Forest-Rangeland Soil Ecology Lab: Bowker lab - check us out at ESA next month

Forest-Rangeland Soil Ecology Lab: Bowker lab - check us out at ESA next month: Next month lab members will present new research at the Ecological Society of America Meeting in Sacramento . Kyle Doherty will ...

Colorado Arts & Sciences Magazine: Can biological soil crust communities be restored?

Nice, recent article on our biocrust restoration project on military lands (led by Nichole Barger with a team consisting of Ferran Garcia-Pichel, Ana Giraldo, Sergio Velasco, myself, Anita Antoninka, Jayne Belnap, Sasha Reed, & Mike Duniway) here.

Ana Giraldo tending her cyanobacterial cultures in the Garcia-Pichel lab (Arizona State University)

Taylor & Francis Online :: Biological soil crusts: An eco-adaptive biological conservative mechanism and implications for ecological restoration - Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology -

Taylor & Francis Online :: Biological soil crusts: An eco-adaptive biological conservative mechanism and implications for ecological restoration - Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology -

Fort Hill site selection trip April 2013

We recently completed a recon trip to select study sites for our crust restoration studies. This one is Fort Hill Air Force Range, where we were hosted by Russ Lawrence and Aaron. Many thanks to our gracious hosts for a very successful trip. This is a beautiful cold desert area just to the west of the Great Salt Lake. Present were myself, Nichole Barger, Jayne Belnap, Mike Duniway, Ana Giraldo, and Anita Antoninka, who is away setting up experiments there as I write. I'd been to Salt Lake City a zillion times before, but due to the overcast sky this was the most beautiful plane landing. It was made all the more interesting since I was sitting next to two adult, male My Little Pony enthusiasts going to a Pony convention. I didn't know this phenomenon existed previously. They are called "bronies". Google it if you don't believe me. Oh yeah...the lake and snowcapped mountain combination was stunning. The base has that unique, lonely gray beauty that says "Great Basin!!!". It truly is the most underappreciated of North American deserts. The crusts did not disappoint either, we found lots of areas with fascinating crust flora, and all in all this seems to be a great place to work.

Due to low light and continuous hydration, these filamentous cyanobacteria have come to the soil surface. They will retreat when the soil drys or when the light increases.

This is what happens when I shout "Look happy, people!" to Ana (L) and Anita (R). Ana is about to collect some cyanobacteria to culture for her graduate project in the Garcia-Pichel lab. Anita is getting familiar with the place prior to installing hundreds of experimental plots.

Psora decipiens - what a show-off

Aspicilia rogeri - this species used to be considered A. fruticilosa, an Asian taxon, but the North American species turned out to be a new species which was named after Roger Rosentreter. It's a vagrant, just like Roger.

Catapyrenium??? I'm stumped by this. I first thought it was a Collema, but after I picked it up I'm convinced its a phycolichen with very little squamules. Maybe its Catapyrenium congestum?

On the ancient lake sediments, the biocrusts had polygonal cracks, and a Sharpei-skin surface structure.

Ditto, closer.

This is an invasive plant (bur buttercup) which loves to grow in the cracks between polygons whether or not there is crust present.

Russ chatting with Mike, Anita, and Ana.

Searching for a cheatgrass-free sandy soil. You can just make out that the salt flats in the far background are currently hosting a lake.

Garcia-Pichel lab is hiring a post-doc

Want to work in a "microbial nursery"? Check this out.

http://garcia-pichel.lab.asu.edu/research_opportunities.html

This position is part of a collaborative project  (Barger, Belnap, Garcia-Pichel, Bowker, Duniway, Reed) seeking to improve crust restoration technology, and apply it to military lands. Ferran needs someone with a blue-green thumb.

BIOCRUST 2013 (Madrid) Third Circular, get your abstracts in by Dec. 31

Below is the latest on the biocrust meeting in Spain next year. I've been told that over 30 abstracts have been received so far. The deadline was extended to 31 December.  Also the plenary talks are now scheduled, and I'm happy to be doing one of them:

Third circular, 12 December 2012

We are pleased to announce the Second International Workshop on Biological Soil Crust, which follows the successful first Workshop celebrated in Germany in 2010. This workshop is devoted to disseminate recent advances in our knowledge of the ecology of biological soil crusts (BSCs) and their importance as a key driver of ecosystem structure and functioning.

The main objective of this Workshop is to trigger an exchange of ideas and results, to discuss possible new theories/approaches, and to provide a forum to facilitate the collaboration among the growing international community of scientists working with BSCs.

This international meeting will take place at the Faculty of Pharmacy, The Complutense University, Madrid, Spain, between 10th and 13rd of June, 2013. The meeting will cover any aspect related to BSCs, including the following topics:
• Diversity, ecology and biogeography of BSCs
• Mapping, monitoring and management of BSCs
• Role of BSCs in ecosystems
• Taxonomy of BSC constituents
• Disturbance and restoration of BSCs
• Interaction between BSCs and vascular plant vegetation
• Effects of global environmental change on BSCs

The meeting will include invited plenary talks, contributed oral sessions, poster sessions, a field trip and some open, informal sessions to facilitate the exchange of ideas and protocols on key issues surrounding BSC ecology.
 

Venue
The Complutense University (http://portal.ucm.es/en/web/en-ucm) is one of the largest Universities in Spain. Located in the historic Ciudad Universitaria/Moncloa Campus, it is easily accessible from anywhere in Madrid from Metro and Bus. The venue of the meeting (Faculty of Pharmacy) is just 20 m from a metro station.
 

Scientific committee
Jayne Belnap, United States Geological Service (USA)
Matthew A. Bowker, Northern Arizona University (USA)
Burkhard Büdel, University of Kaiserslautern (Germany)
David Eldridge, University of New South Wales (Australia)
Ferran García-Pichel, Arizona State University (USA)
Fernando T. Maestre, Rey Juan Carlos University (Spain)
Leopoldo G. Sancho, Complutense University (Spain)
Eli Zaady, Ministry of Agriculture (Israel)
Local organizing committee
Beatriz Gozalo, Rey Juan Carlos University
Allan Green, Complutense University
Fernando T. Maestre, Rey Juan Carlos University
José Raggio, Complutense University
Victoria Ochoa, Rey Juan Carlos University
Ana Pintado, Complutense University
Mª Dolores Puche, Rey Juan Carlos University
Leopoldo G. Sancho, Complutense University
 

Program
10.6. Arrival, registration, workshop sessions (morning and afternoon).

11.6. Workshop sessions (morning and afternoon).

12.6. Field trip to the Guadarrama Mountain Range (8:00 – 16:00 h). Informal discussion 

session in a field station in the mountains (16:00 – 18:00 h). Conference dinner in the Botanical Gardens of the University.

13.6. Workshop sessions (morning), departure after lunch.
 

Plenary speakers are now confirmed (the title of the talks is tentative):
Dr. Matthew A. Bowker, Assistant Professor, Northern Arizona University. Topic of his talk: “Biological soil crusts as a model system on community and ecosystem ecology”. 

Dr. Burkhard Büdel, Professor, University of Kaiserslautern. Topic of his talk: “Soil Crust InterNational (SCIN) – Understanding and valuing biological soil protection of disturbed and open land surfaces”.

Dr. Steve Pointing, Professor, Auckland University of Technology. Topic of his talk: “Understanding microbial contributions to ecosystem-wide patterns and processes in extreme environments”.

Abstract submission
Abstract submission will be open from 20 September 2012 to 31 December 2012.
Authors are invited to present regular talks, short ideas and/or posters at the meeting. Regular contributions will be talks of 15 minutes + 5 minutes discussion each. Short notes/ideas can be presented in 5 minute talks (+ 3 minutes discussion). Poster sessions will also take place the first two days of the meeting.

For all the contribution types, please submit abstracts by e-mail (to iibscworkshop@gmail.com) using this template and indicate, if you wish to present a regular contribution, a short note or a poster. Please note that the number of slots available for regular and short talks is limited, and we may not be able to accommodate all the requests for talks we may have.
 
The template for the abstract can be found available in the webpage of the meeting.
 
Registration and fees
The registration will be open from 1 January 2013 to 30 April 2013.
Conference fees:
240 € regular participants
120 € students

The fees include the documentation, the lunches of three days, the field trip and the conference dinner. Payment of the fees will be done by either credit card or bank transfer, using the registration form available here and in the webpage of the meeting. Once filled in you must submit the form directly by fax or e-mail to the General Foundation UCM (e-mail address and fax number are in the template). Please do not send it to us.
 
Travel Information
Madrid, the Spanish capital, is a vibrant city with world class museums, monuments, and restaurants, and with a famous night and cultural life. Madrid can be easily reached by plane from anywhere in the world. Flights arrive to Barajas airport, from where the city centre can be reached by metro, train ("Cercanías"), bus or taxi. The best way to arrive to the meeting from the city center is by Metro or bus. A metro map and travel itinerary planner can be found here.

Participants are free to book the accommodation of their choice, as there are plenty of options within Madrid, from cheap hostels to luxury hotels. We are making arrangements with a travel agency, which will offer some hotels at a discounted price for participants. We will update details on how to book through them in the next circular.
 
For general travelling and tourism information please visit:
http://www.esmadrid.com/en/portal.do (Touristic information on Madrid and schedule of cultural events going out in the city)
http://www.spain.info/en_US/ (General touristic information)
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite/Home/en/Page/1166792871783/ (Information on flights going to the Barajas airport, the main airport in Madrid)
Important dates
 
Abstract submission: Abstract submission will be from 20 September 2012 to 31 December 2012.
Notification of abstract acceptance: 30 January 2013
Registration: 1 January 2013 – 30 April 2013
Workshop: 10 – 13 June 2013
We hope to see you all at Madrid in 2013!
Fernando T. Maestre (fernando.maestre@urjc.es) and Leopoldo G. Sancho (sancholg@farm.ucm.es)

Taylor & Francis Online :: Diurnal Relationship Between the Surface Albedo and Surface Temperature in Revegetated Desert Ecosystems, Northwestern China - Arid Land Research and Management - Volume 26, Issue 1

Taylor & Francis Online :: Diurnal Relationship Between the Surface Albedo and Surface Temperature in Revegetated Desert Ecosystems, Northwestern China - Arid Land Research and Management - Volume 26, Issue 1