Microalgal species variation at different successional stages in biological soil crusts of the Gurbantunggut Desert,Northwestern China |
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Authors: | Bingchang Zhang Yuanming Zhang Jiancheng Zhao Nan Wu Rongyi Chen Jing Zhang |
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Institution: | (1) Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology and Desert Environment, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi, 830011, China;(2) College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050016, China;(3) Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China;(4) Urumqi Institute of Desert Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Urumqi, 830002, China |
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Abstract: | Biological soil crusts (BSC), most notably lichen crusts, develop and diversify in the Gurbantunggut Desert, the largest fixed
and semi-fixed desert in China. Four different successional stages of BSC, including bare sand, microalgal crusts, lichen
crusts, and moss crusts, were selected to determine successional changes in microalgal species composition and biomass and
formation of BSC. A 10 × 10-m observation plot was established in an interdune region of the Gurbantunggut Desert and data
were collected over an 8-year study period. The main results were: (1) different successional stages of BSC significantly
affected the content of soil organic C and total and available N but not the total and available P and K content of soil;
(2) composition of microalgal communities differed among the four successional stages; (3) significant differences in microalgal
biomass were observed among the four successional stages; (4) bare sand was mainly uncompacted sand gains; (5) filamentous
cyanobacteria, particularly Microcoleus vaginatus, were the dominant species in the early phase of crust succession. The presence of fungal mycelium and moss rhizoids prevented
water and wind erosion. |
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Keywords: | Gurbantunggut Desert Biological soil crusts Successional stages Microalgal crusts |
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