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Biological Soil Crusts. Definition:Biological soil crusts are a matrix of organisms that co-occur on the soil surface and act to stabilize and protect the surface from erosion.. aka: BSC, cryptobiotic soils, cryptogamic soils, microphytic crusts, microbiotic crustsPhysical Crusts are NOT Biolog
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2. Biological Soil Crusts Definition:
Biological soil crusts are a matrix of organisms that co-occur on the soil surface and act to stabilize and protect the surface from erosion.
3. BSC Organisms Cyanobacteria
Green algae
Lichens
Mosses
Microfungi
Bacteria Microcoleus vaginatus
Colema tenax
Psora
Microcoleus vaginatus
Colema tenax
Psora
4. North American Distribution of BSC Found in ecosystems ranging from alpine to desert
However, commonly occur and have most diverse communities in arid and semi-arid eco-regions
Occur in both hot and cool desert ecosystems
5. BSC Ecology in Cold Deserts BSC are a major component of the semi-arid ecosystem! Found in the soil surface in the open spaces between higher plants.
May constitute as much as 70% of living cover.
Belnap 1994, Belnap et al. 2003
6. Macro-view of BSC
7. Belnap et al. 2001
8. Ecological Roles of BSC Photosynthetic organisms
Soil Fertility
nitrogen fixation dominant source of nitrogen for desert systems
carbon fixation
Soil hydrology
aids in soil aggregate formation, soil organic matter, water infiltration
Ecosystem resilience to invasion
inhibition of the germination of introduced annual grasses and weeds such as Bromus spp. and Salsola spp.
SOIL STABILITY AND PROTECTION!!!!
Belnap et al. 2001, Warren 2003, West 1990, Kaltenecker et al. 1999, Deines et al. 2007
9. BSC & DisturbanceBSC are FRAGILE! Dirt work such as scraping, ripping & stockpiling soil kills BSC.
Lower level disturbances including grazing, vehicle traffic, human & animal traffic are detrimental to BSC.
10. Sequence of BSC Species Re-colonization
11. Why Include BSC in Reclamation?
12. BSC and Oil & Gas Reclamation Reclamation Goals:
Short term goal: immediately stabilize disturbed areas and provide conditions necessary to achieve the long term goal.
Long term goal: facilitate eventual ecosystem reconstruction to maintain a safe and stable landscape and meet the desired outcomes of the land use plan.
13. Current Reclamation Criteria Goals Include: Erosion Control
Vegetation Cover
Vegetation Density
Species Diversity
Weed Composition
Plant Vigor
.Soil Health????
14. How to Include BSC in Reclamation? Promote BSC Recovery
Manage or reduce disturbance regime
Traffic, grazing, erosion
Provide physical protection
Establish vegetation, mulches, rocks, Christmas trees
Create Microtopography
Nutrients
Inoculation
Patent pending technology being developed
(cooperative between CSR, Inc. and National Science Foundation).
15. Inoculation Collect native sourced materials
Propagate
Application to disturbed soils
16. Preliminary Lab Trials
17. The Future Field trials begin fall 2010
Scale up field trials 2011
Interest in working with CSR, Inc. on this project please contact:
18. References: Belnap, J. 1994. Potential role of cryptobiotic soil crust in semiarid rangelands. In: Monsen, S.B., and S.G. Kitchen, eds. ProceedingEcology and Management of Annual Rangelands. General Technical Report INT-GTR-313. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research, Ogden, UT. pp 179-185.
Belnap, J., J. H. Kaltenecker, R. Rosentreter, J. Williams, S. Leonard, and D. Eldridge. 2001. Biological Soil Crusts: Ecology and Management. Technical Reference 1730-2. United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Denver, Colorado.
Belnap, J., and D.J., Eldridge. 2003. Disturbance and recovery of biological soil crusts. In: Belnap J. and O.L. Lange, eds. Biological soil crusts: structure, function, and management. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 363-383.
Belnap J., R. Prasse, and K.T. Harper. 2003. Influence of biological soil crusts on soil environments and vascular plants. In: Belnap J., and O.L. Lange, eds. Biological soil crusts: structure, function, and management. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 281300.
Deines, L., R. Rosentreter, D.L. Eldrige, and M.D. Serpe. 2007. Germination and seeding establishment of two annual grasses on lichen-dominated biological soil crusts. Plant and Soil. 295:23-35.
Herrick, J.E., W.G. Whitford, A.G. de Soyza, J.W. Van Zee, K.M. Havstad, C.A. Seybold, and M. Walton. 2001. Field soil aggregate stability kit for soil quality and rangeland health evaluations. Catena 44, 27-35.
Kaltenecker, J.H., M. Wicklow-Howard, and M. Pellant. 1999. Biological soil crusts: natural barriers to Bromus tectorum L. establishment in the northern Great Basin, USA. In: Eldridge, D., and D. Freudenberger, eds. Proceedings of the VI International Rangeland Congress, Aitkenvale, Queensland, Australia. pp 109-111.
Warren, S.D. 2003. Synopsis: Influence of biological soil crusts on arid land hydrology and soil stability. In: Belnap J., and O.L. Lange, eds. Biological soil crusts: structure, function, and management. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 349-360.
West, N.E. 1990. Structure and function of soil microphytic crusts in wildland ecosystem of arid and semi-arid regions. Adv Ecol Res. 20:179-223.