Effects of inoculated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Microcoleus vaginatus</Emphasis> on the structure and function of biological soil crusts of desert |
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| Authors: | Yunpu Zheng Ming Xu Jiancheng Zhao Shuqing Bei Lihua Hao |
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| Institution: | (1) Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A Datun Road, Beijing, 100101, China;(2) Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China;(3) Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA;(4) College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050016, China;(5) College of Life Sciences, Langfang Normal University, Langfang, Hebei, 065000, China; |
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| Abstract: | Microcoleus vaginatus Gom., the dominant species in biological soil crusts (BSCs) in desert regions, plays a significant role in maintaining the
BSC structure and function. The BSC quality is commonly assessed by the chlorophyll a content, thickness, and compressive
strength. Here, we have studied the effect of different proportions of M. vaginatus, collected from the Gurbantunggut Desert in northwestern China, on the BSC structure and function under laboratory conditions.
We found that when M. vaginatus was absent in the BSC, the BSC coverage, quantified by the percentage of BSC area to total land surface area, was low with
a chlorophyll a content of 4.77 × 10−2 mg g−1 dry soil, a thickness of 0.86 mm, and a compressive strength of 12.21 Pa. By increasing the percentage of M. vaginatus in the BSC, the BSC coverage, chlorophyll a content, crust thickness, and compressive strength all significantly increased
(P < 0.01). The maximum chlorophyll a content (13.12 mg g−1dry soil), the highest crust thickness, and the compressive strength (1.48 mm and 36.60 Pa, respectively) occurred when the
percentage of inoculated M. vaginatus reached 80% with a complex network of filaments under scanning electron microscope. The BSC quality indicated by the above
variables, however, declined when the BSC was composed of pure M. vaginatus (monoculture). In addition, we found that secretion of filaments and polymer, which stick sands together in the BSC, increased
remarkably with the increase of the dominant species until the percentage of M. vaginatus reached 80%. Our results suggest that not only the dominant species but also the accompanying taxa are critical for maintaining
the structure and functions of the BSC and thus the stability of the BSC ecosystems. |
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