Biocrusts and catchment asymmetry in Tabernas Desert (Almeria, Spain)

Lázaro, Roberto; Calvo-Cases, Adolfo; Rodríguez‐Caballero, Emilio; Arnau-Rosalén, Eva; Alexánder, Roy; Rubio, Consuelo; Cantón, Yolanda; Solé-Benet, Albert; Puigdefábregas, Juan

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115526

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…The alluvial fan is radially and convexly formed (Figure 3) with decreasing elevation towards the base, east and west sides of the landform. As shown in Figure 6, the main driver of biocrust distribution in the area might be the soil surface stability and sedimentation processes, as biocrust requires certain surface stability to develop (Lázaro et al, 2022). The larger the distance from the alluvial fan beginning, the more stability because sediment deposition is less frequent.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial relationship of landform surface features and biocrusts, and their effect on soil microbial biomass on an alluvial fan

Hassanzadeh Bashtian,

Karimi,

Sepehr

et al. 2024

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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The spatial cover of biocrusts represents a suitable habitat for the activity of soil microorganisms in semi‐arid and arid regions. Microorganisms are one of the essential components of soil quality. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the processes of biocrust habitat formation in landforms and their mutual relationship with soil properties. We studied the spatial distribution of biocrusts and their effect on soil microbial biomass and carbon activity in a semi‐arid alluvial fan in NE Iran. A total of 72 soil samples (using plots 0.25 m2) from the topsoil layers (0–5 cm) were collected along the alluvial fan in September 2020. Soil surface properties and microbial biomass in two categories of biocrust and non‐biocrust were investigated in three classes of biocrusts coverage obtained by geostatistics. Our results revealed that biocrusts had a negative correlation with gravel coverage and elevation; in contrast, the suitable spaces for biocrusts growth were created by cobble clasts. The biocrusts have provided favourable conditions for soil microorganisms by altering the properties of the soil (such as increasing organic carbon, nitrogen and available phosphorus and decreasing pH), and thus they increased basal soil respiration and microbial biomass. Different microbial activities were led by the predominant type of biocrusts, as the chlorolichen crusts had the most significant effect on increasing the microbial biomass phosphorus while cyanolichen crusts increased the microbial biomass carbon. Moss and cyanolichen crusts increased microbial activity and respiration more than cyanobacteria crusts. Therefore, the soil quality has improved by biocrusts in semi‐arid ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial relationship of landform surface features and biocrusts, and their effect on soil microbial biomass on an alluvial fan

Hassanzadeh Bashtian,

Karimi,

Sepehr

et al. 2024

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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“…It is well known that biocrusts reduce soil loss ( Eldridge and Leys, 2003 , among many others). This is so important that it has consequences at the landscape scale ( Lázaro et al, 2022 ). Eldridge and Kinnell (1997) empirically found that splash erosion potentially decreased when biocrust cover increased.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is the first study including Pi, which is similar to but thinner than Pd, since no deposition occurs with runoff flowing around these isolated sediment patches. Field observation shows that biocrusts do not develop in places undergoing erosion, nor in those in aggradation; they need stability for a sufficient time ( Lázaro et al, 2022 ). However, it is not rare to find some biocrusts in these “islands,” although we avoided them during sampling.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biocrusts can control the landscape vegetation pattern by limiting infiltration thus counteracting the rainfall gradient ( Veste, 2011 ). The biocrust’s effect of decreasing water and wind erosion is, possibly, its most important function and can have geomorphological consequences at the landscape scale ( Lázaro et al, 2022 ). Biocrusts decrease erosion through several mechanisms, such as forming a physical barrier, retaining sediments by increasing surface roughness, and increasing aggregate stability ( Eldridge and Kinnell, 1997 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Runoff and soil loss in biocrusts and physical crusts from the Tabernas Desert (southeast Spain) according to rainfall intensity

Lázaro

Gascón²,

Rubio

2023

Front. Microbiol.

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Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) influence hydrological and erosive processes in drylands, and their effects increase with hypothetic successional development. Runoff and raindrops, both dependent on rain intensity, are among the main causes of erosion in these areas. However, little is known about the existence of soil loss nonlinearity in relation to rain intensity and crust types; this nonlinearity could control biocrust succession and dynamics. The assumption of biocrust types as successional stages, which allow space-for-time sampling, makes it advisable to include all the successional stages when exploring possible nonlinearity. We considered seven types of crusts, three physical and four biological. We created four rainfall intensity levels in controlled laboratory conditions: 18, 60, 120, and 240 mm/h. In all but the last, we conducted the experiments at two levels of antecedent soil moisture. Generalized Lineal Models enabled us to test for differences. These analyses confirmed previous knowledge regarding the significant effect of rainfall intensity, crust type and antecedent soil moisture and their interactions on runoff and soil loss, despite the small sample size of the sample units. For example, runoff, and particularly soil loss, decreased along succession. Moreover, some results were novel: the runoff coefficient increased only up to 120 mm/h of rain intensity. A decoupling between runoff and soil loss occurred at high intensities. Soil loss increased as rainfall intensity increased only up to 60 mm/h, and then it decreased, mainly due to physical crusts, because of the formation of a water sheet on the surface due to the incoming rainwater exceeding the drainage capacity. Although soil loss was greater in the incipient cyanobacteria than in the most developed lichen biocrust (Lepraria community), the protection provided by any biocrust against soil loss was great compared to the physical crust, and almost as strong at all rain intensities. Soil loss increased with antecedent soil moisture only in physical crusts. Biocrusts resisted the rain splash even at a rainfall intensity of 240 mm/h.

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“…The prevailing land cover types found in the region include vegetation consisting of bushes and grass, with or without trees [26]. Agriculture, primarily barley and some irrigated crops, is the primary form of land use, although it faces significant constraints due to the area's climatic and topographical conditions [27]. Nonetheless, within the past ten years, irrigated olive and almond plantations have been implemented.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying Remote Sensing Methods to Estimate Alterations in Land Cover Change and Degradation in the Desert Regions of the Southeast Iberian Peninsula

Ramírez-Juidias,

Madueño-Luna,

Madueño-Luna

et al. 2023

Remote Sensing

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Numerous drylands worldwide have experienced degradation of both soil and vegetation in proximity to watering areas. Degradation can be observed in satellite imagery as fading radial brightness belts extending away from the water sources. The main objective of this study was to examine the spatio-temporal patterns of land degradation and rehabilitation in the drylands of the southeast Iberian Peninsula. The brightness index of tasseled cap was discovered to be the best form of spectral transformation for enhancing the contrast between the bright-degraded areas near the points and the darker surrounding areas far from and in between these areas. To comprehend the spatial structure present in spaceborne imagery of two desert sites and three key time periods, semi-variograms were created (mid-late 2000s, around 2015 and 2020). To assess spatio-temporal land-cover patterns, a kriging was used to smooth the brightness index values extracted from 30 m spatial resolution images. To assess the direction and intensity of changes between study periods, a change detection analysis based on kriging prediction maps was performed. These findings were linked to the socioeconomic situation prior to and following the EU economic crisis. The study discovered that degradation occurred in some areas as a result of the region’s agricultural activities being exploited.

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Biocrusts and catchment asymmetry in Tabernas Desert (Almeria, Spain)

Cited by 9 publications

References 79 publications

Spatial relationship of landform surface features and biocrusts, and their effect on soil microbial biomass on an alluvial fan

Spatial relationship of landform surface features and biocrusts, and their effect on soil microbial biomass on an alluvial fan

Runoff and soil loss in biocrusts and physical crusts from the Tabernas Desert (southeast Spain) according to rainfall intensity

Applying Remote Sensing Methods to Estimate Alterations in Land Cover Change and Degradation in the Desert Regions of the Southeast Iberian Peninsula

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