Biological soil crusts: diminutive communities of potential global importance

Ferrenberg, Scott; Tucker, Colin L.; Reed, Sasha C.

doi:10.1002/fee.1469

Title: Biological soil crusts: diminutive communities of potential global importance

Abstract

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are widespread, diverse communities of cyanobacteria, fungi, lichens, and mosses living on soil surfaces, primarily in drylands. Biocrusts can locally govern primary production, soil fertility, hydrology, and surface energy balance, with considerable variation in these functions across alternate community states. Further, these communities have been implicated in Earth system functioning via potential influences on global biogeochemistry and climate. Biocrusts are easily destroyed by disturbances and appear to be exceptionally vulnerable to warming temperatures and altered precipitation inputs, signaling possible losses of dryland functions with global change. Despite these concerns, we lack sufficient spatiotemporal data on biocrust function, cover, and community structure to confidently assess their ecological roles across the extensive dryland biome. Here, we present the case for cross‐scale research and restoration efforts coupled with remote‐sensing and modeling approaches that improve our collective understanding of biocrust responses to global change and the ecological roles of these diminutive communities at global scales.

Authors:

Ferrenberg, Scott ^[1]; Tucker, Colin L. ^[1]; Reed, Sasha C. ^[1]

US Geological Survey, Moab, UT (United States)

Publication Date:: Mon Mar 13 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:: USGS Western Region, Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

OSTI Identifier:: 1533175

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1401283

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0008168; DESC‐0008168

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 15; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 1540-9295

Publisher:: Ecological Society of America (ESA)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Sciences & Ecology

Citation Formats


                    Ferrenberg, Scott, Tucker, Colin L., and Reed, Sasha C. Biological soil crusts: diminutive communities of potential global importance.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1002/fee.1469.

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                    Ferrenberg, Scott, Tucker, Colin L., & Reed, Sasha C. Biological soil crusts: diminutive communities of potential global importance.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1469

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                    Ferrenberg, Scott, Tucker, Colin L., and Reed, Sasha C. Mon .  
"Biological soil crusts: diminutive communities of potential global importance".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1469.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1533175.

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@article{osti_1533175,

  title        = {Biological soil crusts: diminutive communities of potential global importance},

  author       = {Ferrenberg, Scott and Tucker, Colin L. and Reed, Sasha C.},

  abstractNote = {Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are widespread, diverse communities of cyanobacteria, fungi, lichens, and mosses living on soil surfaces, primarily in drylands. Biocrusts can locally govern primary production, soil fertility, hydrology, and surface energy balance, with considerable variation in these functions across alternate community states. Further, these communities have been implicated in Earth system functioning via potential influences on global biogeochemistry and climate. Biocrusts are easily destroyed by disturbances and appear to be exceptionally vulnerable to warming temperatures and altered precipitation inputs, signaling possible losses of dryland functions with global change. Despite these concerns, we lack sufficient spatiotemporal data on biocrust function, cover, and community structure to confidently assess their ecological roles across the extensive dryland biome. Here, we present the case for cross‐scale research and restoration efforts coupled with remote‐sensing and modeling approaches that improve our collective understanding of biocrust responses to global change and the ecological roles of these diminutive communities at global scales.},

  doi          = {10.1002/fee.1469},

  journal      = {Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment},

  number       = 3,

  volume       = 15,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Mon Mar 13 00:00:00 EDT 2017},

  month        = {Mon Mar 13 00:00:00 EDT 2017}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Biocrusts benefit from plant removal
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Dettweiler-Robinson, Eva; Sinsabaugh, Robert L.; Rudgers, Jennifer A.
American Journal of Botany, Vol. 105, Issue 7
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Surface Stability in Drylands Is Influenced by Dispersal Strategy of Soil Bacteria
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Elliott, David R.; Thomas, Andrew D.; Strong, Craig L.
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Life in interstitial space: Biocrusts inhibit exotic but not native plant establishment in semi‐arid grasslands
journal, December 2018

Slate, Mandy L.; Callaway, Ragan M.; Pearson, Dean E.
Journal of Ecology, Vol. 107, Issue 3
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Reed, Sasha C.; Delgado‐Baquerizo, Manuel; Ferrenberg, Scott
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Similar Records

Title: Biological soil crusts: diminutive communities of potential global importance

Abstract

Citation Formats

Three-dimensional structure and cyanobacterial activity within a desert biological soil crust: Biological soil crust structure and activity journal, April 2015

Exometabolite niche partitioning among sympatric soil bacteria journal, September 2015

Precipitation-driven carbon balance controls survivorship of desert biocrust mosses journal, July 2012

Hydrology in a patterned landscape is co-engineered by soil-disturbing animals and biological crusts journal, June 2013

Changes to dryland rainfall result in rapid moss mortality and altered soil fertility journal, July 2012

Carbon and nitrogen fixation differ between successional stages of biological soil crusts in the Colorado Plateau and Chihuahuan Desert journal, September 2006

Desiccation Tolerance in Bryophytes: A Reflection of the Primitive Strategy for Plant Survival in Dehydrating Habitats? journal, November 2005

Bacteria increase arid-land soil surface temperature through the production of sunscreens journal, January 2016

Biocrusts modulate warming and rainfall exclusion effects on soil respiration in a semi-arid grassland journal, January 2015

Altering biocrusts for an altered climate journal, February 2016

Biocrust-forming mosses mitigate the negative impacts of increasing aridity on ecosystem multifunctionality in drylands journal, October 2015

Effects of biocrusts and lichen-moss mats on plant productivity in a US sand dune ecosystem journal, December 2013

Observations of net soil exchange of CO2 in a dryland show experimental warming increases carbon losses in biocrust soils journal, November 2015

Sediment content and chemical properties of water runoff on biocrusts in drylands journal, January 2014

Warming reduces the cover and diversity of biocrust-forming mosses and lichens, and increases the physiological stress of soil microbial communities in a semi-arid Pinus halepensis plantation journal, August 2015

Response and resilience of soil biocrust bacterial communities to chronic physical disturbance in arid shrublands journal, November 2011

Albedo feedbacks to future climate via climate change impacts on dryland biocrusts journal, March 2017

Biocrusts positively affect the soil water balance in semiarid ecosystems: The Role of Biocrusts in the Local Water Balance journal, January 2016

Biological Soil Crusts as an Organizing Principle in Drylands book, January 2016

Nitrous oxide and methane emissions from cryptogamic covers journal, July 2015

Drylands extent and environmental issues. A global approach journal, October 2016

Importance of biocrusts in dryland monitoring using spectral indices journal, December 2015

Denitrification from nitrogen-fixing biologically crusted soils in a cool desert environment, southeast Utah, USA journal, June 2013

Climate change and physical disturbance cause similar community shifts in biological soil crusts journal, September 2015

The dominant role of semi-arid ecosystems in the trend and variability of the land CO2 sink journal, May 2015

Contribution of semi-arid ecosystems to interannual variability of the global carbon cycle journal, May 2014

Estimating impacts of lichens and bryophytes on global biogeochemical cycles journal, February 2014

The Combined Effects of Moss-Dominated Biocrusts and Vegetation on Erosion and Soil Moisture and Implications for Disturbance on the Loess Plateau, China journal, May 2015

Biological soil crusts increase the resistance of soil nitrogen dynamics to changes in temperatures in a semi-arid ecosystem journal, August 2012

Simulated climate change reduced the capacity of lichen-dominated biocrusts to act as carbon sinks in two semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystems journal, March 2014

Patterns and Processes of Microbial Community Assembly journal, September 2013

Patterns and Controls on Nitrogen Cycling of Biological Soil Crusts book, January 2016

Analyses of dryland biological soil crusts highlight lichens as an important regulator of microbial communities journal, May 2014

Contribution of cryptogamic covers to the global cycles of carbon and nitrogen journal, June 2012

Dynamic cyanobacterial response to hydration and dehydration in a desert biological soil crust journal, June 2013

Changes in biocrust cover drive carbon cycle responses to climate change in drylands journal, September 2013

Biological soil crusts accelerate the nitrogen cycle through large NO and HONO emissions in drylands journal, November 2015

Plant functional types in Earth system models: past experiences and future directions for application of dynamic vegetation models in high-latitude ecosystems journal, May 2014

Warming reduces the growth and diversity of biological soil crusts in a semi-arid environment: implications for ecosystem structure and functioning journal, November 2012

Changes in biocrust cover drive carbon cycle responses to climate change in drylands journal, July 2014

Biocrusts benefit from plant removal journal, July 2018

Insolation and disturbance history drive biocrust biodiversity in Western Montana rangelands journal, June 2018

Effects of Cyanobacterial Soil Crusts on Surface Roughness and Splash Erosion journal, December 2018

Surface Stability in Drylands Is Influenced by Dispersal Strategy of Soil Bacteria journal, November 2019

Life in interstitial space: Biocrusts inhibit exotic but not native plant establishment in semi‐arid grasslands journal, December 2018

Biocrust science and global change journal, May 2019

Patterns of longer-term climate change effects on CO 2 efflux from biocrusted soils differ from those observed in the short term journal, January 2018

Differences in structure of northern Australian hypolithic communities according to location, rock type, and gross morphology journal, January 2018

Three-dimensional structure and cyanobacterial activity within a desert biological soil crust: Biological soil crust structure and activity
journal, April 2015

Exometabolite niche partitioning among sympatric soil bacteria
journal, September 2015

Precipitation-driven carbon balance controls survivorship of desert biocrust mosses
journal, July 2012

Hydrology in a patterned landscape is co-engineered by soil-disturbing animals and biological crusts
journal, June 2013

Changes to dryland rainfall result in rapid moss mortality and altered soil fertility
journal, July 2012

Carbon and nitrogen fixation differ between successional stages of biological soil crusts in the Colorado Plateau and Chihuahuan Desert
journal, September 2006

Desiccation Tolerance in Bryophytes: A Reflection of the Primitive Strategy for Plant Survival in Dehydrating Habitats?
journal, November 2005

Bacteria increase arid-land soil surface temperature through the production of sunscreens
journal, January 2016

Biocrusts modulate warming and rainfall exclusion effects on soil respiration in a semi-arid grassland
journal, January 2015

Altering biocrusts for an altered climate
journal, February 2016

Biocrust-forming mosses mitigate the negative impacts of increasing aridity on ecosystem multifunctionality in drylands
journal, October 2015

Effects of biocrusts and lichen-moss mats on plant productivity in a US sand dune ecosystem
journal, December 2013

Observations of net soil exchange of CO2 in a dryland show experimental warming increases carbon losses in biocrust soils
journal, November 2015

Sediment content and chemical properties of water runoff on biocrusts in drylands
journal, January 2014

Warming reduces the cover and diversity of biocrust-forming mosses and lichens, and increases the physiological stress of soil microbial communities in a semi-arid Pinus halepensis plantation
journal, August 2015

Response and resilience of soil biocrust bacterial communities to chronic physical disturbance in arid shrublands
journal, November 2011

Albedo feedbacks to future climate via climate change impacts on dryland biocrusts
journal, March 2017

Biocrusts positively affect the soil water balance in semiarid ecosystems: The Role of Biocrusts in the Local Water Balance
journal, January 2016

Biological Soil Crusts as an Organizing Principle in Drylands
book, January 2016

Nitrous oxide and methane emissions from cryptogamic covers
journal, July 2015

Drylands extent and environmental issues. A global approach
journal, October 2016

Importance of biocrusts in dryland monitoring using spectral indices
journal, December 2015

Denitrification from nitrogen-fixing biologically crusted soils in a cool desert environment, southeast Utah, USA
journal, June 2013

Climate change and physical disturbance cause similar community shifts in biological soil crusts
journal, September 2015

The dominant role of semi-arid ecosystems in the trend and variability of the land CO2 sink
journal, May 2015

Contribution of semi-arid ecosystems to interannual variability of the global carbon cycle
journal, May 2014

Estimating impacts of lichens and bryophytes on global biogeochemical cycles
journal, February 2014

The Combined Effects of Moss-Dominated Biocrusts and Vegetation on Erosion and Soil Moisture and Implications for Disturbance on the Loess Plateau, China
journal, May 2015

Biological soil crusts increase the resistance of soil nitrogen dynamics to changes in temperatures in a semi-arid ecosystem
journal, August 2012

Simulated climate change reduced the capacity of lichen-dominated biocrusts to act as carbon sinks in two semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystems
journal, March 2014

Patterns and Processes of Microbial Community Assembly
journal, September 2013

Patterns and Controls on Nitrogen Cycling of Biological Soil Crusts
book, January 2016

Analyses of dryland biological soil crusts highlight lichens as an important regulator of microbial communities
journal, May 2014

Contribution of cryptogamic covers to the global cycles of carbon and nitrogen
journal, June 2012

Dynamic cyanobacterial response to hydration and dehydration in a desert biological soil crust
journal, June 2013

Changes in biocrust cover drive carbon cycle responses to climate change in drylands
journal, September 2013

Biological soil crusts accelerate the nitrogen cycle through large NO and HONO emissions in drylands
journal, November 2015

Plant functional types in Earth system models: past experiences and future directions for application of dynamic vegetation models in high-latitude ecosystems
journal, May 2014

Warming reduces the growth and diversity of biological soil crusts in a semi-arid environment: implications for ecosystem structure and functioning
journal, November 2012

Changes in biocrust cover drive carbon cycle responses to climate change in drylands
journal, July 2014

Biocrusts benefit from plant removal
journal, July 2018

Insolation and disturbance history drive biocrust biodiversity in Western Montana rangelands
journal, June 2018

Effects of Cyanobacterial Soil Crusts on Surface Roughness and Splash Erosion
journal, December 2018

Surface Stability in Drylands Is Influenced by Dispersal Strategy of Soil Bacteria
journal, November 2019

Life in interstitial space: Biocrusts inhibit exotic but not native plant establishment in semi‐arid grasslands
journal, December 2018

Biocrust science and global change
journal, May 2019

Patterns of longer-term climate change effects on CO ₂ efflux from biocrusted soils differ from those observed in the short term
journal, January 2018

Differences in structure of northern Australian hypolithic communities according to location, rock type, and gross morphology
journal, January 2018