Biocrust effects on soil infiltrability in the Mu Us Desert: Soil hydraulic properties analysis and modeling

Guan, Hongjie; Liu, Xinyu

doi:10.2478/johh-2021-0026

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 54 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…They reinforce the idea that biocrusts limit the infiltration of water to greater depths in sandy soils, and that their infiltration-reducing effect increases with biocrust successional stage ( Warren, 2003 ; Bowker et al, 2008 ). All three investigated infiltration parameters of the studied Caatinga biocrusts were within the lower range reported for cyanobacteria-dominated biocrusts on sandy soils ( Drahorad et al, 2013 ; Lichner et al, 2018 ; Guan and Liu, 2021 ). Water infiltration was consequently strongly reduced by sorptivity and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, but only moderately by water repellency (with repellency index values in biocrusts in literature ranging from 1.9 to 210; cf.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Biological soil crusts decrease infiltration but increase erosion resistance in a human-disturbed tropical dry forest

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Under continuous human disturbance, regeneration is the basis for biodiversity persistence and ecosystem service provision. In tropical dry forests, edaphic ecosystem engineering by biological soil crusts (biocrusts) could impact regeneration by influencing erosion control and soil water and nutrient fluxes, which impact landscape hydrology, geomorphology, and ecosystem functioning. This study investigated the effect of cyanobacteria-dominated biocrusts on water infiltration and aggregate stability in a human-modified landscape of the Caatinga dry forest (NE Brazil), a system characterized by high levels of forest degradation and increasing aridity. By trapping dust and swelling of cyanobacterial filaments, biocrusts can seal soil surfaces and slow down infiltration, which potentially induces erosion. To quantify hydraulic properties and erosion control, we used minidisc-infiltrometry, raindrop-simulation, and wet sieving at two sites with contrasting disturbance levels: an active cashew plantation and an abandoned field experiencing forest regeneration, both characterized by sandy soils. Under disturbance, biocrusts had a stronger negative impact on infiltration (reduction by 42% vs. 37% during regeneration), although biocrusts under regenerating conditions had the lowest absolute sorptivity (0.042 ± 0.02 cm s−1/2) and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (0.0015 ± 0.0008 cm s−1), with a doubled water repellency. Biocrusts provided high soil aggregate stability although stability increased considerably with progression of biocrust succession (raindrop simulation disturbed: 0.19 ± 0.22 J vs. regenerating: 0.54 ± 0.22 J). The formation of stable aggregates by early successional biocrusts on sandy soils suggests protection of dry forest soils even on the worst land use/soil degradation scenario with a high soil erosion risk. Our results confirm that biocrusts covering bare interspaces between vascular plants in human-modified landscapes play an important role in surface water availability and erosion control. Biocrusts have the potential to reduce land degradation, but their associated ecosystem services like erosion protection, can be impaired by disturbance. Considering an average biocrust coverage of 8.1% of the Caatinga landscapes, further research should aim to quantify the contribution of biocrusts to forest recovery to fully understand the role they play in the functioning of this poorly explored ecosystem.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

“…Frontiers in Microbiology 09 frontiersin.org 2003; Bowker et al, 2008). All three investigated infiltration parameters of the studied Caatinga biocrusts were within the lower range reported for cyanobacteria-dominated biocrusts on sandy soils Lichner et al, 2018;Guan and Liu, 2021).…”

Section: A B Figuresupporting

confidence: 64%

Biological soil crusts decrease infiltration but increase erosion resistance in a human-disturbed tropical dry forest

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the Mu Us desert in China, both lichen and moss-covered biocrusts reduced the infiltration rates compared with bare soil; however, water retention on moss-covered soils was higher than on lichen-covered soils (Guan and Liu, 2021).…”

Section: Seasonal Thermal Effect By Biocrustsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Insights into variations of seasonal and daily soil temperatures under the effect of biocrusts in central-western Argentina

Navas Romero,

Herrera Moratta,

Martínez-Carretero

et al. 2023

Acta Bot. Mex.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background and Aims: Biocrusts play an essential role on the earth’s surface and have a direct influence on soil parameters. Their effects on soil temperature are considered one of the most important because they affect ecological and hydrological processes, as well as the diversity of natural ecosystems. Although there are several studies concerning biocrust effects on the soil surface, investigations about the effect of the biocrust on soil temperature are still scarce. Our objective was to evaluate the influence of biocrusts on soil temperature conditions in drylands of central-western Argentina. Methods: Temperature values were recorded in the Monte phytogeographic region in the central-western part of Argentina, in three sites, during the dry and wet seasons in 2017-2018. We collected samples from a total of 30 randomly selected plots. We recorded daily temperatures values in two paired plots with crusted and uncrusted zones using a calibrated data logger Ibutton. The sampling took 18 days in total, three days on each site.Key results: Our results indicate that biocrusts produce a change in micro-soil temperatures. Areas in which biocrusts are present show a temperature reduction both in the wet and dry seasons. This effect is observed in the three studied sites. Temperature reduction varies according to the time of the day, study site and season. The morning, noon, and afternoon recorded the highest mean temperatures.Conclusions: The presence of biocrusts reduces soil temperatures in drylands of central-western Argentina. Large differences in mean temperature values between crusted and uncrusted zones were observed. The thermal reduction was more notorious in the hyper-arid site. How they affect their surrounding environment can be related to multiple factors, such as the composition of the microphytic community, the local climate and environmental conditions.

show abstract

“…This knowledge gap is concerning, considering the potential important role of biocrusts covering interplant spaces in regulating water fluxes and soil water content (Chamizo et al, 2013). A recent study indicated that biocrusts significantly regulate local soil hydraulic properties in desert steppe ecosystems, with the specific impact varying depending on the type of biocrust present (Guan & Liu, 2021). However, the ecohydrological influences of biocrusts and their pathways in desert steppe ecosystems remain poorly understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecohydrological influences of biocrusts and their pathways in a desert steppe ecosystem

Qiu,

Xiao,

Kidron

2023

Ecohydrology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are a prevalent form of organic cover in drylands across the world, and they play a crucial role in shaping the ecohydrological processes and functioning of dryland ecosystems. However, in desert steppe ecosystems, the ecohydrological influences of biocrusts and their pathways have not yet been thoroughly understood. Here, we examined the influences of three types of biocrusts (cyanobacterial, cyanobacterial‐moss mixed, and moss biocrusts) on soil water retention and infiltration in a typical desert steppe of northwestern China, and we also analysed the possible pathways through which biocrusts affect them. Accordingly, the field capacity (θf, indicating soil water‐holding capacity) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks, indicating soil infiltrability) of each biocrust‐covered soil and bare soil were measured both at 0–5 and 5–10 cm depths, on Arenosols (loamy sand texture) and Calcisols (silty loamy texture), respectively. Our results showed that the presence of biocrusts increased surface soil (0–5 cm) water‐holding capacity while decreased soil infiltrability, creating a remarkable impact on soil water retention and infiltration. As compared to bare soil, the θf of cyanobacterial, cyanobacterial‐moss mixed, and moss biocrusts were increased by 16.5%, 21.4%, and 21.7% on Arenosols and by 9.6%, 18.9%, and 22.8% on Calcisols, while their Ks were reduced by 43.2%, 56.2%, and 38.2% on Arenosols, and by 49.0%, 68.7%, and 36.0% on Calcisols, respectively. The development of biocrusts on sandy textured soil had a more pronounced impact on both soil water retention and infiltration than loamy textured soil. We found that biocrusts mainly changed soil water retention and infiltration by increasing the contents of clay and organic matter. More specifically, the increase in clay content led to a more significant effect compared to the increase in organic matter content on Arenosols, while the opposite influence was observed on Calcisols. Among the three types of biocrusts, the soil infiltrability of the mixed biocrusts was the lowest, perhaps due to the interaction between the accumulation of clay particles by moss and the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances by cyanobacteria. Our study highlights the remarkable ecohydrological impacts of biocrusts on desert steppe ecosystems, and the results imply that it is of great necessary to integrate biocrusts and their influences into our understanding of ecohydrological processes in global drylands.

show abstract

Biocrust effects on soil infiltrability in the Mu Us Desert: Soil hydraulic properties analysis and modeling

Cited by 7 publications

References 54 publications

Biological soil crusts decrease infiltration but increase erosion resistance in a human-disturbed tropical dry forest

Biological soil crusts decrease infiltration but increase erosion resistance in a human-disturbed tropical dry forest

Insights into variations of seasonal and daily soil temperatures under the effect of biocrusts in central-western Argentina

Ecohydrological influences of biocrusts and their pathways in a desert steppe ecosystem

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About