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The role of physical and biological soil crusts on the water balance in semiarid ecosystems
In arid and semiarid areas, the interplant spaces are usually covered by physical and biological soil crusts. These crusts, though representing an almost negligible portion of the soil profile, have a number of crucial roles. Soil crusts form the boundary between soil and atmosphere and therefore control gas, water and nutrient exchange into and through soils. Concretely, in the last decade, the study of biological soil crusts (BSCs) (complex communities of cyanobacteria, algae, fungi, lichens, mosses and other microorganisms in intimate association with soil particles) has drawn the attention of a growing number of researchers due to the key role they play in numerous processes in the ecosy...
Biological Soil Crusts: Spatio-temporal Development and Ecological Functions of Soil Surface Microbial Communities across Different Scales
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are widely distributed throughout the world, and cover approximately 12% of the terrestrial surface. Biocrusts are composed of cyanobacteria, algae, lichens, mosses, and a great diversity of other microorganisms, which bind soil particles together to form a layer of biological-soil matrix on the soil surface typically of several millimetres thickness. They are important sites of regional and global microbial diversity and perform multiple ecological functions (multifunctionality). During the evolution of terrestrial life on earth, biocrusts are regarded as the main colonising photosynthetic organisms before the advent of vascular vegetation. They not only r...
GYPWORLD: A Global initiative to understand gypsum ecosystem ecology
Gypsum is a type of habitat widely spread throughout the world, especially in arid climates (Somalia, Australia, Middle East, USA, circum-Mediterranean region, etc.). The vegetation present on this type of habitat has long attracted the attention of specialists in the study of flora adapted to special substrates, since gypsum represents an important barrier to the growth of most plants. These ecosystems are little known in comparison to other habitats present on special substrates, even though representing natural laboratories of evolution and ecology. In this context, the Gypworld project has been developed, as a global initiative to understand the ecology of gypsum ecosystems, comes under the European Horizon 2020 research program, and which brings together researchers specialists in the study of gypsum ecosystems, from five continents. Under the umbrella of this project, different scientific meetings have been taking place, being the one held in Almeria, the third of the four that will take place, with the name of 3rd Gypworld Workshop. Thus, this monograph presents the most recent advances in the research of these special ecosystems.
Ecohydrological Response of Dryland Ecosystems to Aridification: The Role of Runoff Water Redistribution
In general, according to our results we may conclude that the effect of runoff water redistribution by increasing water and related nutrients for vegetation and underlying soil microbial communities buffer the expected negative response of drylands to aridification. The magnitude of this effect depends on the interplay with other environmental factors controlling soil hydrology, such as lithology legacy on soil properties. Finally, we found that this positive buffer effect could be counterbalance in areas of high human disturbance, as the negative effects of degradation on soils and vegetation could exacerbate runoff and nutrients losses and limit the capacity of the remaining vegetation to ...
Elucidating Microbial Processes in Soils and Sediments: Microscale Measurements and Modeling, 2nd Edition
Half a century ago, soil ...
Cyanobacterial Diversity: Environmental Effect and Ecosystem Functioning
Cyanobacteria, represent an incredibly diverse group of photosynthetic microorganisms that can be found thriving in a variety of ecosystems around the world, playing a crucial role in maintaining the balance of our planet's atmosphere and contributing significantly to global primary production, which ultimately supports the growth and sustenance of countless other life forms. These remarkable organisms exhibit a fascinating array of morphological variations, allowing them to adapt and flourish even in the most extreme and inhospitable environments, such as hot springs, polar ice caps, and arid deserts. In recent years, the study of genetic diversity within cyanobacteria has garnered considerable interest among scientists, as it offers valuable insights into their evolutionary history, ecological roles, and potential applications in the burgeoning field of biotechnology, as well as the development and progression of the photosynthetic processes that have shaped our world and made it habitable for countless species throughout the eons.
Cross-scale effects of biological soil crusts on runoff generation and water erosion in semiarid ecosystems. Field data and model approach
CD-ROM Water availability is one of the main limiting factors that control ecosystem functions and productivity in semiarid regions. Vegetation of these regions usually presents a patchy distribution where sparse plant cover is interspersed over a bare soil. During the few rainfall events, runoff is generated in non-vegetated areas and redistributed towards vegetation, which act as surface obstruction for water, sediments and nutrients. Thus, non-vegetated areas are more susceptible to water erosion processes. Non-vegetated areas from semiarid ecosystems around the world, are often covered by Biological Soil Crusts (BSCs). BSCs result from an intimate association between soil particles and c...
Biocrust-forming cyanobacteria inoculation to restore degraded soils from dryland ecosystems
En las zonas áridas, la acción combinada del cambio climático y el aumento de la presión humana están causando una degradación acelerada de los ecosistemas. En este contexto, es necesario investigar nuevas estrategias de restauración que nos permitan mejorar las acciones de restauración en estas zonas. Para ello, en esta tesis se exploró el uso de biocostras, comunidades de organismos que colonizan los primeros centímetros del suelo y que viven en estrecha asociación con las partículas del suelo, para la recuperación de suelos degradados en ecosistemas áridos. De entre todos sus componentes, se investigó el potencial uso restaurador de la inoculación con especies de cianobact...
Biological Soil Crusts: An Organizing Principle in Drylands
This volume summarizes our current understanding of biological soil crusts (biocrusts), which are omnipresent in dryland regions. Since they cover the soil surface, they influence, or even control, all surface exchange processes. Being one of the oldest terrestrial communities, biocrusts comprise a high diversity of cyanobacteria, algae, lichens and bryophytes together with uncounted bacteria, and fungi. The authors show that biocrusts are an integral part of dryland ecosystems, stabilizing soils, influencing plant germination and growth, and playing a key role in carbon, nitrogen and water cycling. Initial attempts have been made to use biocrusts as models in ecological theory. On the other hand, biocrusts are endangered by local disruptions and global change, highlighting the need for enhanced recovery methods. This book offers a comprehensive overview of the fascinating field of biocrust research, making it indispensable not only for scientists in this area, but also for land managers, policy makers, and anyone interested in the environment.
