鄂尔多斯地区沙漠生物结皮特征研究

本文对鄂尔多斯沙漠生物结皮作用进行了初步研究,结果表明结皮层的机械组成以细沙和粗粉沙为主,而流沙以粗沙和细沙为主;生物结皮层影响降水的再分配作用,并影响入渗水的蒸发规律;生物结皮层具有较好的保水特性和养分富集作用。     

鄂尔多斯沙地土壤生物结皮的理化性质

本文通过野外取样和室内分析相结合, 对鄂尔多斯沙地不同植物群落下的土壤生物结皮的理化性质进行了初步的研究。研究表明沙地固定的时间越久,其下的生物结皮越多,厚度也越大,结皮的厚度在0.3 ~ 1.5cm之间;在流动沙丘表面形成生物结皮后,结皮中的颗粒组成发生明显的变化,其中0.25 ~ 0.05mm级别的粗砂粒明显减少,而且随着结皮形成的厚度增加,其减少的幅度越大,最大减少的幅度可达30%;随着结皮厚度的增加,结皮的容重也明显增大,室内测定的毛管持水量明显增加,表现出强烈非孔隙吸水现象。但较厚的生物结皮也具有明显的阻水作用,也是导致老固定沙丘植物群落衰退的原因之一。结皮厚度越大,其有机质、全N、全P、速效N、速效P、速效K含量也越高,且以沙地柏下的各种养分含量最高,结皮中的最高有机质含量是流沙的13.5倍(未除去生物残体时),说明生物结皮具有显著的养分富积作用。随着有机含量的增加,其C/N和C/P比呈增加趋势,而pH有轻微的下降趋势。总之,通过对鄂尔多斯沙地生物结皮的初步分析,可以明显看出沙地生物结皮对土壤理化性质有明显的影响,对沙地的生态系统的影响需要进一步研究。     

Soil surface disturbances in cold deserts: effects on nitrogenase activity in cyanobacterial-lichen soil crusts

Cyanobacterial-lichen soil crusts can be a dominant source of nitrogen for cold-desert ecosystems. Effects of surface disturbance from footprints, bike and vehicle tracks on the nitrogenase activity in these crusts was investigated. Surface disturbances reduced nitrogenase activity by 30–100%. Crusts dominated by the cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus on sandy soils were the most susceptible to disruption; crusts on gypsiferous soils were the least susceptible. Crusts where the soil lichen Collema tenax was present showed less immediate effects; however, nitrogenase activity still declined over time. Levels of nitrogenase activity reduction were affected by the degree of soil disruption and whether sites were dominated by cyanobacteria with or without heterocysts. Consequently, anthropogenic surface disturbances may have serious implications for nitrogen budgets in these ecosystems.     

Properties and spatial distribution of microbiotic crusts in the Negev Desert,Israel

Playing a cardinal role in surface stabilization and in carbon and nitrogen fixation, microbiotic crusts play a crucial role in arid regions where they may serve as useful biomarkers for wind power and wetness duration. This is especially the case on relatively unstable and infertile sand dunes in the Negev Desert where high correlations between the crust chlorophyll content and the daytime wetness duration were found. Yet, only scarce data are available as to the possible link between the chlorophyll content and other physical (color, thickness, strength, crack density, surface roughness and infiltrability) and biological (protein, carbohydrate, organic matter and species composition) factors, which determine, in turn, the crust type and its effect upon geomorphological and ecological processes. No data are available on crust type distribution. These were the aims of the current research.     

Tensile test of natural microbiotic crust

The mechanical properties of microbiotic crust are important to stabilize sandy surfaces in arid and semi-arid regions. We developed a new experimental approach to perform the tensile test of natural microbiotic crust. The modulus of elasticity, ultimate stress and one-dimensional stress–strain relation was obtained. The microbiotic crust we measured exhibits linear elastic behavior firstly and then breaks. This mechanical character was applied to the study of the rupture of microbiotic crust under the impact of one saltating grain. A very simple dimensionless variable was suggested to quantitatively assess surface stability.     

Millimeter-scale microrelief affecting runoff yield over microbiotic crust in the Negev Desert

The negative effect of microrelief upon runoff yield, explained by the increase in water storage and the slowdown in flow velocity, is a known phenomenon. However, research concerning surface roughness hitherto focused on decimeter- or centimeter-scale microrelief. Owing to the heterogeneous character of many natural plots, the effect of centimeter-scale microrelief was mainly shown under controlled sprinkling experiments, whereas no data was yet made available concerning the possible effect of a millimeter-scale microrelief upon runoff yield under natural field conditions.     

Microbiotic soil crusts in the Sahel of Western Niger and their influence on soil porosity and water dynamics

Microbiotic soil crusts are common features of the surface of fallow land in Western Niger. We investigated the interaction between these microbial covers and the porosity and water dynamics of soils at the surface of a Sahelian landscape. The soil pore system was examined by microscopic observations and mercury porosimetry. The soil water retention capacity was measured using a Richard pressure membrane apparatus. Runoff measurements were performed in situ at a 1 m² scale under natural rainfall.     

Cyanobacterial inoculation of heated soils: effect on microorganisms of C and N cycles and on chemical composition in soil surface

Physiological groups of soil microorganisms, total C and N and available nutrients were investigated in four heated (350 °C, 1 h) soils (one Ortic Podsol over sandstone and three Humic Cambisol over granite, schist or limestone) inoculated (1.5 μg chlorophyll a g⁻¹ soil or 3.0 μg chlorophyll a g⁻¹ soil) with four cyanobacterial strains of the genus Oscillatoria, Nostoc or Scytonema and a mixture of them.Cyanobacterial inoculation promoted the formation of microbiotic crusts which contained a relatively high number of NH₄⁺-producers (7.4×10⁹ g⁻¹ crust), starch-mineralizing microbes (1.7×10⁸ g⁻¹ crust), cellulose-mineralizing microbes (1.4×10⁶ g⁻¹ crust) and NO₂⁻ and NO₃⁻ producers (6.9×10⁴ and 7.3×10³ g⁻¹ crust, respectively). These crusts showed a wide range of C and N contents with an average of 293 g C kg⁻¹ crust and 50 g N kg⁻¹ crust, respectively. In general, Ca was the most abundant available nutrient (804 mg kg⁻¹ crust), followed by Mg (269 mg kg⁻¹ crust), K (173 mg kg⁻¹ crust), Na (164 mg kg⁻¹ crust) and P (129 mg kg⁻¹ crust). There were close positive correlations among all the biotic and abiotic components of the crusts.Biofertilization with cyanobacteria induced great microbial proliferation as well as high increases in organic matter and nutrients in the surface of the heated soils. In general, cellulolytics were increased by four logarithmic units, amylolytics and ammonifiers by three logarithmic units and nitrifiers by more than two logarithmic units. C and N contents rose an average of 275 g C kg⁻¹ soil and 50 g N kg⁻¹ soil while the C:N ratio decreased up to 7 units. Among the available nutrients the highest increase was for Ca (315 mg kg⁻¹ soil) followed by Mg (189 mg kg⁻¹ soil), K (111 mg kg⁻¹ soil), Na (109 mg kg⁻¹ soil) and P (89 mg kg⁻¹ soil). Fluctuations of the microbial groups as well as those of organic matter and nutrients were positively correlated.The efficacy of inoculation depended on both the type of soil and the class of inoculum. The best treatment was the mixture of the four strains and, whatever the inoculum used, the soil over lime showed the most developed crust followed by the soils over schist, granite and sandstone. In the medium term there were not significant differences between the two inocula amounts tested.These results showed that inoculation of burned soils with alien N₂-fixing cyanobacteria may be a biotechnological means of promoting microbiotic crust formation, enhancing C and N cycling microorganisms and increasing organic matter and nutrient contents in heated soils.