A networking resource devoted to biological soil crusts and the researchers who study them. We will provide a means for international scientists to communicate, share their research, share important news and announcements, ask questions and find collaborators. We will also provide a space for informal writing on research, opinion, and ideas (now seeking posters!).
OOS 51 -
Biological Soil Crusts: Their Diversity, Functional Ecology and Management
Friday, August 10, 2012: 8:00 AM-11:30 AM
A107, Oregon Convention Center
Organizer:
Bettina Weber
Co-organizer:
Jayne Belnap
Moderator:
Jayne Belnap
I
t has only recently been recognized that biological soil crusts (BSC)
are a critical component of dryland ecosystems, contributing to the
diversity, functionality and nutrient cycling of these regions
worldwide. Formed by cyanobacteria, algae, lichens, fungi and bacteria
in varying proportions, BSC grow within the uppermost millimeters of the
soil, fulfilling a variety of ecosystem services. With their filaments
BSC organisms glue together soil particles, thus effectively preventing
erosion by both wind and water. BSC organisms in general and
nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in particular, add nutrients to
nutrient-poor desert soils, thus promoting the establishment and growth
of vascular plants. Their relevance and impact on global carbon and
nitrogen cycles is just starting to be considered. During the last
decade, studies on BSC have intensified and diversified, creating a
unique and growing research community. As many of these topics are
essential to understand the structure and function of dryland
ecosystems, this research should be presented to the larger scientific
community. The session is designed to provide an overall synthesis,
covering all major fields of current BSC research at high scientific
quality.
1. Jim Sears & Bharath Prithiviraj have recently launched a website about their TerraDerm concept. TerraDerm is a nonprofit working on making a cyanobacterial crust inoculum to sink carbon and reverse desertification in drylands. I've added it to the resources links to the right.
2. I recently noticed Fernando Maestre added a blog to his website about his dryland ecology research. There is content in Spanish and English dealing with community and ecosystem ecology of plants and biocrusts. I've added it to the blogroll.
3. Kevin of "Nature's Internet: a layman's guide to installation and maintenance", my nominee for best blog title ever, has a post up for lay audiences about biocrusts and mycorrhizas. Check it out here. I've also added this blog to the blogroll.
After accidentally deleting it a while back, I'm reconstructing the biocrust researcher directory listed on the right. I'm basically just adding people from recent conferences or whoever pops to mind in no particular order. I'm adding what appears to be the best link from a simple Google search.
So, i don't have unlimited time to think of all the crust researchers, then go out and find their best webpage. You could help me. If you're listed but I don't have the best webpage linked, leave me a comment. Also feel free to leave a comment with the websites of biocrust researchers you know that I haven't listed yet. I'm especially in need of good links for our Chinese colleagues who do so much of the crust research out there right now. But basically, I'll list anyone who ever did a biocrust research project including government researchers, professors, graduate students, etc.
See below the first circular on the international biocrust meeting, hot off the presses from Fernando Maestre & Leopoldo Sancho:
We are pleased to announce the Second International Workshop on Biological Soil Crusts, which follows the successful I 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.
Madrid, the Spanish capital, is a vibrant city with world class museums, monuments, and restaurants, and with a famous night and cultural life. It can be easily reached by plane from anywhere in the world, and has activities of interest for anyone (see http://www.esmadrid.com/en/portal.do for touristic information and for a schedule of cultural events).
Scientific committee (preliminary) 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) 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
Important dates September 2012: second circular containing the registration costs, travel information and deadlines for sending the abstracts. The website of the Workshop will also be alive in September 2012.
We hope to see all you at Madrid in 2013!
Fernando T. Maestre (fernando.maestre@urjc.es) and Leopoldo G. Sancho (sancholg@farm.ucm.es)
I was recently in Boise (May 1-3), Idaho to co-teach "Biological soil crusts: Ecology and Management" with Roger Rosentreter. This is a perennial offering usually co-taught by Roger & Jayne Belnap, which happens in Boise, Moab, or other locations as demand requires. I may try and cycle into the teaching rotation more often. The participants are usually land managers and agency scientists, but it is open to the public.
Out class was mostly BLM people (ecologists, range conservationists and fire rehab people from as far away as Las Vegas, but mostly locals). We also had a private consultant, some Forest Service folks and a graduate student, among others. Overall, an excellent group that was very interested and contributed quite a bit to good discussion. I don't know where next years edition will be, but will post it when I know.
Roger was on fire, and should seriously consider a second career as a standup comedian. Overall he was in good form, as was his wife Anne, their turtle and tortoise friends, and their amazing native plants garden. I got some great photos, helped out by perfect overcast sky lighting.
On our field site recon trip. Barry Kaminsky (L) and Roger Rosentreter (R) posing with a bucket o' crust we collected for class demos. Barry is currently working for Roger, but is an accomplished lichenologist that is looking for grad school opportunities, and would like to go in a more ecological direction.
Acarospora schleicheri...the "prom queen" of Great Basin crusts. Look at me! Look at me!
Our field trip site was close to the rim of the Snake River Gorge. Not so bad on the eyes.
Syntrichia ruralis, "twisted moss", probably accounting for half the crust biomass out there. I'm very impressed with the macro function on my cheap camera!
Picture says it all.
Ok, a little explanation. After collecting and reconn'ing we visited an exclosure in a winterfat vegetation type. This thing has been ungrazed for decades. Outside the exclosure didn't look all that bad, but inside was amazing! Under most of the winterfat shrubs there were these amazing mounds of Syntrichia that could swallow a hand. (I know because I now have a hook at the end of one arm). This one has numerous grass seedlings coming out of it. The carbon storage crowd is not thinking much about rangelands as C sinks, because rangelands are not carbon intense. But...there is a ton of acreage out there. Now, I don't buy the idea that, e.g., the Mojave Desert, is ever going to have all that much value for its C storage, but these cold winter rangelands could sink some serious C in the form of my old friend Syntrichia.
P.S. If you like any of these crust photos and want to use them, you may, just ask me first and credit this blog.
It's been about a 3 week monolith of traveling for me. First, EGU in Vienna, then teaching a crust class in Boise, Idaho, then fieldwork near St. George, Utah. I've been wanting to post about all of these activities but finding the time has been tough.
You may have noticed that the incredibly handy biocrust researcher directory disappeared. Here's how handy it was: when I got asked to review a crust paper and had no time, I would direct the editor to select another qualified researcher form the directory. That's bloody useful. Deleting it was not a conscious decision, rather it was a terrible error on my part. I tried to update one listing and deleted the whole stinking thing. I did this before finishing my coffee....that's why you always finish your coffee before you do anything. Apparently there is no way to recover it, so I'll rebuild it some weekend when I've got a couple hours.
So, about EGU....the thursday crust session was moderated by Giora Kidron, and had a fairly hydrological bent to it. My personal favorite talk of the day was Ferran Garcia-Pichel's talk about detection of fossil crusts and the roles of polysaccharide slime in shaping the way the biosphere works, since the Precambrian. That's right, before plants there were crusts.
Here's a few pics from the poster session that evening:
Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo from Sevilla reveals how damned complicated N-cycling can be. I'll have to have him teach me more about the N-cycle when he visits over the summer and we'll throw some statistical models at it.
Most of the French biocrust team had to leave after the oral session, but Fiona Ehrhardt represents. I had a difficult time holding my silly complimentary wine cup while taking a photo, hence the shaky bigfoot picture effect. She's talking to Ferran here.
Jane Bevan and Roy Alexander talking to Jayne about a cool lichen transplant study in southern Spain.
Sonia Chamizo manning not one but two posters in addition to giving a talk. Superhero.
Below I include my favorite photos from Vienna. I only managed a little tourism, but a little pays dividends in this city:
Hundertwasser House, outside of the city center, this apartment building combines every texture and color and multiple architectural styles and collages them. It also has enough vegetation growing on it that it resembles a lost city.
The best thing about medieval architecture is the details. Gothic cathedrals are absolutely encrusted with minor sculptures. This one probably took a sculptor months, but how many people notice it and what does it mean?
Here's the actual cathedral Stephansdom. It's especially unique because of the multi-colored tile roof pronouncing Hapsburg mojo. You can see why it might be easy to miss a 10 cm winged skull.
I
add this to my collection of photos of dinosaur graffiti. Sorry about
the meteor dude, sad story indeed.
Kyle Doherty sent me the following from Mesa Verde:
"I came across an old
decommissioned asphalt road today that appears to be losing ground to some crust. I didn't excavate to see how far it had encroached upon the road, as I didn't want to disturb it. I thought it was pretty cool given the level of development."
It reminds me of an old steel cattle tank I saw near Canyonlands. The rivets had rusted out, and it couldn't hold much water anymore, but had accumulated some soil which grew a nice little crust garden. Even better, Sue Phillips used to have a beer bottle found out in the Mojave desert. Soil had blown in and a biocrust complete with mosses had grown in there as if it were a greenhouse.
The first of two soil crust-heavy sessions at EGU happened today. Overall, there were quite a few good presentations or posters. There were 2 in particular that really stuck with me:
1. Thomas Fischer talked about his method of measuring NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) using images from a common digital camera. In addition to the RGB channels, he also takes paired images with and without an Infrared filter, so that he can actually approximate a 4 channel image. Multispectral imagery is very powerful (yet very expensive) for detecting a large number of phenomena including the development of biocrusts. One big problem is that the best possible spatial resolution that can be attained is a 25 cm pixel size. Fischer's approach enables image resulution in microns and makes image analysis affordable for a few hundred dollars.
2. Omarou Malam Issa presented a poster on a project led by Ambouta Karimou Jean-Marie documenting local knowledge of biocrusts in the Sahel region of Africa. The authors sampled the knowledge of people living along a latitudinal gradient of both sexes and belonging to either pastoralist or horticulturalist communities. The sampling spanned 5 different ethnic groups. Interestingly two different ethnic groups, speaking different languages, had converged on the name "toad back" for biocrusts due to it's dark bumpy appearance ("Bankwado" and "Korobanda"). Quite a few other references basically translated to either black soil or fertile soil. The majority of people surveyed clearly knew what biocrusts were. This is a really unique line of research which makes me curious about the native knowledge of biocrusts on North America.
Dr. Maik Veste recently wrote me to let me know about his updated website on ecophysiology of biocrusts and dryland plants. It features photos from such disparate locations as Denmark, Germany, Israel and South Africa. There is also quite alot of content including papers, conference abstracts and a few posters. Find the website here.
Biocrusts on coastal dunes of Denmark. Photo: Veste, www.drylandresearch.de
The EGU schedule is now up. As promised here are the programs of the two sessions I know of which feature biological and physical soil crusts and dust (solely for space considerations, I haven't listed some cool sounding talks form the same sessions but on very different topics). I imagine there are several other interesting sessions on, e.g. soil erosion, so check it out yourself....the program is huge and can be found here. You'll note the sheer volume of material on biocrusts and related topics is huge here. It makes me think there ought to be an annual international crust conference.
Dynamics of soil surface characteristics (including physical and biological soil crusts): consequences on soil functioning and role of climate and land use change
Tuesday, 24 Apr 2012, Room: 22
Oral Presentations Convener: O. Cerdan, O. Malam Issa , B. Marin , J. L. Rajot
08:30–08:45 EGU2012-359 What controls dryland soil stability? The surprising importance of biocrusts and their possible sensitivity to climate change - M.A Bowker, J. Belnap, F.T. Maestre, and V.B. Chaudhary
08:45–09:00 EGU2012-3692 Biological soil crust succession impact on soil moisture and temperature in the sub-surface along a rainfall gradient - E. Zaady, H. Yizhaq, and Y Ashkenazy
09:00–09:15 EGU2012-2760 Net primary productivity (NPP) of a biological soil crust (BSC) in northwestern Queensland, Australia -B. Büdel, H. Reichenberger, and W. Williams
09:15–09:30 EGU2012-2193 Effects of biological soil crusts on seedling growth and element uptake in five desert plants in Junggar Basin, western China (withdrawn) - Y. Zhang
09:30–09:45 EGU2012-1970 A predictive model of spatial distribution of Biological Soil Crust in the Sahel from local to regional scale - N. Beaugendre, A. Choné, C. Sannier, J.F. Desprats, O. Cerdan, C. Valentin, O. Malam Issa, and J.L. Rajot
09:45–10:00 EGU2012-7052 High resolution mapping of Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVI) of biological soil crusts - T. Fischer, M. Veste, A. Eisele, O. Bens, W. Spyra, and R.F. Hüttl
Poster Session24 Apr 17:30–19:00 Hall X/YChairperson: O. Malam Issa
XY598 EGU2012-11184 Hydrodynamic behaviour of crusted soils in the Sahel: a possible cause for runoff increase? - m. malam abdou, j.-p. vandervaere, i. bouzou moussa, and l. descroix
XY599 EGU2012-13804 Interactions between soil structure and excess water formation on chernozem soils - N. Gál and A. Farsang
XY600 EGU2012-12385 Surface soil crust types, properties and their response to ameliorants in the irrigated field of Eastern Ethiopia - F. Kebede, E. Mekonnen, N. Taha, A. Verdoodt, and E. Van Ranst
XY601 EGU2012-6396 Wind erosion flux measurements and variability on traditionally cultivated fields in South West Niger: crop residues and soils crust impacts - A. Abdourhamane Touré, J.L. Rajot, Z. Garba, B. Marticorena, C. Petit, D. Sebag, and O. Malam Issa
XY602 EGU2012-11864 Effect of biological soil crusts of the Sahel (Niger) on wind erosion - J. L. Rajot, R. Paris, O. Malam Issa, A. Maman, A. Abdourhamane Touré, C. Valentin, and B. Marticorena
XY604 EGU2012-4189 Including physical and biological soil crusts properties in gully prediction - A. Gay, O. Cerdan, J.F. Desprats, O. Malam Issa, C. Valentin, J.L. Rajot, and L. Descroix
XY605 EGU2012-7524 Calibration of a physically based soil erosion model for different kind of biological soil crust - O. Cerdan, M. Le, O. Malam Issa, C. Valentin, JL. Rajot, and JF. Desprats
XY606 EGU2012-9307 Estimating the loss of C, N and microbial biomass from Biological Soil Crusts under simulated rainfall - M. Gommeaux, O. Malam Issa, T. Bouchet, C. Valentin, J.-L. Rajot, I. Bertrand, G. Alavoine, J.-F. Desprats, O. Cerdan, and D. Fatondji
XY607 EGU2012-13569 Diminution of soil carbon sequestration following 72 years grazing disturbance; a study of cyanobacterial soil crusts from the Australian Mulga Lands - W. Williams, D. Eldridge, B. Budel, and H. Reichenberger
XY608 EGU2012-9879 Measurement of dinitrogen fixation by Biological soil crust (BSC) from the Sahelian zone: an isotopic method -F. Ehrhardt, G. Alavoine, and I. Bertrand
XY609 EGU2012-9264 Effect of mineralogical, geochemical and biological properties on soils reflectance to assess temporal and spatial dynamics of BSCs in Sahelian ecosystems - A. Bourguignon, O. Cerdan, J.F. Desprats, B. Marin, O. Malam Issa, C. Valentin, and J.L. Rajot
XY610 EGU2012-9353 Variability of physicochemical and mineralogical characteristics of biological soil crusts at local scale in the Sahelian zone of western Niger - B. Cancès, G. Gommeaux, B. Marin, M. Ponthieu, C. Ralahimanana, S. Ayachi, and O. Malam Issa
XY611 EGU2012-12145 Relationship between the herbaceous and woody vegetation caracteristics and biological soil crusts distribution in fallow and rangeland across a latitudinal gradient in Sahelian Western Niger - O. Malam Issa, P. Hiernaux, A. Kalilou, J.L. Rajot, and J. Languille
XY612 EGU2012-10285 Local knowledge and perception of biological soil crusts by land users in the Sahel (Niger) - K. J-M Ambouta, B. Hassan Souley, O. Malam Issa, J. L. Rajot, and A Mohamadou
Biophysical processes: from biological soil crusts to macro process
09:30–09:45 EGU2012-247 Biological Soil Crusts Influence Hydrologic Function Differently in Various Deserts And Future Climate and Land Use will Affect These Relationships - J. Belnap, B. Wilcox, N. Barger, J. Herrick, and M. van Soyoc
09:45–10:00 EGU2012-358 Runoff source or sink? Biocrust hydrological function strongly depends on the relative abundance of mosses - M.A. Bowker, D.J. Eldridge, and F.T. Maestre
10:30–10:45 EGU2012-13225 Role of Biological Soil Crusts on hydrological cycle drivers of semiarid ecosystems- Y. Canton, S. Chamizo, E. Rodriguez-Caballero, I. Miralles, R. Lazaro, A. Sole-Benet, and F. Domingo
10:45–11:00 EGU2012-5034 Infiltration, water holding capacity and growth patterns of biological soil crusts on sand dunes under arid and temperate climates - T. Fischer, A. Yair, and M. Veste
11:00–11:15 EGU2012-650 Effects of sand burial and wind disturbances on moss soil crusts in a revegetated area of the Tennger Desert, Northern China - R.L. Jia, X.R. Li, L.C. Liu, and Y.H. Gao
11:15–11:30 EGU2012-6898 Microbial exopolysaccharides as determinants of geomorphological, hydrological and optical properties of soil crusts from the Precambrian till today- F. Garcia-Pichel
11:30–11:45 EGU2012-1182 Will climate change reduce the ability of biological soil crusts to act as a carbon sink in drylands? - F. T. Maestre, C. Escolar, J. L. Quero, M. Ladrón de Guevara, R. Lázaro, V. Ochoa, B. Gozalo, and M. Berdugo
11:45–12:00Toward a Synthesis: Bridging the gap between micro and macro, methodological dilemmas and collaboration between life and earth scientists
Poster Session 17:30–19:00 Hall XL Chairperson: J. Belnap
XL272 EGU2012-2187 Cryptogamic communities in biological soil crusts in arid deserts of China: Diversity and their relationships to habitats in different scales - X.R. Li, M.Z. He, X.J. Li, and R.L. Jia
XL273 EGU2012-2191 Effects of patchy distribution of vegetation on infiltration, runoff generation and resources redistribution in Tengger Desert, north China - X.J. Li
XL274 EGU2012-4142 Ecohydrology of biological soil crusts in arid sand dunes - integration from the micro-scale to the landscape (solicited) - M. Veste, A. Yair, S.-W. Breckle, and T. Littmann
XL275 EGU2012-6372 Development of biological soil crusts and their influence on soil hydrology in the recultivation area of lignite open-cast mining district in Lower Lusatia (Germany) - R. Spröte, M. Veste, T. Fischer, T. Raab, O. Bens, and R. F. Hüttl
XL276 EGU2012-13058 The role of biological soil crusts on soil moisture - S. Chamizo, Y. Cantón, R. Lázaro, E. Rodriguez-Caballero, and F. Domingo
XL277 EGU2012-1784 Influence of biological soil crusts at different successional stages in the implantation of biogeochemical cycles in arid and semiarid zones - F. Gil-Sotres, I Miralles, Y. Canton -Castilla, F. Domingo, M.C. Leiros, and C. Trasar-Cepeda
XL278 EGU2012-1005 C, N and P ratios modulate the dominance of soil N forms, microbial N transformation processes and microbial functional diversity under biological soil crust in a semi-arid grassland - M. Delgado-Baquerizo, L. Morillas, F. Maestre, and A. Gallardo
XL279 EGU2012-3306 Biological soil crusts are the main contributor to winter soil respiration in a temperate desert ecosystem of China - M. Z. He
XL280 EGU2012-9531 Biological soil crusts (BSC) in the Sahelian zone. Can they impact soil C and N cycles? - F. Ehrhardt, I. Bertrand, C. Joulian, C. Valentin, G. Alavoine, and O Malam Issa
XL281 EGU2012-6607 Endurance of Australian dry-savannah cyanobacteria regulated by extra-cellular polysaccharides - EPS and environment - W. Williams, B. Budel, H. Reichenberger, and N. Rose
XL283 EGU2012-11040 Transplant experiments to examine the habitat exclusivity of lichen dominated soil crust communities in the El Cautivo badlands, SE Spain - J. Bevan, R. Alexander, and R. Lazaro-Suau
XL284 EGU2012-2220 The physiology mechanisms on drought tolerance and adaptation of biological soil crust moss Bryum argenteum and Didymodon vinealis in Tenger Desert - X. Zhao., Y. Shi., C. Chen., R. Jia., and X. Li.
XL285 EGU2012-4961 A Process-based Model of Global Lichen Productivity - P. Porada and A. Kleidon
XL286 - EGU2012-948 Mapping biological soil crusts for understanding their functional relevance in dryland ecosystems -E. Rodriguez-Caballero, P Escribano, S Chamizo, and Y Canton
XL287- EGU2012-931 Distribution patterns of terricolous and saxicolous lichens in extreme desert conditions -M. Temina
XL288 - EGU2012-3533 Mycobiota of biological soil crusts in the Negev desert, Israel - differences on a regional and local scale - I. Grishkan, E. Zaady, and G. Kidron
XL289 EGU2012-416 Runoff initiation versus runoff yield: Understanding the complexity of the hydrological effect of biological soil crusts - G.J. Kidron, H.C. Monger, B. Büdel, A. Vonshak, and W. Conrod
