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Summers on the Colorado Plateau (USA) are typified by harsh conditions such as high temperatures, brief soil hydration periods, and high UV and visible radiation. We investigated whether community composition and pigmention might vary in biological soil crusts as a result of such conditions. Representative surface cores were sampled on the ENE, WSW, and top microaspects of 20 individual soil crust pedicels at a single site in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, in spring and fall of 1999. Frequency of major cyanobacterial taxa and pigment concentrations were measured for each core. The frequency of major cyanobacterial taxa was lower in the fall compared to spring. The less-pigmented cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus...
Biological soil crusts (BSC) are a dominant feature in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. BSC stabilize soils, contribute nitrogen and carbon, enhance vascular plant nutrition, and influence local hydrologic cycles. However, these ecological roles are determined by the species composition, morphology, and physiological functioning of the BSC. These factors, in turn, can be strongly affected by land use, invasive plants, and climate change. Soil surface disturbance and/or dominance by invasive plants both result in loss of lichens and mosses, leaving cyanobacteria dominating the soil surface. This loss reduces soil stability, carbon and nitrogen contributions, surface temperatures, and soil water retention times. Climate...
    map background search result map search result map Temporal variation in community composition and pigmentation of desert cyanobacterial soil crusts Temporal variation in community composition and pigmentation of desert cyanobacterial soil crusts