Recovery Patterns of Cryptogamic Soil Crusts in Desert Rangelands Following Fire Disturbance
Johansen JR, St. Clair LL, Webb BL, Nebeker GT. 1984. Recovery Patterns of Cryptogamic Soil Crusts in Desert Rangelands Following Fire Disturbance. The Bryologist. 87(3):238-243
This study was conducted to document over a several year period the reestablishment pattern of algae, lichens and mosses in a desert soil following fire disturbance. The study was conducted within the boundaries of Camp Floyd State Park, Utah County, Utah (central Utah). The park has been free of grazing for 20 years and has a well developed algal-lichen-moss community. Fire burned through 1.5 hectares of the park in 1979. Soil crust samples were collected in May of 1980 and September of 1982. Three years after being burned, lichen and moss cover were both substantially lower in abundance in the burned area than in the adjacent unburned area. Recovery was not complete by five years postburn as measured by biomass or composition. Precipitation, proximity and type of propagules and protection from subsequent disturbance were factors contributing to the recovery of the soil crusts.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Johansen, Jeffrey; St. Clair, Larry; Webb, Bruce; Nebeker, Glen
- Units
- MOJA
- Keywords
- Algae, arid ecosystems, Biomass, Blue-Green Algae, Cyanophyta, Lichen, microtopography, Mosses, Precipitation, reestablishment, Sampling, Soil aggregation, Transect