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Kerem T, Nejidat A, Zaady E. Monitoring dynamics of biocrust rehabilitation in acid-saturated desert soils. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:715. [PMID: 38980507 PMCID: PMC11233293 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12865-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
The study explores the aftermath of a wastewater reservoir failure in a phosphate fertilizer industry, resulting in the release of acidic water containing phosphorus and sulfate compounds into the Ashalim stream's Nature Reserve in the Judean desert, which affected the soil surface biological crusts (biocrusts) layer. The study aims to examine contamination effects on biocrusts over 3 years at two research sites along the stream, compare effects between contaminated sites, assess rehabilitation treatments, and examine their impact on soil characteristics. Hypotheses suggest significant damage to biocrusts due to acidic water flow, requiring human intervention for accelerated restoration. The results indicate adverse effects on biocrust properties, risking its key role in the desert ecosystem. The biocrust layer covering the stream's ground surface suffered significant physical, chemical, and biological damage due to exposure to industrial process effluents. However, soil enrichment treatments, including biocrust components and organic material, show promising effects on biocrust recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Kerem
- Department of Natural Resources, Agricultural Research Organization, Institute of Plant Sciences, Gilat Research Center, Mobile Post Negev, 8531100, Gilat, Israel
| | - A Nejidat
- Department of Environmental Hydrology and Microbiology, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 8499000, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - E Zaady
- Department of Natural Resources, Agricultural Research Organization, Institute of Plant Sciences, Gilat Research Center, Mobile Post Negev, 8531100, Gilat, Israel.
- Kaye Academic College, 8414201, Beer Sheva, Israel.
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Dal-Ferro LS, Schenider A, Missiaggia DG, Silva LJ, Maciel-Silva AS, Figueredo CC. Organizing a global list of cyanobacteria and algae from soil biocrusts evidenced great geographic and taxonomic gaps. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae086. [PMID: 38816216 PMCID: PMC11221558 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Biocrusts determine soil stability and resiliency, with a special role played by oxygenic photoautotrophic microorganisms in these communities. We evaluated temporal and geographic trends in studies focused on these microorganisms in biocrusts. Two databases were surveyed to obtain scientific articles published from 1998 to 2020 containing the terms 'biocrusts,' 'algae,' and 'cyanobacteria.' Although interest in biocrusts has increased recently, their ecological importance is still little explored. The scientific articles that mentioned a species list of cyanobacteria and/or algae revealed a very heterogeneous geographic distribution of research. Biocrusts have not been explored in many regions and knowledge in the tropics, where these communities showed high species richness, is limited. Geographic gaps were detected and more detailed studies are needed, mainly where biocrust communities are threatened by anthropogenic impacts. Aiming to address these knowledge gaps, we assembled a taxonomic list of all algae and cyanobacteria found in these articles, including information on their occurrence and ecology. This review is an updated global taxonomic survey of biocrusts, which importantly reveals their high species richness of oxygenic photoautotrophic microorganisms. We believe this database will be useful to future research by providing valuable taxonomic and biogeographic information regarding algae and cyanobacteria in biocrusts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Soares Dal-Ferro
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Arthur Schenider
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Dabny Goulart Missiaggia
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Libério Junio Silva
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Divisão de Observação da Terra e Geoinformática (DIOTG), 12227-010 São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adaíses Simone Maciel-Silva
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Cleber Cunha Figueredo
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Pérez-Uz B, Galfione VC, Ochoa-Hueso R, Martín-Cereceda M. Protist Diversity Responses to Experimental N Deposition in Biological Crusts of a Semiarid Mediterranean Ecosystem. Protist 2023; 174:125929. [PMID: 36455480 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2022.125929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (BSC) are associations of different macro and microorganisms and aggregated soil particles located on the surface of soils in many different habitats. BSC harbour a diverse and complex community of ciliates and testate amoebae. These phagotrophic protists play an important role in C and N recycling in soil ecosystems but have not been frequently studied in BSC. In this context, the effects of three increasing N inputs on ciliates and testate amoebae in crusts from a semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystem were evaluated. A field experiment with artificial N-deposition was designed to mimic the effects caused by anthropogenic N depositions. The results have shown that the protist populations of these semi-arid Mediterranean environments have lower species richness than other soil environments. The increase in N produces a net loss of diversity in the populations studied and shifts in the community structure. It has also been shown that some ciliates and testate amoebae, due to their population responses to increased N concentrations, could potentially be used as bio-indicators of N contamination in these BSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Pérez-Uz
- Dept. Genética, Fisiología y Microbiología, Fac. Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Virginia C Galfione
- Dept. Genética, Fisiología y Microbiología, Fac. Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raul Ochoa-Hueso
- Instituto de Investigación Vitivinicola y Agroalimentaria, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Mercedes Martín-Cereceda
- Dept. Genética, Fisiología y Microbiología, Fac. Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Szyja M, Felde VJMNL, Lückel S, Tabarelli M, Leal IR, Büdel B, Wirth R. Biological soil crusts decrease infiltration but increase erosion resistance in a human-disturbed tropical dry forest. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1136322. [PMID: 37152745 PMCID: PMC10157249 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1136322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Under continuous human disturbance, regeneration is the basis for biodiversity persistence and ecosystem service provision. In tropical dry forests, edaphic ecosystem engineering by biological soil crusts (biocrusts) could impact regeneration by influencing erosion control and soil water and nutrient fluxes, which impact landscape hydrology, geomorphology, and ecosystem functioning. This study investigated the effect of cyanobacteria-dominated biocrusts on water infiltration and aggregate stability in a human-modified landscape of the Caatinga dry forest (NE Brazil), a system characterized by high levels of forest degradation and increasing aridity. By trapping dust and swelling of cyanobacterial filaments, biocrusts can seal soil surfaces and slow down infiltration, which potentially induces erosion. To quantify hydraulic properties and erosion control, we used minidisc-infiltrometry, raindrop-simulation, and wet sieving at two sites with contrasting disturbance levels: an active cashew plantation and an abandoned field experiencing forest regeneration, both characterized by sandy soils. Under disturbance, biocrusts had a stronger negative impact on infiltration (reduction by 42% vs. 37% during regeneration), although biocrusts under regenerating conditions had the lowest absolute sorptivity (0.042 ± 0.02 cm s-1/2) and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (0.0015 ± 0.0008 cm s-1), with a doubled water repellency. Biocrusts provided high soil aggregate stability although stability increased considerably with progression of biocrust succession (raindrop simulation disturbed: 0.19 ± 0.22 J vs. regenerating: 0.54 ± 0.22 J). The formation of stable aggregates by early successional biocrusts on sandy soils suggests protection of dry forest soils even on the worst land use/soil degradation scenario with a high soil erosion risk. Our results confirm that biocrusts covering bare interspaces between vascular plants in human-modified landscapes play an important role in surface water availability and erosion control. Biocrusts have the potential to reduce land degradation, but their associated ecosystem services like erosion protection, can be impaired by disturbance. Considering an average biocrust coverage of 8.1% of the Caatinga landscapes, further research should aim to quantify the contribution of biocrusts to forest recovery to fully understand the role they play in the functioning of this poorly explored ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Szyja
- Molecular Botany (Plant Ecology Group), University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Vincent J. M. N. L. Felde
- Institute of Soil Science, Leibniz University Hannover, Hanover, Germany
- *Correspondence: Vincent J. M. N. L. Felde,
| | - Sara Lückel
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, Kassel University, Witzenhausen, Germany
| | - Marcelo Tabarelli
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Inara R. Leal
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Burkhard Büdel
- Molecular Botany (Plant Ecology Group), University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Rainer Wirth
- Molecular Botany (Plant Ecology Group), University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
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Oliveira MF, Maciel-Silva AS. Biological soil crusts and how they might colonize other worlds: insights from these Brazilian ecosystem engineers. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:4362-4379. [PMID: 35522077 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
When bryophytes, lichens, eukaryotic algae, cyanobacteria, bacteria, and fungi live interacting intimately with the most superficial particles of the soil, they form a complex community of organisms called the biological soil crust (BSC or biocrust). These biocrusts occur predominantly in drylands, where they provide important ecological services such as soil aggregation, moisture retention, and nitrogen fixation. Unfortunately, many BSC communities remain poorly explored, especially in the tropics. This review summarizes studies about BSCs in Brazil, a tropical megadiverse country, and shows the importance of ecological, physiological, and taxonomic knowledge of biocrusts. We also compare Brazilian BSC communities with others around the world, describe why BSCs can be considered ecosystem engineers, and propose their use in the colonization of other worlds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateus Fernandes Oliveira
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Sistemática Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Adaíses Simone Maciel-Silva
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Laboratório de Sistemática Vegetal, Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
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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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