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Biological Soil Crusts: An Emerging Restoration Technology

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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Biological Soil Crusts: An Emerging Restoration Technology

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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 & Disturbance BSC 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. Proceeding—Ecology 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 281–300. 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.

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