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Abrantes GH, Gücker B, Chaves RC, Boëchat IG, Figueredo CC. Epilithic biofilms provide large amounts of nitrogen to tropical mountain landscapes. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:3592-3603. [PMID: 37816630 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
We show that epilithic biofilms are a relevant nitrogen (N) source in a rocky mountain range in Brazil. During different seasons, we quantified nitrate, ammonium, dissolved organic N (DON) and total dissolved N (TDN) leached by a simulated short rain event. We quantified the epilithic autotrophic biomass by taxonomic groups and its correlation with leached N. We hypothesized that leached N would be correlated to heterocystous cyanobacteria biomass since they are more efficient N2 fixers. We estimated a landscape N supply of 8.5 kg.ha-1 .year-1 considering the mean precipitation in the region. TDN in leachate was mainly composed of DON (83.8% ± 22%), followed by nitrate (12.1% ± 3%) and ammonium (5% ± 5%). The autotrophic epilithic community was mainly composed of non-heterocystous (Gloeocapsopsis) and heterocystous cyanobacteria (Scytonema and Stigonema), except for a site more commonly affected by fire events that showed a dominance of Chlorophyta. Biogeochemical upscaling was facilitated by the fact that N leaching was not different among sites or related to autotrophic epilithic biomass or assemblage composition. In conclusion, the capacity of epilithic biofilms to provide N to surrounding systems is an ecosystem service that underscores the necessity to conserve them and their habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Björn Gücker
- Department of Geosciences, Federal University of São João del-Rei, São João del-Rei, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo César Chaves
- Department of Botany, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Iola Gonçalves Boëchat
- Department of Geosciences, Federal University of São João del-Rei, São João del-Rei, Brazil
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2
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Wang J, Xiao J, Zhang Z, Yang L, Liu Z, Cheng Y, Wu L. Changes of bacterial community structure,monosaccharide composition and CO 2 exchange along the successional stages of biological soil crusts. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023:10.1007/s10653-023-01572-1. [PMID: 37147551 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01572-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are a dominant ecological landscape of drylands, which have a significant impact on global biogeochemical flux. However, it is unclear how bacterial community and physiological characteristics vary along the BSCs successional stages. In this study, bacterial community composition, physiological characteristics, and monosaccharide composition of extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) were compared among different successional stages. Our findings demonstrated that besides the dominant bacterial species, the bacterial communities also showed considerable differences between these two stages. Cyanobacteria were keystone taxa in the early stage, while heterotrophic bacteria (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria) were keystone taxa in the later stages. According to the results of CO2 exchange, cyanobacterial crusts accumulated net carbon faster than moss crusts, while moss crusts had a significantly higher respiration rate. The monosaccharide analysis indicated that the EPSs components also varied depending on BSCs' successional stages. Specifically, the contents of rhamnose and arabinose were higher in the cyanobacterial crusts than other types of crusts, while the contents of fucose, xylose, mannose and glucose were the highest in cyanobacterial-lichen crusts, and galactose content was highest in the moss crusts. Altogether, our results stress the heterogeneous variation of BSCs along with succession, and this work offered a fresh viewpoint for a deeper comprehension of the interactions between the monosaccharide components of EPS and the networks of bacterial communities in BSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiping Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingshang Xiao
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Zulin Zhang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 430072, Wuhan, China
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigie Buckler, Aberdeen, ABI5 8QH, UK
| | - Lie Yang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhe Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongtao Cheng
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 430072, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Wu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, 430072, Wuhan, China.
- State Environmental Protection, Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, 130117, Changchun, China.
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3
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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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Xu H, Zhang Y, Shao X, Liu N. Soil nitrogen and climate drive the positive effect of biological soil crusts on soil organic carbon sequestration in drylands: A Meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:150030. [PMID: 34525688 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (BSCs), known as ecological engineers, play an important role in soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in dryland ecosystems. Although numerous individual studies had been conducted, the global patterns of the changes in SOC concentration following BSCs establishment remain unclear. In this study, we performed a comprehensive meta-analysis of 184 independent observations at 47 sites to quantify the responses of SOC and other soil variables to BSCs establishment and identify the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that BSCs generally increased SOC by 70.9% compared to the controls (uncrusted soil), and the positive effects of BSCs on SOC in deserts (120.3%) were stronger than those in grasslands (32.7%). Mosses and lichens had a stronger positive effect on SOC than algae crusts (67.5%, 82.8%, and 58.2% respectively). Mixed crusts accumulated more SOC (181.6%) than single (moss, lichen and algae) crusts. The presence of BSCs considerably increased total nitrogen (TN) (+80.7%), total phosphorus (TP) (+20.3%), available N (+62.7%), and available P (+14.3%). Significant relationships were observed among the effect size of SOC and climate and soil N and P in both desert and grassland. The random forest analysis showed that TN could be considered as a determinant of the concentration of SOC, followed by climate (P < 0.01). Our study shows that the capacity of the BSCs to fix and store C could be regulated by soil N and P dynamics, indicating a major finding opening new ways to promote soil recovery and formation. Our findings highlight the remarkable contribution of mixed crusts to soil C pools; this contribution needs to be incorporated into regional and global models to predict the effects of human disturbance on drylands worldwide and for assessing the soil C budget.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengkang Xu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuan Ming Yuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yingjun Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuan Ming Yuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of Grassland Management and Rational Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xinqing Shao
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuan Ming Yuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Nan Liu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuan Ming Yuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of Grassland Management and Rational Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100193, China.
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Yang H, Hu C. Soil Chemistry and Nutrients Influence the Distribution of Aerobic Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacteria and Eukaryotic Phototrophic Microorganisms of Physical Soil Crusts at Different Elevations on the Tibetan Plateau. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 83:100-113. [PMID: 33733304 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01734-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic microorganisms are widely distributed in the soil and play an important role in plant-free soil crusts. However, the distribution and environmental drivers of phototrophic microbial communities in physical soil crusts, where the abundance of cyanobacteria is low, are scarcely understood. Here, we performed high-throughput sequencing of pufM and 18S rRNA genes in soil crusts at different elevations on the Tibetan Plateau and used the data combined with environmental variables to analyze the diversity and structure of phototrophic microbial communities. We found that the dominant taxa of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (AAPB) and eukaryotic phototrophic microorganisms (EPM) were shown to shift with elevation. The phototrophic microbial diversity showed a single-peak pattern, with the lowest diversity of AAPB and highest diversity of EPM at middle elevations. Moreover, the elevation and soil property determined the phototrophic microbial community. Soil salts, especially Cl-, were the most important for AAPB. Likewise, soil nutrients, especially carbon, were the most important for EPM. The relationship between high-abundance taxa and environmental variables showed that Rhizobiales was significantly negatively correlated with salt ions and positively correlated with chlorophyll. Rhodobacterales showed the strongest and significant positive associations with Cl-. Chlorophyceae and Bacillariophyceae were positively correlated with CO32-. These results indicated that salinity and soil nutrients affected the diversity and structure of microbial communities. This study contributes to our understanding of the diversity, composition, and structure of photosynthetic microorganisms in physical soil crusts and helps in developing new approaches for controlling desertification and salinization and improving the desert ecological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijian Yang
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Chunxiang Hu
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
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6
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Li X, Hui R, Tan H, Zhao Y, Liu R, Song N. Biocrust Research in China: Recent Progress and Application in Land Degradation Control. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:751521. [PMID: 34899777 PMCID: PMC8656959 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.751521] [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: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Desert ecosystems are generally considered lifeless habitats characterised by extreme environmental conditions, yet they are successfully colonised by various biocrust nonvascular communities. A biocrust is not only an important ecosystem engineer and a bioindicator of desert ecological restoration but also plays a vital role in linking surficial abiotic and biotic factors. Thus, extensive research has been conducted on biocrusts in critical dryland zones. However, few studies have been conducted in the vast temperate deserts of China prior to the beginning of this century. We reviewed the research on biocrusts conducted in China since 2000, which firstly focused on the eco-physiological responses of biocrusts to species composition, abiotic stresses, and anthropological disturbances. Further, research on the spatial distributions of biocrusts as well as their succession at different spatial scales, and relationships with vascular plants and soil biomes (especially underlying mechanisms of seed retention, germination, establishment and survival of vascular plants during biocrust succession, and creation of suitable niches and food webs for soil animals and microorganisms) was analysed. Additionally, studies emphasising on the contribution of biocrusts to ecological and hydrological processes in deserts as well as their applications in the cultivation and inoculation of nonvascular plants for land degradation control and ecological restoration were assessed. Finally, recent research on biocrusts was evaluated to propose future emerging research themes and new frontiers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinrong Li
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Breeding Base for Key Laboratory Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Rong Hui
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Huijuan Tan
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Rentao Liu
- Breeding Base for Key Laboratory Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Naiping Song
- Breeding Base for Key Laboratory Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
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Monaco TA, Gunnell KL. Understory Vegetation Change Following Woodland Reduction Varies by Plant Community Type and Seeding Status: A Region-Wide Assessment of Ecological Benefits and Risks. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 9:E1113. [PMID: 32872167 PMCID: PMC7570382 DOI: 10.3390/plants9091113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Woodland encroachment is a global issue linked to diminished ecosystem services, prompting the need for restoration efforts. However, restoration outcomes can be highly variable, making it difficult to interpret the ecological benefits and risks associated with woodland-reduction treatments within semiarid ecosystems. We addressed this uncertainty by assessing the magnitude and direction of vegetation change over a 15-year period at 129 sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) sites following pinyon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) (P-J) reduction. Pretreatment vegetation indicated strong negative relationships between P-J cover and the abundance of understory plants (i.e., perennial grass and sagebrush cover) in most situations and all three components differed significantly among planned treatment types. Thus, to avoid confounding pretreatment vegetation and treatment type, we quantified overall treatment effects and tested whether distinct response patterns would be present among three dominant plant community types that vary in edaphic properties and occur within distinct temperature/precipitation regimes using meta-analysis (effect size = lnRR = ln[posttreatment cover/pretreatment cover]). We also quantified how restoration seedings contributed to overall changes in key understory vegetation components. Meta-analyses indicated that while P-J reduction caused significant positive overall effects on all shrub and herbaceous components (including invasive cheatgrass [Bromus tectorum] and exotic annual forbs), responses were contingent on treatment- and plant community-type combinations. Restoration seedings also had strong positive effects on understory vegetation by augmenting changes in perennial grass and perennial forb components, which similarly varied by plant community type. Collectively, our results identified specific situations where broad-scale efforts to reverse woodland encroachment substantially met short-term management goals of restoring valuable ecosystem services and where P-J reduction disposed certain plant community types to ecological risks, such as increasing the probability of native species displacement and stimulating an annual grass-fire cycle. Resource managers should carefully weigh these benefits and risks and incorporate additional, appropriate treatments and/or conservation measures for the unique preconditions of a given plant community in order to minimize exotic species responses and/or enhance desirable outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A. Monaco
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-6300, USA
| | - Kevin L. Gunnell
- Great Basin Research Center, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Ephraim, UT 84627, USA;
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Flexas J, Carriquí M. Photosynthesis and photosynthetic efficiencies along the terrestrial plant's phylogeny: lessons for improving crop photosynthesis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 101:964-978. [PMID: 31833133 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthesis is the basis of all life on Earth. Surprisingly, until very recently, data on photosynthesis, photosynthetic efficiencies, and photosynthesis limitations in terrestrial land plants other than spermatophytes were very scarce. Here we provide an updated data compilation showing that maximum photosynthesis rates (expressed either on an area or dry mass basis) progressively scale along the land plant's phylogeny, from lowest values in bryophytes to largest in angiosperms. Unexpectedly, both photosynthetic water (WUE) and nitrogen (PNUE) use efficiencies also scale positively through the phylogeny, for which it has been commonly reported that these two efficiencies tend to trade-off between them when comparing different genotypes or a single species subject to different environmental conditions. After providing experimental evidence that these observed trends are mostly due to an increased mesophyll conductance to CO2 - associated with specific anatomical changes - along the phylogeny, we discuss how these findings on a large phylogenetic scale can provide useful information to address potential photosynthetic improvements in crops in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaume Flexas
- Research Group on Plant Biology Under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears - Instituto de Investigaciones Agroambientales y de Economía del Agua (UIB-INAGEA), Carretera de Valldemossa Km 7.5, 07122, Palma, Spain
| | - Marc Carriquí
- Research Group on Plant Biology Under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears - Instituto de Investigaciones Agroambientales y de Economía del Agua (UIB-INAGEA), Carretera de Valldemossa Km 7.5, 07122, Palma, Spain
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 51, 7001, Hobart, TAS, Australia
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Cania B, Vestergaard G, Kublik S, Köhne JM, Fischer T, Albert A, Winkler B, Schloter M, Schulz S. Biological Soil Crusts from Different Soil Substrates Harbor Distinct Bacterial Groups with the Potential to Produce Exopolysaccharides and Lipopolysaccharides. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2020; 79:326-341. [PMID: 31372685 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-019-01415-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) play an important role in improving soil stability and resistance to erosion by promoting aggregation of soil particles. During initial development, biocrusts are dominated by bacteria. Some bacterial members of the biocrusts can contribute to the formation of soil aggregates by producing exopolysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides that act as "glue" for soil particles. However, little is known about the dynamics of "soil glue" producers during the initial development of biocrusts. We hypothesized that different types of initial biocrusts harbor distinct producers of adhesive polysaccharides. To investigate this, we performed a microcosm experiment, cultivating biocrusts on two soil substrates. High-throughput shotgun sequencing was used to obtain metagenomic information on microbiomes of bulk soils from the beginning of the experiment, and biocrusts sampled after 4 and 10 months of incubation. We discovered that the relative abundance of genes involved in the biosynthesis of exopolysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides increased in biocrusts compared with bulk soils. At the same time, communities of potential "soil glue" producers that were highly similar in bulk soils underwent differentiation once biocrusts started to develop. In the bulk soils, the investigated genes were harbored mainly by Betaproteobacteria, whereas in the biocrusts, the major potential producers of adhesive polysaccharides were, aside from Alphaproteobacteria, either Cyanobacteria or Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria. Overall, our results indicate that the potential to form exopolysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides is an important bacterial trait for initial biocrusts and is maintained despite the shifts in bacterial community composition during biocrust development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Cania
- Research Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Gisle Vestergaard
- Research Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
- Section for Bioinformatics, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Susanne Kublik
- Research Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - John Maximilian Köhne
- Department of Soil System Science, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Theodor-Lieser-Straße 4, 06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Thomas Fischer
- Central Analytical Laboratory, Brandenburg Technical University, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, 03046, Cottbus, Germany
| | - Andreas Albert
- Research Unit Environmental Simulation, Helmholtz Zentrum München Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Barbro Winkler
- Research Unit Environmental Simulation, Helmholtz Zentrum München Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michael Schloter
- Research Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair for Soil Science, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Ramann-Straße 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Stefanie Schulz
- Research Unit Comparative Microbiome Analysis, Helmholtz Zentrum München Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.
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10
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Wang YL, Li XR, Zhao JC, Liu LC, Yang HT, Zhou YY. Population dynamics of Echinops gmelinii Turcz. at different successional stages of biological soil crusts in a temperate desert in China. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2019; 21:1140-1149. [PMID: 31271693 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The effects of biological soil crusts (BSC) on vascular plant growth can be positive, neutral or negative, and little information is available on the impacts of different BSC successional stages on vascular plant population dynamics. We analysed seedling emergence, survival, plant growth and reproduction in response to different BSC successional stages (i.e. habitats: bare soil, cyanobacteria, lichen and moss crusts) in natural populations of Echinops gmelinii Turcz. in the Tengger Desert of northwest China. The winter annual E. gmelinii is a dominant pioneer herb after sand stabilisation. During the early stages of BSC succession, the studied populations of E. gmelinii were characterised by high density, plant growth and fecundity. As the BSC succession proceeded beyond moss crusts, the fecundity decreased sharply, which limited seedling recruitment. Differences in seedling survival among the successional stages were not evident, indicating that BSC have little effect on survival in arid desert regions. Moreover, E. gmelinii biomass allocation exhibited low plasticity, and only reproductive allocation was sensitive to the various habitats. Our results further suggest that the negative effects of BSC succession on population dynamics are primarily driven by increasing topsoil water-holding capacity and decreasing rain water infiltration into deeper soil. We conclude that BSC succession drives population dynamics of E. gmelinii, primarily via its effect on soil moisture. The primary cause for E. gmelinii population decline during the moss-dominated stage of BSC succession is decreased fecundity of individual plants, with declining seed mass possibly reducing the success of seedling establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y L Wang
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - X R Li
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - J C Zhao
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - L C Liu
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - H T Yang
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Y Y Zhou
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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11
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Rodríguez-Peñate AE, Escudero A, Martínez I, Madrigal-González J. Unveiling annual growth chronologies from inter-nodal branch elongations in a fruticose lichen in southern Europe. Fungal Biol 2019; 123:824-829. [PMID: 31627858 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Techniques for retrospective analysis of size dynamics at annual resolution remain poorly developed in lichens in general, and fruticose lichens in particular. Only a few attempts in very high latitudes suggested that growth might be studied as a chronosequence of inter-nodal branch elongations. Here we evaluated, for the first time, this hypothesis in a dry Mediterranean environment using the lichen Cladonia rangiformis as a case study. Mixed models supported a strong positive relationship between humidity measured as precipitation/PET and inter-nodal branch elongations. Importantly, model selection suggested that (i) the number of intermodal elongations were a major determinant of stem elongation, and (ii) a second-order temporal autocorrelation denoted legacies of environmental influences at least over the next 2 y. The strong growth-humidity relationship, along with the potential legacies observed, support the idea that inter-nodal branch elongations could be used to reconstruct growth chronologies at annual resolution in drylands. This finding highlights the high vulnerability of these organisms to rising aridity, and opens a new venue for climate reconstruction and other potential applications in Ecology and Earth Science disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba E Rodríguez-Peñate
- Departamento de ciencias de la vida, UD Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá, ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 34.6, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
| | - Adrián Escudero
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Unidad de Biodiversidad y Conservación, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/ Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, C.P. 28933 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Isabel Martínez
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Unidad de Biodiversidad y Conservación, ESCET, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/ Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, C.P. 28933 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jaime Madrigal-González
- Departamento de ciencias de la vida, UD Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá, ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 34.6, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain; Climate Change Impacts and Risks in the Anthropocene (C-CIA), Institute for Environmental Sciences (IES), University of Geneva, 66 Boulevard Carl Vogt, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
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12
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States JS, Christensen M. Fungi associated with biological soil crusts in desert grasslands of Utah and Wyoming. Mycologia 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2001.12063175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jack S. States
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3165
| | - Martha Christensen
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3165
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13
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Li XR, Jia RL, Zhang ZS, Zhang P, Hui R. Hydrological response of biological soil crusts to global warming: A ten-year simulative study. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:4960-4971. [PMID: 29957890 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Biological soil crusts across the desert regions play a key role in regional ecological security and ecological health. They are vital biotic components of desert ecosystems that maintain soil stability, fix carbon and nitrogen, influence the establishment of vascular plants, and serve as habitats for a large number of arthropods and microorganisms, as well as influencing soil hydrological processes. Changes in temperature and precipitation are expected to influence the functioning of desert ecosystems by altering biotic components such as the species composition of biological soil crusts. However, it remains unclear how these important components will respond to the prolonged warming and reduced precipitation that is predicted to occur with climate change. To evaluate how the hydrological properties of these biological soil crusts respond to these alterations, we used open-top chambers over a 10-year period to simulate warming and reduced precipitation. Infiltration, dew entrapment, and evaporation were measured as surrogates of the hydrological functioning of biological soil crusts. It was found that the ongoing warming coupled with reduced precipitation will more strongly affect moss in crustal communities than lichens and cyanobacteria, which will lead to a direct alteration of the hydrological performance of biological soil crusts. Reductions in moss abundance, surface cover, and biomass resulted in a change in structure and function of crustal communities, decreased dew entrapment, and increased infiltration and evaporation of biological soil crusts in desert ecosystems, which further impacted on the desert soil water balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Rong Li
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Stress Eco-physiology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, China
| | - Rong-Liang Jia
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Stress Eco-physiology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Shan Zhang
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Stress Eco-physiology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Stress Eco-physiology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, China
| | - Rong Hui
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Stress Eco-physiology in Cold and Arid Regions, Lanzhou, China
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14
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Mapping Surface Quartz Content in Sand Dunes Covered by Biological Soil Crusts Using Airborne Hyperspectral Images in the Longwave Infrared Region. MINERALS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/min8080318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (BSCs), composed of cyanobacteria, algae, mosses, lichens, and fungi, are important ecosystem engineers that stabilize the quartz-rich dunes in the Nitzana study area near the Israel–Egypt border. The longwave infrared (LWIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum is very useful for quartz identification since quartz reflectance in the visible, near infrared, and shortwave infrared (VIS-NIR-SWIR, 0.4–2.5 µm) spectral regions lacks identifying features, whereas in the LWIR region, the quartz emissivity spectrum presents a strong doublet feature. This emissivity feature can be used as a diagnostic tool for BSCs development in desert environments, because BSCs attenuate the quartz feature as a function of their successional development. A pair of day and night airborne hyperspectral images were acquired using the Specim AisaOWL LWIR sensor (7.7–12 µm) and processed using an innovative algorithm to reduce the atmospheric interference in this spectral domain. The resulting day and night apparent emissivity products were used to produce a surface quartz content map of the study area. The significant reduction in atmospheric interference resulted in a high correlation (R2 = 0.88) between quartz content in field samples determined by X-ray powder diffraction analysis and emissivity estimations from the airborne images. This, in turn, served as the ground truth to our quartz content map of the surface, and by proxy to the BSC.
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15
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Yang T, Ala M, Zhang Y, Wu J, Wang A, Guan D. Characteristics of soil moisture under different vegetation coverage in Horqin Sandy Land, northern China. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198805. [PMID: 29927951 PMCID: PMC6013216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Vegetation restoration as an effective sand fixation measure has made great achievements in China. However, soil water conditions deteriorate with the development and maturity of sand-fixing vegetation. In this study, we investigated the relationship between soil water content (SWC) and vegetation coverage (VC) at different portion (top, middle and bottom) on ten sand dunes during the growing season (April to October) in Horqin Sandy Land, northern China. We analyzed the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of SWC under different VC. The results indicate that VC and soil water storage were negatively correlated. The effect of vegetation on soil water storage on the sand dunes was greater in the dry season than the wet season. The VC and coefficient of coefficient of SWC were positively correlated at the 20 to 140 cm soil depth. As VC increased, the effect of drought stress increased at the 20 to 200 cm soil depths. The VC and SWC were negatively correlated at all the three portions of the sand dunes. According to soil water conditions and the concept of wilting humidity at different VC, we found that the suitable VC values were less than 0.46, 0.52, and 0.71 at the top, middle and bottom of the sand dunes, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Yang
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Musa Ala
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yushu Zhang
- Institute of Atmospheric Environment, China Meteorological Administration, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Jiabing Wu
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Anzhi Wang
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Dexin Guan
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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16
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New Comparative Experiments of Different Soil Types for Farmland Water Conservation in Arid Regions. WATER 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/w10030298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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17
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Cross AT, Lambers H. Young calcareous soil chronosequences as a model for ecological restoration on alkaline mine tailings. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 607-608:168-175. [PMID: 28689121 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Tailings are artificial soil-forming substrates that have not been created by the natural processes of soil formation and weathering. The extreme pH environment and corresponding low availability of some macro- and micronutrients in alkaline tailings, coupled with hostile physical and geochemical conditions, present a challenging environment to native biota. Some significant nutritional constraints to ecosystem reconstruction on alkaline tailings include i) predominant or complete absence of combined nitrogen (N) and poor soil N retention; ii) the limited bioavailability of some micronutrients at high soil pH (e.g., Mn, Fe, Zn and Cu); and iii) potentially toxic levels of biologically available soil phosphorus (P) for P-sensitive plants. The short regulatory time frames (years) for mine closure on tailings landforms are at odds with the long time required for natural pedogenic processes to ameliorate these factors (thousands of years). However, there are similarities between the chemical composition and nutrient status of alkaline tailings and the poorly-developed, very young calcareous soils of biodiverse regions such as south-western Australia. We propose that basic knowledge of chronosequences that start with calcareous soils may provide an informative model for understanding the pedogenic processes required to accelerate soil formation on tailings. Development of a functional, stable root zone is crucial to successful ecological restoration on tailings, and three major processes should be facilitated as early as possible during processing or in the early stages of restoration to accelerate soil development on alkaline tailings: i) acidification of the upper tailings profile; ii) establishment of appropriate and resilient microbial communities; and iii) the early development of appropriate pioneer vegetation. Achieving successful ecological restoration outcomes on tailings landforms is likely one of the greatest challenges faced by restoration ecologists and the mining industry, and successful restoration on alkaline tailings likely depends upon careful management of substrate chemical conditions by targeted amendments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam T Cross
- Centre for Mine Site Restoration, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Bentley, WA 6102, Perth, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Perth, Australia; Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Kings Park, WA 6005, Perth, Australia.
| | - Hans Lambers
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Perth, Australia
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18
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Song G, Li X, Hui R. Effect of biological soil crusts on seed germination and growth of an exotic and two native plant species in an arid ecosystem. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185839. [PMID: 28977018 PMCID: PMC5627943 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (BSCs) can improve the stability and health of native plant communities in arid ecosystems. However, it is unknown whether BSCs can also inhibit invasions of exotic vascular plants on stabilized reclaimed sand dunes. To answer this question, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to test the effects of cyanobacteria-dominated BSCs on 1) seed germination and biomass of an exotic grass (Stipa glareosa P. Smirn.), and 2) individual biomass of the exotic S. glareosa growing with two native plants, Eragrostis poaeoides Beauv. and Artemisia capillaris Thunb. Our experiment included three BSC treatments (intact crust, disturbed crust, and bare soil) and five species trials (native E. poaeoides alone, E. poaeoides mixed with exotic S. glareosa, native A. capillaris alone, A. capillaris mixed with exotic S. glareosa, and S. glareosa alone). The results showed that cyanobacteria-dominated crusts can significantly reduce the cumulative percent germination of the exotic grass (P<0.001) and native plants (P<0.001). Maximum cumulative percent germinations of the exotic grass and two native plants were found in bare soil, and minimum in intact crusts. The interaction of crust treatment × species trials on shoot biomass of the two native plants was significant (P<0.05). These results indicate that the presence of BSCs on stabilized sand dunes may reduce the germination of the exotic and two native plants. The effect of reducing exotic and native plant seeds germination would maintain more diverse plant communities and contribute to the formation of clumped vegetation patterns. We conclude that BSCs act as a natural regulator for vegetation patterns and thus promote ecosystem stability and sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Song
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinrong Li
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Rong Hui
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, China
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19
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McLaughlin BC, Ackerly DD, Klos PZ, Natali J, Dawson TE, Thompson SE. Hydrologic refugia, plants, and climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:2941-2961. [PMID: 28318131 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/26/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Climate, physical landscapes, and biota interact to generate heterogeneous hydrologic conditions in space and over time, which are reflected in spatial patterns of species distributions. As these species distributions respond to rapid climate change, microrefugia may support local species persistence in the face of deteriorating climatic suitability. Recent focus on temperature as a determinant of microrefugia insufficiently accounts for the importance of hydrologic processes and changing water availability with changing climate. Where water scarcity is a major limitation now or under future climates, hydrologic microrefugia are likely to prove essential for species persistence, particularly for sessile species and plants. Zones of high relative water availability - mesic microenvironments - are generated by a wide array of hydrologic processes, and may be loosely coupled to climatic processes and therefore buffered from climate change. Here, we review the mechanisms that generate mesic microenvironments and their likely robustness in the face of climate change. We argue that mesic microenvironments will act as species-specific refugia only if the nature and space/time variability in water availability are compatible with the ecological requirements of a target species. We illustrate this argument with case studies drawn from California oak woodland ecosystems. We posit that identification of hydrologic refugia could form a cornerstone of climate-cognizant conservation strategies, but that this would require improved understanding of climate change effects on key hydrologic processes, including frequently cryptic processes such as groundwater flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blair C McLaughlin
- Department of Natural Resources and Society, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - David D Ackerly
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - P Zion Klos
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Jennifer Natali
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Todd E Dawson
- Departments of Integrative Biology and Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sally E Thompson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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20
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Abstract
Desertification is currently a major concern, and vast regions have already been devastated in the arid zones of many countries. Combined application of cyanobacteria with soil fixing chemicals is a novel method of restoring desertified areas. Three cyanobacteria, Nostoc sp. Vaucher ex Bornet & Flahault, Phormidium sp. Kützing ex Gomont and Scytonema arcangeli Bornet ex Flahault were isolated and tested in this study. Tacki-SprayTM (TKS7), which consists of bio-polysaccharides and tackifiers, was used as a soil fixing agent. In addition, superabsorbent polymer (SAP) was applied to the soil as a water-holding material and nutrient supplement. Application of cyanobacteria with superabsorbent polymer and TKS7 (CST) remarkably improved macro-aggregate stability against water and erodibility against wind after 12 months of inoculation when compared to the control soil. The mean weight diameter and threshold friction velocity of the CST treated soil were found to be 75% and 88% of those of the approximately 20-year-old natural cyanobacterial crust (N-BSC), respectively, while these values were 68% and 73% of those of the N-BSC soil after a single treatment of cyanobacteria alone (CY). Interestingly, biological activities of CST were similar to those of CY. Total carbohydrate contents, cyanobacterial biomass, microbial biomass, soil respiration, carbon fixation and effective quantum yield of CST treated soil were enhanced by 50–100% of the N-BSC, while those of control soil were negligible. Our results suggest that combined application of cyanobacteria with soil fixing chemicals can rapidly develop cyanobacterial crust formation in the field within 12 months. The physical properties and biological activities of the inoculated cyanobacterial crust were stable during the study period. The novel method presented herein serves as another approach for combating desertification in arid regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan-Ho Park
- Korean Lichen Research Institute, Sunchon National University, 255 Jungang-Ro, Suncheon, Korea
| | - Xin Rong Li
- Cold and Arid Regions Environmental & Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Cold and Arid Regions Environmental & Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Rong Liang Jia
- Cold and Arid Regions Environmental & Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jae-Seoun Hur
- Korean Lichen Research Institute, Sunchon National University, 255 Jungang-Ro, Suncheon, Korea
- * E-mail:
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21
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Ghiloufi W, Chaieb M. Differential effects of the crustoseDiploschistes diacapsisand the squamuloseFulgensia bracteataon the establishment of a Mediterranean grass species. Afr J Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wahida Ghiloufi
- U.R Plant Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Arid Environments; Faculty of Sciences; University of Sfax; Sfax 3000 Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Chaieb
- U.R Plant Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Arid Environments; Faculty of Sciences; University of Sfax; Sfax 3000 Tunisia
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22
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Tang FHM, Maggi F. Living microorganisms change the information (Shannon) content of a geophysical system. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3320. [PMID: 28607347 PMCID: PMC5468346 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03479-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The detection of microbial colonization in geophysical systems is becoming of interest in various disciplines of Earth and planetary sciences, including microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, geomicrobiology, and astrobiology. Microorganisms are often observed to colonize mineral surfaces, modify the reactivity of minerals either through the attachment of their own biomass or the glueing of mineral particles with their mucilaginous metabolites, and alter both the physical and chemical components of a geophysical system. Here, we hypothesise that microorganisms engineer their habitat, causing a substantial change to the information content embedded in geophysical measures (e.g., particle size and space-filling capacity). After proving this hypothesis, we introduce and test a systematic method that exploits this change in information content to detect microbial colonization in geophysical systems. Effectiveness and robustness of this method are tested using a mineral sediment suspension as a model geophysical system; tests are carried out against 105 experiments conducted with different suspension types (i.e., pure mineral and microbially-colonized) subject to different abiotic conditions, including various nutrient and mineral concentrations, and different background entropy production rates. Results reveal that this method can systematically detect microbial colonization with less than 10% error in geophysical systems with low-entropy background production rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona H M Tang
- Laboratory for Advanced Environmental Engineering Research, School of Civil Engineering, The University of Sydney, Bld. J05, 2006, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Federico Maggi
- Laboratory for Advanced Environmental Engineering Research, School of Civil Engineering, The University of Sydney, Bld. J05, 2006, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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23
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Yin BF, Zhang YM, Lou AR. Impacts of the removal of shrubs on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of Syntrichia caninervis Mitt: in a temperate desert. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45268. [PMID: 28374741 PMCID: PMC5379693 DOI: 10.1038/srep45268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Moss crusts play important roles in biological soil crusts biomass and soil surface stabilization. However, because of increasingly intensive human activities, especially grazing, the growth and survival of shrubs are seriously threatened. This study aimed to test whether the presence of shrubs affects the physiological state of the bryophyte Syntrichia caninervis Mitt. in this desert ecosystem. We simulated animal-grazed shrubs at three levels in the Gurbantunggut Desert and compared these simulations to exposed areas, measuring the indicators of growth and stress tolerance exhibited by bryophytes. The results showed that the removal of shrubs significantly decreased chlorophyll fluorescence activity and soluble protein content in S. caninervis, especially under the total shrub removal treatment. The ratio between the total removal of shrubs and other treatments in antioxidative enzymes and in osmotic adjustment substances of S. caninervis exhibited two types of responses. With the exception of malonyldialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), the variables examined fitted as downward parabolic then upward parabolic temporal dynamics. The removal of shrubs is harmful to the survival of S.caninervis. In resource-constrained conditions, SOD is an important antioxidant enzyme that of peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and osmotic adjustment substances, for S. caninervis survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben-feng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Life Sciences of Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources in Arid Land, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
| | - Yuan-ming Zhang
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources in Arid Land, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
| | - An-ru Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Life Sciences of Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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Dahal B, NandaKafle G, Perkins L, Brözel VS. Diversity of free-Living nitrogen fixing Streptomyces in soils of the badlands of South Dakota. Microbiol Res 2017; 195:31-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Condon LA, Pyke DA. Filling the interspace-restoring arid land mosses: source populations, organic matter, and overwintering govern success. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:7623-7632. [PMID: 30128116 PMCID: PMC6093148 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological soil crusts contribute to ecosystem functions and occupy space that could be available to invasive annual grasses. Given disturbances in the semiarid shrub steppe communities, we embarked on a set of studies to investigate restoration potential of mosses in sagebrush steppe ecosystems. We examined establishment and growth of two moss species common to the Great Basin, USA: Bryum argenteum and Syntrichia ruralis from two environmental settings (warm dry vs. cool moist). Moss fragments were inoculated into a third warm dry setting, on bare soil in spring and fall, both with and without a jute net and with and without spring irrigation. Moss cover was monitored in spring seasons of three consecutive years. Both moss species increased in cover over the winter. When Bryum received spring irrigation that was out of sync with natural precipitation patterns, moss cover increased and then crashed, taking two seasons to recover. Syntrichia did not respond to the irrigation treatment. The addition of jute net increased moss cover under all conditions, except Syntrichia following fall inoculation, which required a second winter to increase in cover. The warm dry population of Bryum combined with jute achieved on average 60% cover compared to the cool moist population that achieved only 28% cover by the end of the study. Differences were less pronounced for Syntrichia where moss from the warm dry population with jute achieved on average 51% cover compared to the cool moist population that achieved 43% cover by the end of the study. Restoration of arid land mosses may quickly protect soils from erosion while occupying sites before invasive plants. We show that higher moss cover will be achieved quickly with the addition of organic matter and when moss fragments originate from sites with a climate that is similar to that of the restoration site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea A. Condon
- Department of Botany and Plant PathologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisORUSA
- U.S. Geological SurveyForest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterCorvallisORUSA
| | - David A. Pyke
- U.S. Geological SurveyForest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterCorvallisORUSA
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Cook JM, Edwards A, Bulling M, Mur LAJ, Cook S, Gokul JK, Cameron KA, Sweet M, Irvine-Fynn TDL. Metabolome-mediated biocryomorphic evolution promotes carbon fixation in Greenlandic cryoconite holes. Environ Microbiol 2016; 18:4674-4686. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M. Cook
- Department of Geography; University of Sheffield; Sheffield S10 2TN UK
- Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, College of Life and Natural Sciences; University of Derby; Derby DE22 1GB UK
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth SY23 3DA UK
| | - Mark Bulling
- Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, College of Life and Natural Sciences; University of Derby; Derby DE22 1GB UK
| | - Luis A. J. Mur
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth SY23 3DA UK
| | - Sophie Cook
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth SY23 3DA UK
| | - Jarishma K. Gokul
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth SY23 3DA UK
| | - Karen A. Cameron
- Department of Geochemistry; Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS); Copenhagen 1350 Denmark
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen 1350 Denmark
| | - Michael Sweet
- Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, College of Life and Natural Sciences; University of Derby; Derby DE22 1GB UK
| | - Tristram D. L. Irvine-Fynn
- Centre for Glaciology, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University; Aberystwyth SY 23 3DB UK
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Chiquoine LP, Abella SR, Bowker MA. Rapidly restoring biological soil crusts and ecosystem functions in a severely disturbed desert ecosystem. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:1260-1272. [PMID: 27509763 DOI: 10.1002/15-0973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Restoring biological soil crusts (biocrusts) in degraded drylands can contribute to recovery of ecosystem functions that have global implications, including erosion resistance and nutrient cycling. To examine techniques for restoring biocrusts, we conducted a replicated, factorial experiment on recently abandoned road surfaces by applying biocrust inoculation (salvaged and stored dry for two years), salvaged topsoil, an abiotic soil amendment (wood shavings), and planting of a dominant perennial shrub (Ambrosia dumosa). Eighteen months after treatments, we measured biocrust abundance and species composition, soil chlorophyll a content and fertility, and soil resistance to erosion. Biocrust addition significantly accelerated biocrust recovery on disturbed soils, including increasing lichen and moss cover and cyanobacteria colonization. Compared to undisturbed controls, inoculated plots had similar lichen and moss composition, recovered 43% of total cyanobacteria density, had similar soil chlorophyll content, and exhibited recovery of soil fertility and soil stability. Inoculation was the only treatment that generated lichen and moss cover. Topsoil application resulted in partial recovery of the cyanobacteria community and soil properties. Compared to untreated disturbed plots, topsoil application without inoculum increased cyanobacteria density by 186% and moderately improved soil chlorophyll and ammonium content and soil stability. Topsoil application produced 22% and 51% of the cyanobacteria density g⁻¹ soil compared to undisturbed and inoculated plots, respectively. Plots not treated with either topsoil or inoculum had significantly lower cyanobacteria density, soil chlorophyll and ammonium concentrations, and significantly higher soil nitrate concentration. Wood shavings and Ambrosia had no influence on biocrust lichen and moss species recovery but did affect cyanobacteria composition and soil fertility. Inoculation of severely disturbed soil with native biocrusts rapidly restored biocrust communities and soil stability such that restored areas were similar to undisturbed desert within three years. Using salvaged biocrust as inoculum can be an effective tool in ecological restoration because of its efficacy and simple implementation. Although salvaging biocrust material can be technically difficult and potentially costly, utilizing opportunities to salvage material in planned future disturbance can provide additional land management tools.
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Winter snowfall can have a positive effect on photosynthetic carbon fixation and biomass accumulation of biological soil crusts from the Gurbantunggut Desert, China. Ecol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-016-1335-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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29
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Pattern formation – A missing link in the study of ecosystem response to environmental changes. Math Biosci 2016; 271:1-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2015.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Revised: 10/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Structure, Composition, and Function of Biocrust Lichen Communities. BIOLOGICAL SOIL CRUSTS: AN ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE IN DRYLANDS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-30214-0_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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31
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Mikhailyuk T, Glaser K, Holzinger A, Karsten U. Biodiversity of Klebsormidium (streptophyta) from alpine biological soil crusts (alps, tyrol, Austria, and Italy). JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2015; 51:750-67. [PMID: 26504252 PMCID: PMC4618304 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Forty Klebsormidium strains isolated from soil crusts of mountain regions (Alps, 600–3,000 m elevation) were analyzed. The molecular phylogeny (internal transcribed spacer rDNA sequences) showed that these strains belong to clades B/C, D, E, and F. Seven main (K. flaccidum, K. elegans, K. crenulatum, K. dissectum, K. nitens, K. subtile, and K. fluitans) and four transitional morphotypes (K. cf. flaccidum, K. cf. nitens, K. cf. subtile, and K. cf. fluitans) were identified. Most strains belong to clade E, which includes isolates that prefer humid conditions. One representative of the xerophytic lineage (clade F) as well as few isolates characteristic of temperate conditions (clades B/C, D) were found. Most strains of clade E were isolated from low/middle elevations (<1,800 m above sea level; a.s.l.) in the pine-forest zone. Strains of clades B/C, D, and F occurred sporadically at higher elevations (1,548–2,843 m a.s.l.), mostly under xerophytic conditions of alpine meadows. Comparison of the alpine Klebsormidium assemblage with data from other biogeographic regions indicated similarity with soil crusts/biofilms from terrestrial habitats in mixed forest in Western Europe, North America, and Asia, as well as walls of buildings in Western European cities. The alpine assemblage differed substantially from crusts from granite outcrops and sand dunes in Eastern Europe (Ukraine), and fundamentally from soil crusts in South African drylands. Epitypification of the known species K. flaccidum, K. crenulatum, K. subtile, K. nitens, K. dissectum, K. fluitans, K. mucosum, and K. elegans is proposed to establish taxonomic names and type material as an aid for practical studies on these algae, as well as for unambiguous identification of alpine strains. New combination Klebsormidium subtile (Kützing) Mikhailyuk, Glaser, Holzinger et Karsten comb. nov. is made.
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Rodríguez-Moreno VM, Kretzschmar TG, Padilla-Ramírez JS. The geospatial relationship of geologic strata, geological fractures, and land use attained by a time-series aridity index in a semiarid region. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2015; 187:457. [PMID: 26095900 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-015-4676-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In a vast semiarid region of the Baja California Peninsula, remote sensing and GIS techniques were applied to moderate resolution images of Landsat 5 TM to explore the geospatial correlation among the grid aridity index (AI), shapefiles of geologic strata, land use, and geological fractures. A dataset of randomized sample points in a time-series of one hydrologic year along with vector file GIS delineated geologic fractures-including the area between their left/right parallel buffer lines-was used as mask analysis. MANOVA results were significant (p < 0.05) for geologic strata, land use, and basin. Overall results reveal the effects of soil texture on water retention on deeper soil horizons and the rate of vertical motion of rainwater. Despite the fact that geologic fractures underlie a large number of biotic communities, in both latitude and longitude gradients of the peninsula, no statistical significance was observed among the fractures themselves or the areas between their parallel buffer lines. One pulse rainfall event was documented by the AI grid maps enabling a robust vegetative response in early summer to an abnormal amount of rain provided by tropical storm Julio. AI grids appear to be useful for characterizing an ecosystem's dynamism. New options are suggested for this research strategy by expanding the number of datasets and incorporating geographic exclusion areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor M Rodríguez-Moreno
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP), Experimental Field Station Pabellón, km 32.5, highway Ags-Zac, ZP 20660, Pabellón de Arteaga, Aguascalientes, México,
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Remote sensing of ecosystem health: opportunities, challenges, and future perspectives. SENSORS 2014; 14:21117-39. [PMID: 25386759 PMCID: PMC4279526 DOI: 10.3390/s141121117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining a healthy ecosystem is essential for maximizing sustainable ecological services of the best quality to human beings. Ecological and conservation research has provided a strong scientific background on identifying ecological health indicators and correspondingly making effective conservation plans. At the same time, ecologists have asserted a strong need for spatially explicit and temporally effective ecosystem health assessments based on remote sensing data. Currently, remote sensing of ecosystem health is only based on one ecosystem attribute: vigor, organization, or resilience. However, an effective ecosystem health assessment should be a comprehensive and dynamic measurement of the three attributes. This paper reviews opportunities of remote sensing, including optical, radar, and LiDAR, for directly estimating indicators of the three ecosystem attributes, discusses the main challenges to develop a remote sensing-based spatially-explicit comprehensive ecosystem health system, and provides some future perspectives. The main challenges to develop a remote sensing-based spatially-explicit comprehensive ecosystem health system are: (1) scale issue; (2) transportability issue; (3) data availability; and (4) uncertainties in health indicators estimated from remote sensing data. However, the Radarsat-2 constellation, upcoming new optical sensors on Worldview-3 and Sentinel-2 satellites, and improved technologies for the acquisition and processing of hyperspectral, multi-angle optical, radar, and LiDAR data and multi-sensoral data fusion may partly address the current challenges.
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34
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Structural Changes of Desertified and Managed Shrubland Landscapes in Response to Drought: Spectral, Spatial and Temporal Analyses. REMOTE SENSING 2014. [DOI: 10.3390/rs6098134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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35
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Diurnal variations of chlorophyll fluorescence and CO2 exchange of biological soil crusts in different successional stages in the Gurbantunggut Desert of northwestern China. Ecol Res 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-013-1122-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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36
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Zhang J, Xu X, Lei J, Li S. Research on chemical characteristics of soil salt crusts with saline groundwater drip-irrigation in the Tarim Desert Highway Shelterbelt. SPRINGERPLUS 2013; 2:S5. [PMID: 24701388 PMCID: PMC3973407 DOI: 10.1186/2193-1801-2-s1-s5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Soil salt crusts are special layers at soil surface which are widely distributed in the Trim Desert Highway Shelterbelt under drip-irrigation with high salinity groundwater. In order to reveal annual variation of their chemical characteristics, soil salt crusts in shelterbelt of different ages in hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert were sampled. SOM, total salt, inions and pH were analyzed. Following results were obtained. SOM of salt crusts increased with the shelterbelt ages, but increasing trend became lower gradually. Total salt, ions, and pH of salt crusts reduced gradually with the shelterbelt ages. Total salt of salt crusts in shelterbelt of different ages was much higher than shifting sandy land. Ions were higher than shifting sandy land, Cl-, Na+, and SO42- increased more obvious, then Mg2+, K+, Ca2+ and HCO3-, CO32- was little and nearly had no change. pH was all alkaline, pH of salt crusts in shelterbelt of 11 years was even lower than shifting sandy land. We can include that the quality of shallow soil (0~30 cm) in the Trim Desert Highway Shelterbelt becomes better gradually.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi China ; Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi, Xinjiang China
| | - Xinwen Xu
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi, Xinjiang China
| | - Jiaqiang Lei
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi, Xinjiang China
| | - Shengyu Li
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi, Xinjiang China
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Sher Y, Zaady E, Nejidat A. Spatial and temporal diversity and abundance of ammonia oxidizers in semi-arid and arid soils: indications for a differential seasonal effect on archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2013; 86:544-56. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2013] [Revised: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yonatan Sher
- Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology; Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research; Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Midreshet Sede Boqer Israel
| | - Eli Zaady
- Department of Natural Resources; Gilat Research Center; Agriculture Research Organization; Mobile Post Negev Israel
| | - Ali Nejidat
- Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology; Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research; Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Midreshet Sede Boqer Israel
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Lan S, Wu L, Zhang D, Hu C. Assessing level of development and successional stages in biological soil crusts with biological indicators. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2013; 66:394-403. [PMID: 23389251 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-013-0191-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/20/2013] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (BSCs) perform vital ecosystem services, but the difference in biological components or developmental level still affects the rate and type of these services. In order to differentiate crust successional stages in quantity and analyze the relationship between crust developmental level and successional stages, this work determined several biological indicators in a series of different developmental BSCs in the Shapotou region of China. The results showed that crust developmental level (level of development index) can be well indicated by crust biological indicators. Photosynthetic biomass was the most appropriate to differentiate crust successional stages, although both photosynthetic biomass and respiration intensity increased with the development and succession of BSCs. Based on of the different biological compositions, BSCs were quantificationally categorized into different successional stages including cyanobacterial crusts (lichen and moss coverages <20 %), lichen crusts (lichen coverage >20 % but moss coverage <20 %), semi-moss crusts (moss coverage >20 % but <75 %), and moss crusts (moss coverage >75 %). In addition, it was found that cyanobacterial and microalgal biomass first increased as cyanobacterial crusts formed, then decreased when lots of mosses emerged on the crust surface; however nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria and heterotrophic microbes increased in the later developmental BSCs. The structural adjustment of biological components in the different developmental BSCs may reflect the requirement of crust survival and material transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubin Lan
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
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Prestel E, Regeard C, Salamitou S, Neveu J, Dubow MS. The bacteria and bacteriophages from a Mesquite Flats site of the Death Valley desert. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2013; 103:1329-41. [PMID: 23559041 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-013-9914-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 03/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Arid zones cover over 30 % of the Earth's continental surface. In order to better understand the role of microbes in this type of harsh environment, we isolated and characterized the bacteriophages from samples of the surface sand of the Mesquite Flats region via electron microscopy and DNA sequencing of a select number of cloned phage DNAs. An electron microscopic analysis of the recovered virus-like particles revealed at least 11 apparently different morphotypes sharing structural characteristics of the Caudoviridae family of tailed phages. We found that 36 % of the sequences contained no significant identity (e-value >10(-3)) with sequences in the databases. Pilot sequencing of cloned 16S rRNA genes identified Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria as the major bacterial groups present in this severe environment. The majority of the 16S rDNA sequences from the total (uncultured) bacterial population displayed ≤96 % identity to 16S rRNA genes in the database, suggesting an unexplored bacterial population likely adapted to a desert environment. In addition, we also isolated and identified 38 cultivable bacterial strains, the majority of which belonged to the genus Bacillus. Mitomycin-C treatment of the cultivable bacteria demonstrated that the vast majority (84 %) contained at least one SOS-inducible prophage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Prestel
- Laboratoire de Génomique et Biodiversité Microbienne des Biofilms, Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie; CNRS UMR 8621, Univ Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 409, 91405, Orsay, France
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Pietrasiak N, Johansen JR, LaDoux T, Graham RC. Comparison of Disturbance Impacts to and Spatial Distribution of Biological Soil Crusts in the Little San Bernardino Mountains of Joshua Tree National Park, California. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2011. [DOI: 10.3398/064.071.0412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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ZHANG YM, NIE HL. Effects of biological soil crusts on seedling growth and element uptake in five desert plants in Junggar Basin, western China. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1258.2011.00380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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42
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Estimating Surface Soil Moisture from TerraSAR-X Data over Two Small Catchments in the Sahelian Part of Western Niger. REMOTE SENSING 2011. [DOI: 10.3390/rs3061266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Neveu J, Regeard C, DuBow MS. Isolation and characterization of two serine proteases from metagenomic libraries of the Gobi and Death Valley deserts. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2011; 91:635-44. [PMID: 21494865 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-011-3256-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2011] [Revised: 03/16/2011] [Accepted: 03/16/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The screening of environmental DNA metagenome libraries for functional activities can provide an important source of new molecules and enzymes. In this study, we identified 17 potential protease-producing clones from two metagenomic libraries derived from samples of surface sand from the Gobi and Death Valley deserts. Two of the proteases, DV1 and M30, were purified and biochemically examined. These two proteases displayed a molecular mass of 41.5 kDa and 45.7 kDa, respectively, on SDS polyacrylamide gels. Alignments with known protease sequences showed less than 55% amino acid sequence identity. These two serine proteases appear to belong to the subtilisin (S8A) family and displayed several unique biochemical properties. Protease DV1 had an optimum pH of 8 and an optimal activity at 55°C, while protease M30 had an optimum pH >11 and optimal activity at 40°C. The properties of these enzymes make them potentially useful for biotechnological applications and again demonstrate that metagenomic approaches can be useful, especially when coupled with the study of novel environments such as deserts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Neveu
- Univ Paris-Sud, Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, CNRS UMR 8621, Bât. 409, Orsay 91405, France
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Ben-David EA, Zaady E, Sher Y, Nejidat A. Assessment of the spatial distribution of soil microbial communities in patchy arid and semi-arid landscapes of the Negev Desert using combined PLFA and DGGE analyses. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2011; 76:492-503. [PMID: 21401693 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2011.01075.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Arid and semi-arid ecosystems are often characterized by vegetation patchiness and variable availability of resources. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and 16S rRNA gene fragment analyses were used to compare the bulk soil microbial community structure at patchy arid and semi-arid landscapes. Multivariate analyses of the PLFA data and the 16S rRNA gene fragments were in agreement with each other, suggesting that the differences between bulk soil microbial communities were primarily related to shrub vs intershrub patches, irrespective of climatic or site differences. This suggests that the mere presence of a living shrub is the dominant driving factor for the differential adaptation of the microbial communities. Lipid markers suggested as indicators of Gram-positive bacteria were higher in soils under the shrub canopies, while markers suggested as indicators of cyanobacteria and anaerobic bacteria were elevated in the intershrub soils. Secondary differences between soil microbial communities were associated with intershrub characteristics and to a lesser extent with the shrub species. This study provides an insight into the multifaceted nature of the factors that shape the microbial community structure in patchy desert landscapes. It further suggests that these drivers not only act in concert but also in a way that is dependent on the aridity level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Ben-David
- Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Zukerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
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Daryanto S, Eldridge DJ. Plant and soil surface responses to a combination of shrub removal and grazing in a shrub-encroached woodland. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2010; 91:2639-2648. [PMID: 20696514 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2009] [Revised: 06/24/2010] [Accepted: 07/19/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Shrub encroachment into open woodland is a widespread phenomenon in semi-arid woodlands worldwide. Encroachment or woody thickening, is thought to result from overgrazing, changes in fire regimes and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Eighteen years after one-off shrub removal by ploughing we assessed the effects of four different land management systems resulting from two levels each of grazing (grazed, ungrazed) with and without ploughing, on the cover of landscape units, soil surface condition, diversity of understorey plants and density of shrubs. We recorded 2-7 times more patches under conventional conservation (unploughed-ungrazed) than the others treatments, and plant cover and diversity were greater on the two conservation (ungrazed) plots, irrespective of ploughing. Soils under shrubs and log mounds had greater indices of infiltration, stability and nutrients. Shrub density under the active pastoral (ploughed-grazed) treatment was two and a half times greater than that in other treatments, but results were not significant. The effects of different treatments on shrubs were largely species-specific. Overall, our results suggest that ploughing does not provide long-term control of encroaching shrubs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefani Daryanto
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Hartman G. Are elevated δ
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N values in herbivores in hot and arid environments caused by diet or animal physiology? Funct Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2010.01782.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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47
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Hartman G, Danin A. Isotopic values of plants in relation to water availability in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Oecologia 2010; 162:837-52. [PMID: 19956974 PMCID: PMC2841277 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-009-1514-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2009] [Accepted: 11/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Plant C and N isotope values often correlate with rainfall on global and regional scales. This study examines the relationship between plant isotopic values and rainfall in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The results indicate significant correlations between both C and N isotope values and rainfall in C(3) plant communities. This significant relationship is maintained when plant communities are divided by plant life forms. Furthermore, a seasonal increase in C isotope values is observed during the dry season while N isotope values remain stable across the wet and dry seasons. Finally, the isotopic pattern in plants originating from desert environments differs from those from Mediterranean environments because some desert plants obtain most of their water from secondary sources, namely water channeled by local topographic features rather than direct rainfall. From these results it can be concluded that water availability is the primary factor controlling C and N isotope variability in plant communities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gideon Hartman
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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Cole C, Stark LR, Bonine ML, McLetchie DN. Transplant Survivorship of Bryophyte Soil Crusts in the Mojave Desert. Restor Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-100x.2008.00445.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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49
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50
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THE TECHNOLOGY OF MAN-MADE ALGAL CRUST AND ITS APPLICATIONS IN CONTROL OF DESERTIFICATION. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1035.2009.40756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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