Biological soil crusts across disturbance–recovery scenarios: effect of grazing regime on community dynamics

Concostrina‐Zubiri, Laura; Huber­-Sannwald, Elisabeth; Martínez, Isabel; Flores, Joel; Reyes-Agüero, Juan Antonio; Escudero, Adrián; Belnap, Jayne

doi:10.1890/13-1416.1

Cited by 56 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…The response of LC and DC to grazing that we observed in the low aridity site contradicts the results found by Concostrina-Zubiri et al (2014), who described a positive response of cyanobacteria-dominated biocrusts to grazing in Mexico. The response of LC and DC to grazing that we observed in the low aridity site contradicts the results found by Concostrina-Zubiri et al (2014), who described a positive response of cyanobacteria-dominated biocrusts to grazing in Mexico.…”

Section: Grazing Interacts With Aridity To Determine Biocrust Biomacontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Our work also widens the knowledge of the biology and ecology of biocrusts in South America, thus fulfilling an existing geographical gap . Crustose and squamulose morphologies, such as those found in this site, can provide lichens with partial resistance to mechanical impact (Concostrina-Zubiri et al, 2014;Jiménez Aguilar et al, 2009). However, and contrary to our expectations, biocrust biomass responses to grazing intensity were similar under light-grazed (LG) and high-grazed (HG) conditions in the low aridity site.…”

Section: Grazing Interacts With Aridity To Determine Biocrust Biomacontrasting

confidence: 88%

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Grazing pressure interacts with aridity to determine the development and diversity of biological soil crusts in Patagonian rangelands

et al. 2019

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Grazing is directly related to land degradation and desertification in global drylands.Grazing impacts on vascular plants, reasonably well-known, depend on its intensity and are modulated by local aridity conditions. However, we do not know how the interplay of grazing intensity and aridity affect biocrusts, topsoil assemblages dominated by cyanobacteria, lichens, and mosses that provide key ecosystem services in drylands. Here, we determined how grazing affects biomass, total cover, and richness of biocrust structural types across a regional aridity gradient in the Patagonian steppe. On average, grazing by sheep reduced biocrust biomass, total cover and richness of structural types by 55, 90, and 59%, respectively. In general, high grazing pressures had a larger impact on biocrusts than moderate or light grazing pressures.For example, biocrust cover was reduced by 85, 89, and 98% by light, moderate, and high grazing pressures, respectively. Although a slightly different response to grazing was observed under low aridity conditions, these more benign climatic conditions did not compensate for the negative effects of trampling by domestic animals on biocrusts.Nonetheless, estimated biocrust recovery rates under medium aridity conditions were faster than previously thought: it took 24, 18, and 58 years to double biocrust biomass, total cover, and richness of structural types. Sheep cannot be just removed in Patagonian rangelands because the production of meat and wool represents the main local economic activity. But landowners must consider our results to protect the ecosystem functions and services provided by biocrusts for future generations to come. K E Y W O R D Saridity, biocrusts, grazing intensity, Patagonian steppe, recovery rates

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Section: Grazing Interacts With Aridity To Determine Biocrust Biomacontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Grazing Interacts With Aridity To Determine Biocrust Biomacontrasting

confidence: 88%

Grazing pressure interacts with aridity to determine the development and diversity of biological soil crusts in Patagonian rangelands

et al. 2019

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“…23.1, this is likely an oversimplification even of the general sequence. A recent study conducted in the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico provides additional evidence of multiple successional trajectories (Concostrina-Zubiri et al 2014). The authors compared biocrusts of rangelands in exclosures released for 11 and 27 years from continuous high-intensity grazing and released for 6 years from seasonal high-intensity grazing.…”

Section: Multiple Successional Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural Recovery of Biological Soil Crusts After Disturbance

et al. 2016

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“…Studies dealing with the effect of land use on BSCs were mainly conducted in arid and semiarid regions. These studies showed strong negative effects of intensive livestock grazing on BSC cover due to trampling and reported a subsequent BSC recovery period of up to 27 years (Concostrina-Zubiri et al, 2014;Gomez et al, 2004;Williams et al, 2008). Also, ploughing in Australian sand plains reduced the BSC cover dramatically (Daryanto et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Algal richness in BSCs in forests under different management intensity with some implications for P cycling

et al. 2018

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Abstract. Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are highly important communities in drylands and disturbed areas worldwide, where the higher vegetation is sparse, with a diverse microalgal community as the key component. They perform important ecological functions, such as stabilization of soil and nutrient enrichment. In temperate regions BSCs are also common, but generally less studied. Changes in land use and land use intensity strongly influence biodiversity per se and ecosystem processes, as can be seen particularly in densely populated regions like Europe. However, systematic studies on the effect of land use gradients, i.e., forest management intensity, on BSCs have been missing up to now. To close this knowledge gap and enhance the understanding of management effects on BSCs from pine and beech forests under different management regimes, key primary producers of these communities (eukaryotic microalgae and cyanobacteria) were studied. Phototrophic microorganisms were identified morphologically and categorized as either coccal taxa, which typically occur in high diversity, or filamentous taxa, which have the potential to initiate BSC formation. In total, 51 algal species were recorded, most of them from the phylum Chlorophyta, followed by Streptophyta and Stramenopiles, and only 1 cyanobacterial taxon. The most abundant crust-initiating filamentous algae were three species of Klebsormidium (Streptophyta), a ubiquitous genus regularly occurring in BSCs because of its broad ecophysiological tolerance. Increasing management intensity in the forests resulted in a higher number of algal species; especially the number of coccal taxa increased. Furthermore, the proportion of inorganic phosphorus showed tendencies towards a negative correlation with the number of algal species. Thus, management of forests has an impact on the diversity of phototrophic organisms in BSCs, which might in turn affect their biogeochemical P cycling.

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Biological soil crusts across disturbance–recovery scenarios: effect of grazing regime on community dynamics

Cited by 56 publications

References 60 publications

Grazing pressure interacts with aridity to determine the development and diversity of biological soil crusts in Patagonian rangelands

Grazing pressure interacts with aridity to determine the development and diversity of biological soil crusts in Patagonian rangelands

Natural Recovery of Biological Soil Crusts After Disturbance

Algal richness in BSCs in forests under different management intensity with some implications for P cycling

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