbial metabolism. This indicates that moss biocrust microbial communities under N2-fixing species with AMF inoculation were more stable under environmental stress; thus, AMF inoculation and/or N2-fixing plants may be recommended as preferred options for the ecological restoration of arid mining areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yinli Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China.
- College of Geology and Environment, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China.
- Institute of Ecological Environment Restoration in Mine Areas of West China, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China.
| | - Puning Li
- College of Geology and Environment, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China
- Institute of Ecological Environment Restoration in Mine Areas of West China, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Li Xiao
- College of Geology and Environment, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China
- Institute of Ecological Environment Restoration in Mine Areas of West China, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China
| | - Peter Christie
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China
- College of Geology and Environment, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China
- Institute of Ecological Environment Restoration in Mine Areas of West China, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China
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Yang Z, Yuan Y, Guo J, Li J, Li J, Yu H, Zeng W, Huang Y, Yin L, Li F. Responses of Soil C, N, P and Enzyme Activities to Biological Soil Crusts in China: A Meta-Analysis. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1525. [PMID: 38891333 PMCID: PMC11174547 DOI: 10.3390/plants13111525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are often referred to as the "living skin" of arid regions worldwide. Yet, the combined impact of BSCs on soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and enzyme activities remains not fully understood. This study identified, screened and reviewed 71 out of 2856 literature sources to assess the responses of soil C, N, P and enzyme activity to BSCs through a meta-analysis. The results indicated that BSC presence significantly increased soil C, N, P and soil enzyme activity, and this increasing effect was significantly influenced by the types of BSCs. Results from the overall effect showed that soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), total phosphorus (TP), and available phosphorus (AP) increased by 107.88%, 84.52%, 45.43%, 27.46%, and 54.71%, respectively, and four soil enzyme activities (Alkaline Phosphatase, Cellulase, Sucrase, and Urease) increased by 93.65-229.27%. The highest increases in SOC, TN and AN content occurred in the soil covered with lichen crusts and moss crusts, and significant increases in Alkaline Phosphatase and Cellulase were observed in the soil covered with moss crusts and mixed crusts, suggesting that moss crusts can synergistically enhance soil C and N pool and enzyme activity. Additionally, variations in soil C, N, P content, and enzyme activity were observed under different environmental settings, with more pronounced improvements seen in coarse and medium-textured soils compared to fine-textured soils, particularly at a depth of 5 cm from the soil surface. BSCs in desert ecosystems showed more significant increases in SOC, TN, AN, and Alkaline Phosphatase compared to forest and grassland ecosystems. Specifically, BSCs at low altitude (≤500 m) with an annual average rainfall of 0-400 mm and an annual average temperature ≤ 10 °C were the most conducive to improving soil C, N, and P levels. Our results highlight the role of BSCs and their type in increasing soil C, N, P and enzyme activities, with these effects significantly impacted by soil texture, ecosystem type, and climatic conditions. The implications of these findings are crucial for soil enhancement, ecosystem revitalization, windbreak, and sand stabilization efforts in the drylands of China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Yang
- Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (Z.Y.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.); (Y.H.); (L.Y.); (F.L.)
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yong Yuan
- Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (Z.Y.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.); (Y.H.); (L.Y.); (F.L.)
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Jinjin Guo
- Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (Z.Y.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.); (Y.H.); (L.Y.); (F.L.)
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Jinxi Li
- Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (Z.Y.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.); (Y.H.); (L.Y.); (F.L.)
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Jianhua Li
- Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (Z.Y.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.); (Y.H.); (L.Y.); (F.L.)
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Hu Yu
- Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (Z.Y.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.); (Y.H.); (L.Y.); (F.L.)
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Wen Zeng
- Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (Z.Y.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.); (Y.H.); (L.Y.); (F.L.)
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yinhong Huang
- Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (Z.Y.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.); (Y.H.); (L.Y.); (F.L.)
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Liyun Yin
- Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (Z.Y.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.); (Y.H.); (L.Y.); (F.L.)
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Fulian Li
- Faculty of Modern Agricultural Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China; (Z.Y.); (J.L.); (J.L.); (H.Y.); (W.Z.); (Y.H.); (L.Y.); (F.L.)
- Yunnan Provincial Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Water-Soil-Crop System in Seasonal Arid Region, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
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Giraldo-Silva A, Masiello CA. Environmental conditions play a key role in controlling the composition and diversity of Colombian biocrust microbiomes. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1236554. [PMID: 38725684 PMCID: PMC11081033 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1236554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Drylands soils worldwide are naturally colonized by microbial communities known as biocrusts. These soil microbiomes render important ecosystem services associated with soil fertility, water holding capacity, and stability to the areas they cover. Because of the importance of biocrusts in the global cycling of nutrients, there is a growing interest in describing the many microbial configurations these communities display worldwide. However, comprehensive 16S rRNA genes surveys of biocrust communities do not exist for much of the planet: for example, in the continents of South America and the northern part of Africa. The absence of a global understanding of biocrust biodiversity has lead us to assign a general importance to community members that may, in fact, be regional. Here we report for the first time the presence of biocrusts in Colombia (South America) through 16S rRNA genes surveys across an arid, a semi-arid and a dry subtropical region within the country. Our results constitute the first glance of the Bacterial/Archaeal communities associated with South American biocrust microbiomes. Communities where cyanobacteria other than Microcoleus vaginatus prevail, despite the latter being considered a key species elsewhere, illustrate differentiable results in these surveys. We also find that the coastal biocrust communities in Colombia include halo-tolerant and halophilic species, and that niche preference of some nitrogen fixing organisms deviate from previously described global trends. In addition, we identified a high proportion (ranging from 5 to 70%, in average) of cyanobacterial sequences that did not match any formally described cyanobacterial species. Our investigation of Colombian biocrusts points to highly diverse communities with climatic regions controlling taxonomic configurations. They also highlight an extensive local diversity to be discovered which is central to better design management and restoration strategies for drylands soils currently undergoing disturbances due to land use and global warming. Finally, this field study highlights the need for an improved mechanistic understanding of the response of key biocrust community members to changes in moisture and temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Giraldo-Silva
- Department of Science, Ecology Group and Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology, Public University of Navarre (UPNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Caroline A. Masiello
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
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Duan Y, Li Y, Zhao J, Zhang J, Luo C, Jia R, Liu X. Changes in Microbial Composition During the Succession of Biological Soil Crusts in Alpine Hulun Buir Sandy Land, China. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2024; 87:43. [PMID: 38363394 PMCID: PMC10873229 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02359-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are considered "desert ecosystem engineers" because they play a vital role in the restoration and stability maintenance of deserts, including those cold sandy land ecosystems at high latitudes, which are especially understudied. Microorganisms participate in the formation and succession of biocrusts, contributing to soil properties' improvement and the stability of soil aggregates, and thus vegetation development. Accordingly, understanding the composition and successional characteristics of microorganisms is a prerequisite for analyzing the ecological functions of biocrusts and related applications. Here, the Hulun Buir Sandy Land region in northeastern China-lying at the highest latitude of any sandy land in the country-was selected for study. Through a field investigation and next-generation sequencing (Illumina MiSeq PE300 Platform), our goal was to assess the shifts in diversity and community composition of soil bacteria and fungi across different stages during the succession of biocrusts in this region, and to uncover the main factors involved in shaping their soil microbial community. The results revealed that the nutrient enrichment capacity of biocrusts for available nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total content of water-soluble salt, available potassium, soil organic matter, and available phosphorus was progressively enhanced by the succession of cyanobacterial crusts to lichen crusts and then to moss crusts. In tandem, soil bacterial diversity increased as biocrust succession proceeded but fungal diversity decreased. A total of 32 bacterial phyla and 11 fungal phyla were identified, these also known to occur in other desert ecosystems. Among those taxa, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria significantly increased and decreased, respectively, along the cyanobacterial crust-lichen-moss crust successional gradient. However, for Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Acidobacteria their changed relative abundance was significantly hump-shaped, increasing in the shift from cyanobacterial crust to lichen crust, and then decreasing as lichen crust shifted to moss crust. In this process, the improved soil properties effectively enhanced soil bacterial and fungal community composition. Altogether, these findings broaden our understanding about how soil microbial properties can change during the succession of biocrusts in high-latitude, cold sandy land ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulong Duan
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongliao, 028300, China
- Key Laboratory of Strategic Mineral Resources of the Upper Yellow River, Ministry of Natural Resources, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yuqiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongliao, 028300, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Strategic Mineral Resources of the Upper Yellow River, Ministry of Natural Resources, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Jianhua Zhao
- Shanghai Majorbio Bio-Pharm Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Junbiao Zhang
- Shanghai Majorbio Bio-Pharm Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Chun Luo
- Shanghai Majorbio Bio-Pharm Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Rongliang Jia
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongwei, 755007, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Xinping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongliao, 028300, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Abstract
Biological soil crusts are thin, inconspicuous communities along the soil atmosphere ecotone that, until recently, were unrecognized by ecologists and even more so by microbiologists. In its broadest meaning, the term biological soil crust (or biocrust) encompasses a variety of communities that develop on soil surfaces and are powered by photosynthetic primary producers other than higher plants: cyanobacteria, microalgae, and cryptogams like lichens and mosses. Arid land biocrusts are the most studied, but biocrusts also exist in other settings where plant development is constrained. The minimal requirement is that light impinge directly on the soil; this is impeded by the accumulation of plant litter where plants abound. Since scientists started paying attention, much has been learned about their microbial communities, their composition, ecological extent, and biogeochemical roles, about how they alter the physical behavior of soils, and even how they inform an understanding of early life on land. This has opened new avenues for ecological restoration and agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferran Garcia-Pichel
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA;
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Hansen FA, James DK, Anderson JP, Meredith CS, Dominguez AJ, Pombubpa N, Stajich JE, Romero-Olivares AL, Salley SW, Pietrasiak N. Landscape characteristics shape surface soil microbiomes in the Chihuahuan Desert. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1135800. [PMID: 37350785 PMCID: PMC10282155 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1135800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Soil microbial communities, including biological soil crust microbiomes, play key roles in water, carbon and nitrogen cycling, biological weathering, and other nutrient releasing processes of desert ecosystems. However, our knowledge of microbial distribution patterns and ecological drivers is still poor, especially so for the Chihuahuan Desert. Methods This project investigated the effects of trampling disturbance on surface soil microbiomes, explored community composition and structure, and related patterns to abiotic and biotic landscape characteristics within the Chihuahuan Desert biome. Composite soil samples were collected in disturbed and undisturbed areas of 15 long-term ecological research plots in the Jornada Basin, New Mexico. Microbial diversity of cross-domain microbial groups (total Bacteria, Cyanobacteria, Archaea, and Fungi) was obtained via DNA amplicon metabarcode sequencing. Sequence data were related to landscape characteristics including vegetation type, landforms, ecological site and state as well as soil properties including gravel content, soil texture, pH, and electrical conductivity. Results Filamentous Cyanobacteria dominated the photoautotrophic community while Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria dominated among the heterotrophic bacteria. Thaumarchaeota were the most abundant Archaea and drought adapted taxa in Dothideomycetes and Agaricomycetes were most abundant fungi in the soil surface microbiomes. Apart from richness within Archaea (p = 0.0124), disturbed samples did not differ from undisturbed samples with respect to alpha diversity and community composition (p ≥ 0.05), possibly due to a lack of frequent or impactful disturbance. Vegetation type and landform showed differences in richness of Bacteria, Archaea, and Cyanobacteria but not in Fungi. Richness lacked strong relationships with soil variables. Landscape features including parent material, vegetation type, landform type, and ecological sites and states, exhibited stronger influence on relative abundances and microbial community composition than on alpha diversity, especially for Cyanobacteria and Fungi. Soil texture, moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, lichen cover, and perennial plant biomass correlated strongly with microbial community gradients detected in NMDS ordinations. Discussion Our study provides first comprehensive insights into the relationships between landscape characteristics, associated soil properties, and cross-domain soil microbiomes in the Chihuahuan Desert. Our findings will inform land management and restoration efforts and aid in the understanding of processes such as desertification and state transitioning, which represent urgent ecological and economical challenges in drylands around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick A. Hansen
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Darren K. James
- Jornada Experimental Range Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - John P. Anderson
- Jornada Experimental Range Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | | | - Andrew J. Dominguez
- Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Nuttapon Pombubpa
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | | | - Shawn W. Salley
- U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Nicole Pietrasiak
- Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
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Hoellrich MR, James DK, Bustos D, Darrouzet-Nardi A, Santiago LS, Pietrasiak N. Biocrust carbon exchange varies with crust type and time on Chihuahuan Desert gypsum soils. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1128631. [PMID: 37234525 PMCID: PMC10208066 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1128631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction In dryland systems, biological soil crusts (biocrusts) can occupy large areas of plant interspaces, where they fix carbon following rain. Although distinct biocrust types contain different dominant photoautotrophs, few studies to date have documented carbon exchange over time from various biocrust types. This is especially true for gypsum soils. Our objective was to assess the carbon exchange of biocrust types established at the world's largest gypsum dune field at White Sands National Park. Methods We sampled five different biocrust types from a sand sheet location in three different years and seasons (summer 2020, fall 2021, and winter 2022) for carbon exchange measurements in controlled lab conditions. Biocrusts were rehydrated to full saturation and light incubated for 30 min, 2, 6, 12, 24, and 36 h. Samples were then subject to a 12-point light regime with a LI-6400XT photosynthesis system to determine carbon exchange. Results Biocrust carbon exchange values differed by biocrust type, by incubation time since wetting, and by date of field sampling. Lichens and mosses had higher gross and net carbon fixation rates than dark and light cyanobacterial crusts. High respiration rates were found after 0.5 h and 2 h incubation times as communities recovered from desiccation, leveling off after 6 h incubation. Net carbon fixation of all types increased with longer incubation time, primarily as a result of decreasing respiration, which suggests rapid recovery of biocrust photosynthesis across types. However, net carbon fixation rates varied from year to year, likely as a product of time since the last rain event and environmental conditions preceding collection, with moss crusts being most sensitive to environmental stress at our study sites. Discussion Given the complexity of patterns discovered in our study, it is especially important to consider a multitude of factors when comparing biocrust carbon exchange rates across studies. Understanding the dynamics of biocrust carbon fixation in distinct crust types will enable greater precision of carbon cycling models and improved forecasting of impacts of global climate change on dryland carbon cycling and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikaela R. Hoellrich
- Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Darren K. James
- USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - David Bustos
- US DOI White Sands National Park, Alamogordo, NM, United States
| | | | - Louis S. Santiago
- Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Nicole Pietrasiak
- Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
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Barrón-Sandoval A, Martiny JBH, Pérez-Carbajal T, Bullock SH, Leija A, Hernández G, Escalante AE. Functional significance of microbial diversity in arid soils: biological soil crusts and nitrogen fixation as a model system. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2023; 99:6998555. [PMID: 36690342 PMCID: PMC9923382 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiad009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities respond to changes in environmental conditions; however, how compositional shifts affect ecosystem processes is still not well-understood and it is often assumed that different microbial communities will function equally under similar environmental conditions. We evaluated this assumption of functional redundancy using biological soil crusts (BSCs) from two arid ecosystems in Mexico with contrasting climate conditions (hot and cold deserts) following an experimental approach both in the field (reciprocal transplants) and in laboratory conditions (common garden), focusing on the community's composition and potential for nitrogen fixation. Potential of nitrogen fixation was assessed through the acetylene reduction assay. Community composition and diversity was determined with T-RFLPs of nifH gene, high throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons and metagenomic libraries. BSCs tended to show higher potential nitrogen fixation rates when experiencing temperatures more similar to their native environment. Moreover, changes in potential nitrogen fixation, taxonomic and functional community composition, and diversity often depended on an interactive effect of origin of the communities and the environment they experienced. We interpret our results as legacy effects that result from ecological specialization of the BSC communities to their native environment. Overall, we present evidence of nonfunctional redundancy of BSCs in terms of nitrogen fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Barrón-Sandoval
- Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad (LANCIS), Instituto de Ecología, UNAM. Circuito Exterior s/n, junto al Jardín Botánico, Coyacán, Mexico City, 014510, Mexico,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92627, United States
| | - Jennifer B H Martiny
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA 92627, United States
| | - Teresa Pérez-Carbajal
- Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad (LANCIS), Instituto de Ecología, UNAM. Circuito Exterior s/n, junto al Jardín Botánico, Coyacán, Mexico City, 014510, Mexico
| | - Stephen H Bullock
- Department of Conservation Biology, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE), Ctra. Ensenada-Tijuana No. 3918, Ensenada, 22860 Baja CA, Mexico
| | - Alfonso Leija
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av, Universidad 1001, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Georgina Hernández
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av, Universidad 1001, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Ana E Escalante
- Corresponding author: Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad (LANCIS), Instituto de Ecología, UNAM. Circuito Exterior s/n, junto al Jardín Botánico, Coyacán, Mexico City, 04510. Mexico. Tel: +52(55)5623-7714; E-mail:
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Wei Y, Quan F, Lan G, Wu Z, Yang C. Space Rather than Seasonal Changes Explained More of the Spatiotemporal Variation of Tropical Soil Microbial Communities. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0184622. [PMID: 36416607 PMCID: PMC9769686 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01846-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil microbiomes play an essential role in maintaining soil geochemical cycle and function. Although there have been some reports on the diversity patterns and drivers of the tropical forest soil microbial community, how space and seasonal changes affect spatiotemporal distribution at the regional scales are poorly understood. Based on 260 soil samples, we investigated the spatiotemporal patterns of rubber plantations and rainforest soil microbial communities across the whole of Hainan Island, China during the dry and rainy seasons. We examined soil bacterial and fungal composition and diversity and the main drivers of these microbes using Illumina sequencing and assembly. Our results revealed that the diversity (both alpha and beta) spatiotemporal variation in microbial communities is highly dependent on regional location rather than seasonal changes. For example, the site explained 28.5% and 37.2% of the variation in alpha diversity for soil bacteria and fungi, respectively, and explained 34.6% of the bacterial variance and 14.3% of the fungal variance in beta diversity. Soil pH, mean annual temperature, and mean annual precipitation were the most important factors associated with the distribution of soil microbial communities. Furthermore, we identified that variations in edaphic (e.g., soil pH) and climatic factors (e.g., mean annual temperature [MAT] and mean annual precipitation [MAP]) were mainly caused by regional sites (P < 0.001). Collectively, our work provides empirical evidence that space, rather than seasonal changes, explained more of the spatiotemporal variation of soil microbial communities in tropical forests, mediated by regional location-induced changes in climatic factors and edaphic properties. IMPORTANCE The soil microbiomes communities of the two forests were not only affected by environmental factors (e.g., edaphic and climatic factors), but also by different dominant geographic factors. In particular, our work showed that spatial variation in bacterial and fungal community composition was mainly dominated by edaphic properties (e.g., pH) and climatic factors (e.g., MAT and MAP). Moreover, the environmental factors were mainly explained by geographic location effect rather than by seasonal effect, and environmental dissimilarity significantly increased with geographic distance. In conclusion, our study provides solid empirical evidence that space rather than season explained more of the spatiotemporal variation of soil microbial communities in the tropical forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqing Wei
- Rubber Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou City, Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China
- Hainan Danzhou Tropical Agro-ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Danzhou City, Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China
- College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Fei Quan
- School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
- Hainan Danzhou Tropical Agro-ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Danzhou City, Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guoyu Lan
- Rubber Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou City, Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China
- Hainan Danzhou Tropical Agro-ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Danzhou City, Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhixiang Wu
- Rubber Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou City, Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China
- Hainan Danzhou Tropical Agro-ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Danzhou City, Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chuan Yang
- Rubber Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou City, Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China
- Hainan Danzhou Tropical Agro-ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Danzhou City, Hainan Province, People’s Republic of China
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10
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Chilton AM, Nguyen STT, Nelson TM, Pearson LA, Neilan BA. Climate dictates microbial community composition and diversity in Australian biological soil crusts (biocrusts). Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:5467-5482. [PMID: 35769014 PMCID: PMC9796556 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The soil surface of drylands can typically be colonized by cyanobacteria and other microbes, forming biological soil crusts or 'biocrusts'. Biocrusts provide critical benefits to ecosystems and are a common component of the largely arid and semi-arid Australian continent. Yet, their distribution and the parameters that shape their microbial composition have not been investigated. We present here the first detailed description of Australia's biocrust microbiome assessed from 15 sites across the continent using 16S rRNA sequencing. The most abundant bacterial phyla from all sites were Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Bacteroidetes. Cyanobacterial communities from northern regions were more diverse and unclassified cyanobacteria were a noticeable feature of northern biocrusts. Segregation between northern and southern regions was largely due to the differential abundance of Microcoleus spp., with M. paludosus dominating in the north and M. vaginatus dominating in the south. The geographical shifts in bacterial composition and diversity were correlated to seasonal temperatures and summer rainfall. Our findings provide an initial reference for sampling strategies to maximize access to bacterial genetic diversity. As hubs for essential ecosystem services, further investigation into biocrusts in arid and semi-arid regions may yield discoveries of genetic mechanisms that combat increases in warming due to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M. Chilton
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular SciencesUniversity of New South WalesNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Suong T. T. Nguyen
- School of Environmental and Life SciencesUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Tiffanie M. Nelson
- School of Environmental and Life SciencesUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Leanne A. Pearson
- School of Environmental and Life SciencesUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Brett A. Neilan
- School of Environmental and Life SciencesUniversity of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
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11
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Kratz AM, Maier S, Weber J, Kim M, Mele G, Gargiulo L, Leifke AL, Prass M, Abed RMM, Cheng Y, Su H, Pöschl U, Weber B. Reactive Nitrogen Hotspots Related to Microscale Heterogeneity in Biological Soil Crusts. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:11865-11877. [PMID: 35929951 PMCID: PMC9387110 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Biocrusts covering drylands account for major fractions of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation and release large amounts of gaseous reactive nitrogen (Nr) as nitrous acid (HONO) and nitric oxide (NO). Recent investigations suggested that aerobic and anaerobic microbial nitrogen transformations occur simultaneously upon desiccation of biocrusts, but the spatio-temporal distribution of seemingly contradictory processes remained unclear. Here, we explore small-scale gradients in chemical concentrations related to structural characteristics and organism distribution. X-ray microtomography and fluorescence microscopy revealed mixed pore size structures, where photoautotrophs and cyanobacterial polysaccharides clustered irregularly in the uppermost millimeter. Microsensor measurements showed strong gradients of pH, oxygen, and nitrite, nitrate, and ammonium ion concentrations at micrometer scales in both vertical and lateral directions. Initial oxygen saturation was mostly low (∼30%) at full water holding capacity, suggesting widely anoxic conditions, and increased rapidly upon desiccation. Nitrite concentrations (∼6 to 800 μM) and pH values (∼6.5 to 9.5) were highest around 70% WHC. During further desiccation they decreased, while emissions of HONO and NO increased, reaching maximum values around 20% WHC. Our results illustrate simultaneous, spatially separated aerobic and anaerobic nitrogen transformations, which are critical for Nr emissions, but might be impacted by future global change and land management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Maria Kratz
- Multiphase
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Mainz 55128, Germany
| | - Stefanie Maier
- Multiphase
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Mainz 55128, Germany
- Institute
of Biology, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Jens Weber
- Multiphase
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Mainz 55128, Germany
- Institute
of Biology, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Minsu Kim
- Institute
of Biology, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Giacomo Mele
- Institute
for Agriculture and Forestry in the Mediterranean, National Council of Research, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Laura Gargiulo
- Institute
for Agriculture and Forestry in the Mediterranean, National Council of Research, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Anna Lena Leifke
- Multiphase
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Mainz 55128, Germany
| | - Maria Prass
- Multiphase
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Mainz 55128, Germany
| | - Raeid M. M. Abed
- College
of Science, Biology Department, Sultan Qaboos
University, P.O. Box 36, Al Khoud, Seeb 123, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Yafang Cheng
- Multiphase
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Mainz 55128, Germany
| | - Hang Su
- Multiphase
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Mainz 55128, Germany
| | - Ulrich Pöschl
- Multiphase
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Mainz 55128, Germany
| | - Bettina Weber
- Multiphase
Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute
for Chemistry, Mainz 55128, Germany
- Institute
of Biology, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Graz 8010, Austria
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12
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Ladrón de Guevara M, Maestre FT. Ecology and responses to climate change of biocrust-forming mosses in drylands. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:4380-4395. [PMID: 35553672 PMCID: PMC9291340 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Interest in understanding the role of biocrusts as ecosystem engineers in drylands has substantially increased during the past two decades. Mosses are a major component of biocrusts and dominate their 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) synthesize their responses to climate change. We emphasize the importance of interactions between specific functional traits of mosses (e.g. height, radiation reflectance, morphology, and shoot densities) and both the environment (e.g. climate, topography, and soil properties) and other organisms to understand their ecological roles and responses to climate change. We also highlight key areas that should be researched in the future to fill essential gaps in our understanding of the ecology and the 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 during desiccation-rehydration cycles.
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13
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Oliveira MF, Maciel-Silva AS. Biological soil crusts and how they might colonize other worlds: insights from these Brazilian ecosystem engineers. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:4362-4379. [PMID: 35522077 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
When bryophytes, lichens, eukaryotic algae, cyanobacteria, bacteria, and fungi live interacting intimately with the most superficial particles of the soil, they form a complex community of organisms called the biological soil crust (BSC or biocrust). These biocrusts occur predominantly in drylands, where they provide important ecological services such as soil aggregation, moisture retention, and nitrogen fixation. Unfortunately, many BSC communities remain poorly explored, especially in the tropics. This review summarizes studies about BSCs in Brazil, a tropical megadiverse country, and shows the importance of ecological, physiological, and taxonomic knowledge of biocrusts. We also compare Brazilian BSC communities with others around the world, describe why BSCs can be considered ecosystem engineers, and propose their use in the colonization of other worlds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateus Fernandes Oliveira
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Sistemática Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Adaíses Simone Maciel-Silva
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Sistemática Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
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14
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Weber B, Belnap J, Büdel B, Antoninka AJ, Barger NN, Chaudhary VB, Darrouzet-Nardi A, Eldridge DJ, Faist AM, Ferrenberg S, Havrilla CA, Huber-Sannwald E, Malam Issa O, Maestre FT, Reed SC, Rodriguez-Caballero E, Tucker C, Young KE, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Zhou X, Bowker MA. What is a biocrust? A refined, contemporary definition for a broadening research community. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1768-1785. [PMID: 35584903 PMCID: PMC9545944 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Studies of biological soil crusts (biocrusts) have proliferated over the last few decades. The biocrust literature has broadened, with more studies assessing and describing the function of a variety of biocrust communities in a broad range of biomes and habitats and across a large spectrum of disciplines, and also by the incorporation of biocrusts into global perspectives and biogeochemical models. As the number of biocrust researchers increases, along with the scope of soil communities defined as ‘biocrust’, it is worth asking whether we all share a clear, universal, and fully articulated definition of what constitutes a biocrust. In this review, we synthesize the literature with the views of new and experienced biocrust researchers, to provide a refined and fully elaborated definition of biocrusts. In doing so, we illustrate the ecological relevance and ecosystem services provided by them. We demonstrate that biocrusts are defined by four distinct elements: physical structure, functional characteristics, habitat, and taxonomic composition. We describe outgroups, which have some, but not all, of the characteristics necessary to be fully consistent with our definition and thus would not be considered biocrusts. We also summarize the wide variety of different types of communities that fall under our definition of biocrusts, in the process of highlighting their global distribution. Finally, we suggest the universal use of the Belnap, Büdel & Lange definition, with minor modifications: Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) result from an intimate association between soil particles and differing proportions of photoautotrophic (e.g. cyanobacteria, algae, lichens, bryophytes) and heterotrophic (e.g. bacteria, fungi, archaea) organisms, which live within, or immediately on top of, the uppermost millimetres of soil. Soil particles are aggregated through the presence and activity of these often extremotolerant biota that desiccate regularly, and the resultant living crust covers the surface of the ground as a coherent layer. With this detailed definition of biocrusts, illustrating their ecological functions and widespread distribution, we hope to stimulate interest in biocrust research and inform various stakeholders (e.g. land managers, land users) on their overall importance to ecosystem and Earth system functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Weber
- Division of Plant Sciences, Institute for Biology, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, 8010, Graz, Austria.,Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jayne Belnap
- Southwest Biological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 2290 S. Resource Blvd, Moab, UT, 84532, USA
| | - Burkhard Büdel
- Biology Institute, University of Kaiserslautern, PO Box 3049, 67653, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Anita J Antoninka
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Nichole N Barger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - V Bala Chaudhary
- Department of Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College, 6182 Steele Hall, 39 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
| | - David J Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Akasha M Faist
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, PO Box 30003, MSC 3-I, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA
| | - Scott Ferrenberg
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, PO Box 30001, MSC 3AF, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA
| | - Caroline A Havrilla
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, 1472 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald
- Division of Environmental Sciences, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa San José 2055, Col. 4ta Sección, CP 78216, San Luis Potosi, SLP, Mexico
| | - Oumarou Malam Issa
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (IEES-Paris), SU/IRD/CNRS/INRAE/UPEC, 32, Avenue Henry Varagnat, F-93143, Bondy Cedex, France
| | - Fernando T Maestre
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio "Ramón Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain.,Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Sasha C Reed
- Southwest Biological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 2290 S. Resource Blvd, Moab, UT, 84532, USA
| | - Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128, Mainz, Germany.,Department of Agronomy and Centro de Investigación de Colecciones Científicas (CECOUAL), Universidad de Almería, carretera Sacramento s/n, 04120, La cañada de San Urbano, Almeria, Spain
| | - Colin Tucker
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 410 MacInnes Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931-1134, USA
| | - Kristina E Young
- Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources, Utah State University, 1850 S. Aggie Blvd, Moab, UT, 84532, USA
| | - Yuanming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Bejing Road, Urumqi City, 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yunge Zhao
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, 26 Xinong Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Xiaobing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Bejing Road, Urumqi City, 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
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15
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Lan S, Wu L, Adessi A, Hu C. Cyanobacterial persistence and influence on microbial community dynamics over 15 years in induced biocrusts. Environ Microbiol 2021; 24:66-81. [PMID: 34816560 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Biocrusts provide numerous ecological functions in drylands. Recovering biocrusts via cyanobacterial inoculation recently gathered interest for ecological restoration, yet it still lacks long-term experiments to unravel biocrust community dynamics. To examine how cyanobacterial inoculants influenced local microbial community and biocrust development, we observed a 2 km2 (Qubqi Desert, China) inoculation experiment after 10 and 15 years, following biocrust formation. Our results revealed that biocrust development was in line with ecological regime shift, providing evidence for biocrust community succession, from cyanobacteria- to moss-dominated types. Associated with biocrust development, microbial communities differed significantly with less specialists compared to shifting sands. Cyanobacterial community analysis showed that Microcoleus vaginatus and Scytonema javanicum are an ideal inoculating model, as they were still dominating the community after 15 years since inoculation, while other nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria occurred profusely with biocrust development. Biocrust community composition combined with thickness, Chl-a and exopolysaccharide measurements revealed the large variation of cyanobacterial ecological functions along biocrust development, suggesting a main function shift: from carbon fixation associated with exopolysaccharide secretion in bare sandy soils to nitrogen fixation in developed biocrusts. This large-scale field study verifies that cyanobacterial inoculation accelerates biocrust development and forwards succession, shaping the biocrust community composition over a long time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubin Lan
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Li Wu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Alessandra Adessi
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Florence, 50144, Italy
| | - Chunxiang Hu
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
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16
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Root HT, Miller JED, Rosentreter R. Response to Comment on: Grazing promotes exotic annual grasses by degrading soil biocrust communities. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02424. [PMID: 34292645 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Heather T Root
- Botany Department, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, 84401, USA
| | - Jesse E D Miller
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94304, USA
| | - Roger Rosentreter
- Biology Department, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, 83725, USA
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17
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Blanco‐Sacristán J, Panigada C, Gentili R, Tagliabue G, Garzonio R, Martín MP, Ladrón de Guevara M, Colombo R, Dowling TPF, Rossini M. UAV RGB, thermal infrared and multispectral imagery used to investigate the control of terrain on the spatial distribution of dryland biocrust. EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS 2021; 46:2466-2484. [PMID: 34690397 PMCID: PMC8518773 DOI: 10.1002/esp.5189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biocrusts (topsoil communities formed by mosses, lichens, bacteria, fungi, algae, and cyanobacteria) are a key biotic component of dryland ecosystems. Whilst climate patterns control the distribution of biocrusts in drylands worldwide, terrain and soil attributes can influence biocrust distribution at landscape scale. Multi-source unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery was used to map and study biocrust ecology in a typical dryland ecosystem in central Spain. Red, green and blue (RGB) imagery was processed using structure-from-motion techniques to map terrain attributes related to microclimate and terrain stability. Multispectral imagery was used to produce accurate maps (accuracy > 80%) of dryland ecosystem components (vegetation, bare soil and biocrust composition). Finally, thermal infrared (TIR) and multispectral imagery was used to calculate the apparent thermal inertia (ATI) of soil and to evaluate how ATI was related to soil moisture (r 2 = 0.83). The relationship between soil properties and UAV-derived variables was first evaluated at the field plot level. Then, the maps obtained were used to explore the relationship between biocrusts and terrain attributes at ecosystem level through a redundancy analysis. The most significant variables that explain biocrust distribution are: ATI (34.4% of variance, F = 130.75; p < 0.001), Elevation (25.8%, F = 97.6; p < 0.001), and potential solar incoming radiation (PSIR) (52.9%, F = 200.1; p < 0.001). Differences were found between areas dominated by lichens and mosses. Lichen-dominated biocrusts were associated with areas with high slopes and low values of ATI, with soil characterized by a higher amount of soluble salts, and lower amount of organic carbon, total phosphorus (Ptot) and total nitrogen (Ntot). Biocrust-forming mosses dominated lower and moister areas, characterized by gentler slopes and higher values of ATI with soils with higher contents of organic carbon, Ptot and Ntot. This study shows the potential to use UAVs to improve our understanding of drylands and to evaluate the control that the terrain has on biocrust distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cinzia Panigada
- Remote Sensing of Environmental Dynamics LabUniversity of Milano‐BicoccaMilanItaly
| | - Rodolfo Gentili
- Remote Sensing of Environmental Dynamics LabUniversity of Milano‐BicoccaMilanItaly
| | - Giulia Tagliabue
- Remote Sensing of Environmental Dynamics LabUniversity of Milano‐BicoccaMilanItaly
| | - Roberto Garzonio
- Remote Sensing of Environmental Dynamics LabUniversity of Milano‐BicoccaMilanItaly
| | - M. Pilar Martín
- Environmental remote sensing and spectroscopy laboratory (SpecLab)Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Mónica Ladrón de Guevara
- Universidad Rey Juan CarlosMóstolesSpain
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications, CREAF‐CSIC‐UABBarcelonaSpain
| | - Roberto Colombo
- Remote Sensing of Environmental Dynamics LabUniversity of Milano‐BicoccaMilanItaly
| | - Thomas P. F. Dowling
- United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring CentreCambridgeUK
| | - Micol Rossini
- Remote Sensing of Environmental Dynamics LabUniversity of Milano‐BicoccaMilanItaly
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18
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Young KE, Reed SC, Ferrenberg S, Faist A, Winkler DE, Cort C, Darrouzet-Nardi A. Incorporating Biogeochemistry into Dryland Restoration. Bioscience 2021; 71:907-917. [PMID: 34483747 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dryland degradation is a persistent and accelerating global problem. Although the mechanisms initiating and maintaining dryland degradation are largely understood, returning productivity and function through ecological restoration remains difficult. Water limitation commonly drives slow recovery rates within drylands; however, the altered biogeochemical cycles that accompany degradation also play key roles in limiting restoration outcomes. Addressing biogeochemical changes and resource limitations may help improve restoration efforts within this difficult-to-restore biome. In the present article, we present a synthesis of restoration literature that identifies multiple ways biogeochemical understandings might augment dryland restoration outcomes, including timing restoration around resource cycling and uptake, connecting heterogeneous landscapes, manipulating resource pools, and using organismal functional traits to a restoration advantage. We conclude by suggesting ways to incorporate biogeochemistry into existing restoration frameworks and discuss research directions that may help improve restoration outcomes in the world's highly altered dryland landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina E Young
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas, El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States
| | - Sasha C Reed
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, United States
| | - Scott Ferrenberg
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
| | - Akasha Faist
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
| | - Daniel E Winkler
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, United States
| | - Catherine Cort
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas, El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States
| | - Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas, El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States
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19
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Liu YR, Eldridge DJ, Zeng XM, Wang J, Singh BK, Delgado-Baquerizo M. Global diversity and ecological drivers of lichenised soil fungi. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 231:1210-1219. [PMID: 33914920 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Lichens play crucial roles in sustaining the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems; however, the diversity and ecological factors associated with lichenised soil fungi remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we used a global field survey including information on fungal sequences of topsoils from 235 terrestrial ecosystems. We identified 880 lichenised fungal phylotypes across nine biomes ranging from deserts to tropical forests. The diversity and proportion of lichenised soil fungi peaked in shrublands and dry grasslands. Aridity index, plant cover and soil pH were the most important factors associated with the distribution of lichenised soil fungi. Furthermore, we identified Endocarpon, Verrucaria and Rinodina as some of the most dominant lichenised genera across the globe, and they had similar environmental preferences to the lichenised fungal community. In addition, precipitation seasonality and mean diurnal temperature range were also important in predicting the proportion of these dominant genera. Using this information, we were able to create the first global maps of the richness and the proportion of dominant genera of lichenised fungi. This work provides new insight into the global distribution and ecological preferences of lichenised soil fungi, and supports their dominance in drylands across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Rong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - David J Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Xiao-Min Zeng
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Juntao Wang
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Brajesh K Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
- Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Penrith South DC, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, 41013, Spain
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20
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Pombubpa N, Pietrasiak N, De Ley P, Stajich JE. Insights into dryland biocrust microbiome: geography, soil depth and crust type affect biocrust microbial communities and networks in Mojave Desert, USA. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 96:5861315. [PMID: 32573682 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Biocrusts are the living skin of drylands, comprising diverse microbial communities that are essential to desert ecosystems. Despite there being extensive knowledge on biocrust ecosystem functions and lichen and moss biodiversity, little is known about factors structuring diversity among their microbial communities. We used amplicon-based metabarcode sequencing to survey microbial communities from biocrust surface and subsurface soils at four sites located within the Mojave Desert. Five biocrust types were examined: Light-algal/Cyanobacteria, Cyanolichen, Green-algal lichen, Smooth-moss and Rough-moss crust types. Microbial diversity in biocrusts was structured by several characteristics: (i) central versus southern Mojave sites displayed different community signatures, (ii) indicator taxa of plant-associated fungi (plant pathogens and wood saprotrophs) were identified at each site, (iii) surface and subsurface microbial communities were distinct and (iv) crust types had distinct indicator taxa. Network analysis ranked bacteria-bacteria interactions as the most connected of all within-domain and cross-domain interaction networks in biocrust surface samples. Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Ascomycota functioned as hubs among all phyla. The bacteria Pseudonocardia sp. (Pseudonocardiales, Actinobacteria) and fungus Alternaria sp. (Pleosporales, Ascomycota) were the most connected had the highest node degree. Our findings provide crucial insights for dryland microbial community ecology, conservation and sustainable management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuttapon Pombubpa
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.,Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521 USA
| | - Nicole Pietrasiak
- Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
| | - Paul De Ley
- Department of Nematology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.,Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521 USA
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21
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Bi Y, Guo Y, Sun H. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity in soils underlying moss biocrusts in coal mining subsidence areas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:3484-3493. [PMID: 32918685 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10726-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The potentially symbiotic mycorrhizal associations dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have become a new topic in bioremediation research in response to global change. Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) play an important role in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. However, AM fungal diversity in the soils underlying moss biocrusts in coal mining subsidence areas remains poorly understood. Here, samples of the soil underlying moss biocrusts in an area inoculated with an AM fungus (AM-BS) and an uninoculated area (CK-BS) plus soil samples from an uninoculated bare area (CK-NBS) were collected from the subsidence area of Shendong Daliuta mine at Yulin, northwest China. AM fungal community diversity indices were maximum in AM-BS, intermediate in CK-BS, and minimum in CK-NBS (P < 0.05). In addition, redundancy analysis (RDA) indicates that the importance of moss biocrust to soil properties followed the sequence: soil water content (SWC) > glomalin-related soil protein (TG) > available phosphorus (Olsen-P) > soil organic matter (SOM) > easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (EEG) > pH > available nitrogen (alkali-N). SWC, alkali-N, Olsen-P, and SOM were significantly related to the abundance of Glomus and Claroideoglomus, and TG, EEG, and pH were positively related to Diversisipora. In summary, inoculation with the exotic AM fungus and moss biocrust cover created a eutrophic microhabitat for AM fungi in the soils underlying moss biocrusts in the coal mining subsidence area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinli Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China.
- College of Geology and Environment, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China.
| | - Yun Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Huan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China
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22
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Tucker C, Ferrenberg S, Reed SC. Modest Residual Effects of Short-Term Warming, Altered Hydration, and Biocrust Successional State on Dryland Soil Heterotrophic Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.467157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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23
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Chen N, Yu K, Jia R, Teng J, Zhao C. Biocrust as one of multiple stable states in global drylands. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/39/eaay3763. [PMID: 32978155 PMCID: PMC7518869 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay3763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Biocrusts cover ~30% of global drylands with a prominent role in the biogeochemical cycles. Theoretically, biocrusts, vascular plants, and bare soil can represent multiple stable states in drylands. However, no empirical evidence for the existence of a biocrust stable state has been reported. Here, using a global drylands dataset, we found that biocrusts form an alternative stable state (biocrust cover, ~80%; vascular cover, ≤10%) besides bare soil (both biocrust and vascular cover, ≤10%) and vascular plants (vascular cover, >50%; biocrust cover, ~5%). The pattern of multiple stable states associated with biocrusts differs from the classic fold bifurcation, and values of the aridity index in the range of 0 to 0.6 define a bistable region where multiple stable states coexist. This study empirically demonstrates the existence and thresholds of multiple stable states associated with biocrusts along climatic gradients and thus may greatly contribute to conservation and restoration of global drylands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No.222, Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
- Yuzhong Mountain Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Lanzhou University, No.222, Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Kailiang Yu
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - Rongliang Jia
- Shapotou Desert Research and Environment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.320, Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Jialing Teng
- Shapotou Desert Research and Environment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.320, Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Changming Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, No.222, Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.
- Yuzhong Mountain Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Lanzhou University, No.222, Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
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24
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Ayuso SV, Giraldo‐Silva A, Barger NN, Garcia‐Pichel F. Microbial inoculum production for biocrust restoration: testing the effects of a common substrate versus native soils on yield and community composition. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Velasco Ayuso
- School of Life SciencesArizona State University Tempe AZ 85287 U.S.A
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA‐CONICET), Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires C1417DSE Argentina
| | - Ana Giraldo‐Silva
- School of Life SciencesArizona State University Tempe AZ 85287 U.S.A
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign InstituteArizona State University Tempe AZ 85287 U.S.A
| | - Nichole N. Barger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado Boulder CO 80309 U.S.A
| | - Ferran Garcia‐Pichel
- School of Life SciencesArizona State University Tempe AZ 85287 U.S.A
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign InstituteArizona State University Tempe AZ 85287 U.S.A
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25
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Fisher K, Jefferson JS, Vaishampayan P. Bacterial Communities of Mojave Desert Biological Soil Crusts Are Shaped by Dominant Photoautotrophs and the Presence of Hypolithic Niches. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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26
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Szyja M, Menezes AGDS, Oliveira FDA, Leal I, Tabarelli M, Büdel B, Wirth R. Neglected but Potent Dry Forest Players: Ecological Role and Ecosystem Service Provision of Biological Soil Crusts in the Human-Modified Caatinga. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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27
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Condon LA, Pietrasiak N, Rosentreter R, Pyke DA. Passive restoration of vegetation and biological soil crusts following 80 years of exclusion from grazing across the Great Basin. Restor Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lea A. Condon
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
| | - Nicole Pietrasiak
- Plant and Environmental Sciences Department New Mexico State University Las Cruces New Mexico 88003 U.S.A
| | | | - David A. Pyke
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Corvallis OR 97331 U.S.A
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28
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Reed SC, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Ferrenberg S. Biocrust science and global change. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 223:1047-1051. [PMID: 31304606 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sasha C Reed
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT, 84532, USA
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán Sin Número, Móstoles, 28933, Spain
| | - Scott Ferrenberg
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, 88001, USA
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29
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Young KE, Bowker MA, Reed SC, Duniway MC, Belnap J. Temporal and abiotic fluctuations may be preventing successful rehabilitation of soil-stabilizing biocrust communities. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01908. [PMID: 31004536 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Land degradation is a persistent ecological problem in many arid and semiarid systems globally (drylands hereafter). Most instances of dryland degradation include some form of soil disturbance and/or soil erosion, which can hinder vegetation establishment and reduce ecosystem productivity. To combat soil erosion, researchers have identified a need for rehabilitation of biological soil crusts (biocrusts), a globally relevant community of organisms aggregating the soil surface and building soil fertility. Here, the impact of plant and biocrust cover was tested on soil erosion potential in the piñon-juniper woodlands of Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, USA. Biocrusts were found to be similarly influential to vascular plants in reducing erosion, largely acting by promoting surface roughness. The potential to rehabilitate biocrusts within the Monument was also tested. Plots were inoculated on eroding soils before the summer monsoon with greenhouse-cultured biocrusts. In a full-factorial design, treatments to reduce or halt erosion were administered to the inoculated plots and their paired controls. These erosion-reduction treatments included barriers to overland flow (flashing), slash placement, and seeding of vascular plants. Dynamic changes to soil stability, penetration resistance, and extractable soil nutrients were observed through time, but no strong effects with the addition of biocrust inoculum, seeding, or erosion intervention treatments were seen. The results do suggest possible ways forward to successfully rehabilitate biocrust, including varying the timing of biocrust application, amending inoculum application with different types of soil stabilization techniques, and adding nutrients to soils. The insights gleaned from the lack of response brings us closer to developing effective techniques to arrest soil loss in these socially and ecologically important dryland systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina E Young
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Sasha C Reed
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2290 SW. Resource Boulevard, Moab, Utah, 84532, USA
| | - Michael C Duniway
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2290 SW. Resource Boulevard, Moab, Utah, 84532, USA
| | - Jayne Belnap
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2290 SW. Resource Boulevard, Moab, Utah, 84532, USA
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30
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Habitat-dependent composition of bacterial and fungal communities in biological soil crusts from Oman. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6468. [PMID: 31015576 PMCID: PMC6478931 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42911-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) occur within drylands throughout the world, covering ~12% of the global terrestrial soil surface. Their occurrence in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula has rarely been reported and their spatial distribution, diversity, and microbial composition remained largely unexplored. We investigated biocrusts at six different locations in the coastal and central deserts of Oman. The biocrust types were characterized, and the bacterial and fungal community compositions of biocrusts and uncrusted soils were analysed by amplicon sequencing. The results were interpreted based on the environmental parameters of the different sites. Whereas at lowland sites, mainly cyanobacteria-dominated biocrusts were observed, both cyanobacteria- and lichen-dominated biocrusts occurred at mountain sites. The majority of bacterial sequences (32–83% of total sequences) belonged to Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, whereas fungal sequences belonged to Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Chytridiomycota (>95%). With biocrust development, a notable increase in cyanobacterial and decrease in actinobacterial proportions was observed for cyanobacteria-dominated crusts. In coastal areas, where salinity is high, biocrusts were replaced by a unique marine mat-like microbial community, dominated by halotolerant taxa. Redundancy analysis revealed a significant contribution of soil texture, cover type, carbon content, and elevation to the variations in bacterial and fungal communities. Multivariate analysis placed microbial communities in significantly separated clusters based on their carbon content, elevation and electrical conductivity. We conclude that Oman hosts a variety of cyanobacteria- and lichen-dominated crusts with their bacterial and fungal communities being largely dictated by soil properties and environmental parameters.
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31
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Muñoz-Martín MÁ, Becerra-Absalón I, Perona E, Fernández-Valbuena L, Garcia-Pichel F, Mateo P. Cyanobacterial biocrust diversity in Mediterranean ecosystems along a latitudinal and climatic gradient. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 221:123-141. [PMID: 30047599 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are a key biotic component as primary producers in biocrusts, topsoil communities that have important roles in the functioning of drylands. Yet, major knowledge gaps exist regarding the composition of biocrust cyanobacterial diversity and distribution in Mediterranean ecosystems. We describe cyanobacterial diversity in Mediterranean semiarid soil crusts along an aridity gradient by using next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics analyses, and detect clear shifts along it in cyanobacterial dominance. Statistical analyses show that temperature and precipitation were major parameters determining cyanobacterial composition, suggesting the presence of differentiated climatic niches for distinct cyanobacteria. The responses to temperature of a set of cultivated, pedigreed strains representative of the field populations lend direct support to that contention, with psychrotolerant vs thermotolerant physiology being strain dependent, and consistent with their dominance along the natural gradient. Our results suggest a possible replacement, as global warming proceeds, of cool-adapted by warm-adapted nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria (such as Scytonema) and a switch in the dominance of Microcoleus vaginatus by thermotolerant, novel phylotypes of bundle-forming cyanobacteria. These differential sensitivities of cyanobacteria to rising temperatures and decreasing precipitation, their ubiquity, and their low generation time point to their potential as bioindicators of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ángeles Muñoz-Martín
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Itzel Becerra-Absalón
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Elvira Perona
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lara Fernández-Valbuena
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Pilar Mateo
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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32
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Eldridge DJ, Delgado-Baquerizo M. The influence of climatic legacies on the distribution of dryland biocrust communities. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:327-336. [PMID: 30376206 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Predicting the distribution of biocrust species, mosses, lichens and liverworts associated with surface soils is difficult, but climatic legacies (changes in climate over the last 20 k years) can improve our prediction of the distribution of biocrust species. To provide empirical support for this hypothesis, we used a combination of network analyses and structural equation modelling to identify the role of climatic legacies in predicting the distribution of ecological clusters formed by species of mosses, lichens and liverworts using data from 282 large sites distributed across 0.6 million km2 of eastern Australia. Two ecological clusters contained 87% of the 120 moss, lichen and liverwort species. Both clusters contained lichen, moss and liverwort species, but were dominated by different families. Sites where the air temperature increased the most over 20k years (positive temperature legacies) were associated with reductions in the relative abundance of species from the lichen (Peltulaceae and Teloschistaceae) and moss (Bryaceae) families (Cluster A species), greater groundstorey plant cover and lower soil pH. Sites where precipitation has increased over the past 20k years (positive precipitation legacy) were associated with increases in the relative abundance of lichen (Cladoniaceae, Lecideaceae and Thelotremataceae) and moss (Pottiaceae) families (Cluster B species) and lower levels of soil pH. Sites where temperatures have increased the most in the past 20k years suppressed the negative effects of plant cover on Cluster B by reducing plant cover. Increased intensity of grazing suppressed the negative effect of soil pH and the positive effect of soil carbon, on the relative abundance of Cluster B taxa. Finally, increasing temperature and precipitation legacies reduced the negative effect of soil pH on Cluster B. Understanding of the importance of climatic legacies improves our ability to predict how biocrust assemblies might respond to ongoing global environmental change associated with increasing land use intensification, increasing temperature and reduced rainfall.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
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33
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Ladrón de Guevara M, Gozalo B, Raggio J, Lafuente A, Prieto M, Maestre FT. Warming reduces the cover, richness and evenness of lichen-dominated biocrusts but promotes moss growth: insights from an 8 yr experiment. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 220:811-823. [PMID: 29380398 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite the important role that biocrust communities play in maintaining ecosystem structure and functioning in drylands world-wide, few studies have evaluated how climate change will affect them. Using data from an 8-yr-old manipulative field experiment located in central Spain, we evaluated how warming, rainfall exclusion and their combination affected the dynamics of biocrust communities in areas that initially had low (< 20%, LIBC plots) and high (> 50%, HIBC plots) biocrust cover. Warming reduced the richness (35 ± 6%), diversity (25 ± 8%) and cover (82 ± 5%) of biocrusts in HIBC plots. The presence and abundance of mosses increased with warming through time in these plots, although their growth rate was much lower than the rate of lichen death, resulting in a net loss of biocrust cover. On average, warming caused a decrease in the abundance (64 ± 7%) and presence (38 ± 24%) of species in the HIBC plots. Over time, lichens and mosses colonized the LIBC plots, but this process was hampered by warming in the case of lichens. The observed reductions in the cover and diversity of lichen-dominated biocrusts with warming will lessen the capacity of drylands such as that studied here to sequester atmospheric CO2 and to provide other key ecosystem services associated to these communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Ladrón de Guevara
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Beatriz Gozalo
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - José Raggio
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Angela Lafuente
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - María Prieto
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Fernando T Maestre
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
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Tucker CL, Ferrenberg S, Reed SC. Climatic Sensitivity of Dryland Soil CO2 Fluxes Differs Dramatically with Biological Soil Crust Successional State. Ecosystems 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-018-0250-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Ji XH, Pang SQ, Zheng Q. Impacts of Environmental Heterogeneity on Distribution Pattern of Moss Crust Patches in Temperate Desert in Central Asia. POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2018.66.2.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Hua Ji
- Agricultural College, Shihezi University, North 4th Road, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang, China
- Key laboratory of special fruits and vegetables cultivation physiology and germplasm resources utilization Xinjiang production and construction group
| | - Sheng-Qun Pang
- Agricultural College, Shihezi University, North 4th Road, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang, China
- Key laboratory of special fruits and vegetables cultivation physiology and germplasm resources utilization Xinjiang production and construction group
| | - Qun Zheng
- Agricultural College, Shihezi University, North 4th Road, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang, China
- Key laboratory of special fruits and vegetables cultivation physiology and germplasm resources utilization Xinjiang production and construction group
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Ferrenberg S, Reed SC. Biocrust ecology: unifying micro- and macro-scales to confront global change. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 216:643-646. [PMID: 29034973 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott Ferrenberg
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT 84532, USA
| | - Sasha C Reed
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT 84532, USA
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Velasco Ayuso S, Giraldo Silva A, Nelson C, Barger NN, Garcia-Pichel F. Microbial Nursery Production of High-Quality Biological Soil Crust Biomass for Restoration of Degraded Dryland Soils. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:e02179-16. [PMID: 27864178 PMCID: PMC5244311 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02179-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are slow-growing, phototroph-based microbial assemblages that develop on the topsoils of drylands. Biocrusts help maintain soil fertility and reduce erosion. Because their loss through human activities has negative ecological and environmental health consequences, biocrust restoration is of interest. Active soil inoculation with biocrust microorganisms can be an important tool in this endeavor. We present a culture-independent, two-step process to grow multispecies biocrusts in open greenhouse nursery facilities, based on the inoculation of local soils with local biocrust remnants and incubation under seminatural conditions that maintain the essence of the habitat but lessen its harshness. In each of four U.S. Southwest sites, we tested and deployed combinations of factors that maximized growth (gauged as chlorophyll a content) while minimizing microbial community shifts (assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing and bioinformatics), particularly for crust-forming cyanobacteria. Generally, doubling the frequency of natural wetting events, a 60% reduction in sunlight, and inoculation by slurry were optimal. Nutrient addition effects were site specific. In 4 months, our approach yielded crusts of high inoculum quality reared on local soil exposed to locally matched climates, acclimated to desiccation, and containing communities minimally shifted in composition from local ones. Our inoculum contained abundant crust-forming cyanobacteria and no significant numbers of allochthonous phototrophs, and it was sufficient to treat ca. 6,000 m2 of degraded dryland soils at 1 to 5% of the typical crust biomass concentration, having started from a natural crust remnant as small as 6 to 30 cm2 IMPORTANCE: Soil surface crusts can protect dryland soils from erosion, but they are often negatively impacted by human activities. Their degradation causes a loss of fertility, increased production of fugitive dust and intensity of dust storms with associated traffic problems, and provokes general public health hazards. Our results constitute an advance in the quest to actively restore biological soil covers by providing a means to obtain high-quality inoculum within a reasonable time (a few months), thereby allowing land managers to recover essential, but damaged, ecosystem services in a sustainable, self-perpetuating way as provided by biocrust communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana Giraldo Silva
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Corey Nelson
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Nichole N Barger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Ferran Garcia-Pichel
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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