Photosynthesis of the Cyanobacterial Soil-Crust Lichen Collema tenax from Arid Lands in Southern Utah, USA: Role of Water Content on Light and Temperature Responses of CO2 Exchange
Lange OL, Belnap J, Reichenberger H. 1998. Photosynthesis of the Cyanobacterial Soil-Crust Lichen Collema tenax from Arid Lands in Southern Utah, USA: Role of Water Content on Light and Temperature Responses of CO2 Exchange. Functional Ecology. 12(2):195-202
This study is in response to a lack on information on "ecophysiological functioning of the members of soil-crust communities," and focuses on optimal conditions for photosynthesis in one of the cyanobacterial soil-crust lichens. Collema tenax is adapted to a climate with unpredictable rain showers and maximum sunshine. The lichen is able to hold water after a shower to extend photosynthesis, giving it an advantage over neighboring green algal lichens. Study results are of particular importance to land managers in light of the extreme vulnerability of the soil crust, an essential element of arid ecosystems, to such disturbances as foot and vehicular traffic, trampling by domestic livestock, and fire.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Lange, Otto; Belnap, Jayne; Reichenberger, Hans
- Units
- CANY
- Keywords
- Cryptogamic Crusts, Desert, Erosion, Monitoring, Non-Vascular Plants, Physical Sciences, Plant Communities, Plant Studies, Soil Science, Soils