What makes the desert bloom? The contribution of dust and crusts to soil fertility on the Colorado Plateau [abstract]
Belnap J, Reynolds RL, Reheis M, Phillips SL. 2000. What makes the desert bloom? The contribution of dust and crusts to soil fertility on the Colorado Plateau [abstract]. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 82:53
This southeastern Utah study shows that windblown silt and clay contribute nutrients to the soils of arid regions. Biological crusts act to trap and stabilize the dust, and benefit plants by retaining the important potassium, phosphorus, and other necessary elements. Analysis showing that much of the dust is derived from igneous rock indicates long transport distances, "perhaps as distant as the Mojave desert." Differences in the composition of surface soil from that beneath indicate a change in sources over the past few decades, and probable effects of human disturbances. The study site is in Needles District, Canyonlands National Park.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Belnap, Jayne; Reynolds, Richard; Reheis, Marith; Phillips, Susan
- Units
- CANY
- Keywords
- Cryptogamic Crusts, Desert, Erosion, Human Impact, Inventory, Management, Monitoring, Phosphorus (P), Physical Sciences, Potassium (K), Soil Science, Soils, Visitor Impacts