Response of desert biological soil crusts to alterations in precipitation frequency
Belnap J, Phillips SL, Miller ME. 2004. Response of desert biological soil crusts to alterations in precipitation frequency. Oecologia. 141:306?316
Biological soil crusts are a critical component of desert ecosystems. Biological soil crust organisms are only metabolically active when wet. The amount and timing of precipitation is likely to have significant impacts on the physiological functioning of these communities. The authors measured the impact of three levels of precipitation frequency on photosynthetic performance, nitrogenace activity, and the ability of these organisms to maintain concentrations of radiation-protective pigments. Longer-term study showed that crust organisms appear unable to produce protective pigments in response to radiation stress. Findings may partially explain the global observation that soil lichen cover and richness declines as the frequency of summer rainfall increases.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Belnap, Jayne; Phillips, Susan; Miller, Mark
- Units
- ARD , CANY
- Keywords
- AIRBIB, Algae, Arid Lands, Atmospheric Sciences, Carbon, Climate Change, Climatology, cryptobiotic crust, Cyanobacteria, Desert, Lichens, Moss, Non-Vascular Plants, Physical Sciences, Plant Studies, Precipitation, radiation stress, Soil crusts, Soil Science, UV pigments