Towards the effects of moss-dominated biocrusts on surface soil aeration in drylands: Air permeability analysis and modeling

Sun, Fuming; Xiao, Bo; Kidron, Giora J.; Tuller, Markus

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2023.106942

Cited by 14 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 111 publications

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“…Cryptogams exert important effects on soil properties, including improving soil texture, increasing soil organic matter content [8], expanding soil water holding capacity [7,19], and elevating topsoil porosity and permeability [49], which results in a change in the vertical distribution of soil water. Xiao's study found that the moss-dominated biocrust increased the topsoil (0-5 cm) water content in semi-arid areas, decreased the soil water content by 15-50 cm, and had no effect on the deeper soil water content [12].…”

Section: Effects Of Cryptogam On Soil Properties 21 Effects Of Crypto...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Cryptogams in Soil Property Regulation and Vascular Plant Regeneration: A Review

Qu,

Duan,

Chen

2023

Applied Sciences

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Despite their small size, cryptogams (lichen, liverwort, and moss) are important for ecosystem stability. Due to their strong stress resistance, cryptogams often cover extreme environments uninhabitable for vascular plants, which has an important impact on the material cycle and energy flow of various terrestrial ecosystems. In this article, we review and discuss the effects of cryptogams on soil properties (moisture and fertility) and vascular plant regeneration over the past two decades. Cryptogams strongly affect soil water content by influencing precipitation infiltration, non-rainfall water input, soil evaporation, soil water holding capacity, and soil permeability, ultimately helping to reduce soil water content in areas with low annual precipitation (<500 mm). However, in areas with high annual precipitation (>600 mm) or where the soil has other water sources, the presence of cryptograms is conducive to soil water accumulation. Cryptogam plants can increase soil fertility and the availability of soil nutrients (TOC, TN, TP, TK, and micronutrients) in harsh environments, but their effects in mild environments have not been sufficiently investigated. Cryptogam plants exert complex effects on vascular plant regeneration in different environments. The primary influence pathways include the physical barrier of seed distribution, shading, allelopathy, competition, influences on ectomycorrhizal development and individual reproduction, and the regulation of soil water content, temperature, and nutrients.

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Section: Effects Of Cryptogam On Soil Properties 21 Effects Of Crypto...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Cryptogams in Soil Property Regulation and Vascular Plant Regeneration: A Review

Qu,

Duan,

Chen

2023

Applied Sciences

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“…25 Soil oxygen is an important factor influencing soil biological and biochemical processes because it directly affects soil microbial activity and root respiration. 26 When the oxygen content is poor in the rhizosphere, the root respiration and energy metabolism are restrained, which will have a negative impact on root growth. 27 Previous studies show that soil environment is crucial to crop root, and reasonable intercropping is conducive to improving rhizosphere soil environment and promoting root growth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies suggest that rhizosphere oxygenation can in uence crops root growth and distribution (XU et al, 2013). Soil oxygen is an important factor in uencing soil biological and biochemical processes because it directly affects soil microbial activity and root respiration (Sun et al, 2023).When the oxygen content is poor in rhizosphere, the root respiration and energy metabolism are restrained, which will have negative impacts on root growth (Xiao et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of soil physicochemical environment on the plasticity of root growth and land productivity in maize soybean relay strip intercropping system

Peng,

Ren,

Chen

et al. 2024

J Sci Food Agric

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BACKGROUNDSoil is a key foundation of crop root growth. There are interactions between root system and soil in multiple ways. The present study aimed to further explore the response of root distribution and morphology to soil physical and chemical environment under maize (Zea mays L.) soybean (Glycine Max L. Merr.) relay strip intercropping (MS) An experiment was carried out aiming to examine the effects of nitrogen (N) applications and interspecific distances on root system and soil environment in MS. The two N application levels, referred to as no N application (NN) and conventional N application (CN), were paired with different interspecific distances: 30, 45 and 60 cm (MS30, MS45 and MS60) and 100 cm of monoculture maize and soybean (MM/SS100).RESULTSThe results demonstrated that MS45 increased the distribution of soil aggregates (> 2 mm) near the crop roots and maize soil nutrients status, which increased by 20.3% and 15.6%. Meanwhile, MS reduced soil bulk density, increased soil porosity and improved soil oxygen content. Optimization of the soil environment facilitated root growth. The MS45 achieved a better result on root distribution and morphology than the other configuration and also increased land productivity.CONCLUSIONRelay intercropped soybean with maize in interspecific row spacing of 45 cm, improved soil physicochemical environment, reshaped root architecture and optimized root spatial distribution of crops to achieve greater land productivity. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

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“…Moreover, the biocrusts could enhance surface resistance, effectively diminish the energy of runoff, impede transport of sediment, and reduce the detachment of soil particles, which ultimately results in protecting the fine particles from erosion (Q. Guo et al., 2023; R. Reynolds et al., 2001). As crucial biotic components inhabiting the soil‐atmosphere boundary, biocrusts are widely recognized as ecosystem engineers and play pivotal roles in reshaping surface soil properties and multifunctionality (Bowker et al., 2018), such as boosting soil stability (Felde et al., 2018; Rossi et al., 2018), improving soil structure (Sun, Xiao, Li, et al., 2023), retarding wind erosion (Bu et al., 2015; Faist et al., 2017), improving soil aeration (Sun, Xiao, Kidron, & Markus, 2023), altering albedo and energy balance (Rutherford et al., 2017; Xiao & Bowker, 2020), and promoting microbial diversity (Maier et al., 2018). Therefore, it is widely accepted that biocrusts are capable of promoting ecological restoration through mediating the hydrological, biological, and ecological processes (Heredia‐Velásquez et al., 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biocrusts Critical Regulation of Soil Water Vapor Transport (Diffusion, Sorption, and Late‐Stage Evaporation) in Drylands

Sun,

Xiao,

Kidron

et al. 2024

Water Resources Research

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Soil surface cover is one of the most critical factors affecting soil water vapor transport, especially in drylands where water is limited, and the water movement occurs predominantly in the form of vapor instead of liquid. Biocrusts are an important living ground cover of dryland soils and play a vital role in modifying near‐surface soil properties and maintaining soil structure. The role of biocrusts in mediating soil water vapor transport during daytime water evaporation and nighttime condensation remains unclear. We investigated the differences in vapor diffusion properties, vapor adsorption capacity, and water evaporation between bare soil and three types of biocrusts (cyanobacterial, cyanobacterial‐moss mixed, and moss crusts) in the Chinese Loess Plateau. Our results showed that the three types of biocrusts had 5%–39% higher vapor diffusivity than bare soil. At the same level of ambient relative humidity and temperature, the initial vapor adsorption rates and cumulative adsorption amounts of the biocrusts were 10%–70% and 11%–85% higher than those of bare soil, respectively. Additionally, the late‐stage evaporation rate of cyanobacterial‐, cyanobacterial‐moss mixed‐, and moss‐biocrusts were 31%–217%, 79%–492%, and 146%–775% higher than that of bare soil, respectively. The effect of biocrusts on increasing vapor transport properties was attributed to the higher soil porosity, clay content, and specific surface area induced by the biocrust layer. All of these modifications caused by biocrusts on surface soil vapor transport properties suggest that biocrusts play a vital role in reshaping surface soil water and energy balance in drylands.

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Towards the effects of moss-dominated biocrusts on surface soil aeration in drylands: Air permeability analysis and modeling

Cited by 14 publications

References 111 publications

The Role of Cryptogams in Soil Property Regulation and Vascular Plant Regeneration: A Review

The Role of Cryptogams in Soil Property Regulation and Vascular Plant Regeneration: A Review

Effects of soil physicochemical environment on the plasticity of root growth and land productivity in maize soybean relay strip intercropping system

Biocrusts Critical Regulation of Soil Water Vapor Transport (Diffusion, Sorption, and Late‐Stage Evaporation) in Drylands

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