The influence of disturbance scale on the natural recovery of biological soil crusts on the Colorado Plateau
Up to 35% of global drylands have experienced degradation due to anthropogenic impacts, including physical disturbances like trampling and soil removal. These physical disturbances can result in the loss of soil communities known as biological soil crusts (biocrusts) and the important functions they...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1176760/full |
| _version_ | 1797755778370633728 |
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| author | Sierra D. Jech Caroline A. Havrilla Nichole N. Barger |
| author_facet | Sierra D. Jech Caroline A. Havrilla Nichole N. Barger |
| author_sort | Sierra D. Jech |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Up to 35% of global drylands have experienced degradation due to anthropogenic impacts, including physical disturbances like trampling and soil removal. These physical disturbances can result in the loss of soil communities known as biological soil crusts (biocrusts) and the important functions they provide, such as soil stability and fertility. The reestablishment of biocrust organisms after disturbance is determined by many factors, including propagule availability, climate, and vascular plant community structure. The role of these factors in natural recovery may be intensified by the extent (or size) of a disturbance. For example, large disturbances can result in reduced propagule availability or enhanced erosion, which impact both the dispersal and establishment of biocrust organisms on disturbed soils, leading to a slower natural recovery. To test how disturbance extent impacts biocrust's natural recovery, we installed four disturbance extents by completely removing biocrust from the mineral soil in plots ranging from 0.01 m2 to 1 m2 and measured productivity and erosion resistance. We found that small disturbance extents did not differ in chlorophyll a content, total exopolysaccharide content, or soil stability after 1.5 years of natural recovery. However, the concentration of glycocalyx exopolysaccharide was higher in the smallest disturbances after the recovery period. Our results indicate that disturbances <1 m2 in scale recover at similar rates, with soil stability returning to high levels in just a few years after severe disturbance. Our findings align with prior work on biocrust natural recovery in drylands and highlight the opportunity for future work to address (1) cyanobacteria, moss, and lichen propagule dispersal; (2) rates and mechanisms of biocrust succession; and (3) the role of wind or water in determining biocrust colonization patterns as compared to lateral growth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:51:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f4204c455aef4fc38146dee1cfb5e541 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:51:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f4204c455aef4fc38146dee1cfb5e5412023-08-03T08:20:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2023-08-011410.3389/fmicb.2023.11767601176760The influence of disturbance scale on the natural recovery of biological soil crusts on the Colorado PlateauSierra D. Jech0Caroline A. Havrilla1Nichole N. Barger2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United StatesDepartment of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United StatesDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United StatesUp to 35% of global drylands have experienced degradation due to anthropogenic impacts, including physical disturbances like trampling and soil removal. These physical disturbances can result in the loss of soil communities known as biological soil crusts (biocrusts) and the important functions they provide, such as soil stability and fertility. The reestablishment of biocrust organisms after disturbance is determined by many factors, including propagule availability, climate, and vascular plant community structure. The role of these factors in natural recovery may be intensified by the extent (or size) of a disturbance. For example, large disturbances can result in reduced propagule availability or enhanced erosion, which impact both the dispersal and establishment of biocrust organisms on disturbed soils, leading to a slower natural recovery. To test how disturbance extent impacts biocrust's natural recovery, we installed four disturbance extents by completely removing biocrust from the mineral soil in plots ranging from 0.01 m2 to 1 m2 and measured productivity and erosion resistance. We found that small disturbance extents did not differ in chlorophyll a content, total exopolysaccharide content, or soil stability after 1.5 years of natural recovery. However, the concentration of glycocalyx exopolysaccharide was higher in the smallest disturbances after the recovery period. Our results indicate that disturbances <1 m2 in scale recover at similar rates, with soil stability returning to high levels in just a few years after severe disturbance. Our findings align with prior work on biocrust natural recovery in drylands and highlight the opportunity for future work to address (1) cyanobacteria, moss, and lichen propagule dispersal; (2) rates and mechanisms of biocrust succession; and (3) the role of wind or water in determining biocrust colonization patterns as compared to lateral growth.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1176760/fullbiological soil crustscalenatural recoveryColorado Plateaudisturbance ecologychlorophyll a |
| spellingShingle | Sierra D. Jech Caroline A. Havrilla Nichole N. Barger The influence of disturbance scale on the natural recovery of biological soil crusts on the Colorado Plateau Frontiers in Microbiology biological soil crust scale natural recovery Colorado Plateau disturbance ecology chlorophyll a |
| title | The influence of disturbance scale on the natural recovery of biological soil crusts on the Colorado Plateau |
| title_full | The influence of disturbance scale on the natural recovery of biological soil crusts on the Colorado Plateau |
| title_fullStr | The influence of disturbance scale on the natural recovery of biological soil crusts on the Colorado Plateau |
| title_full_unstemmed | The influence of disturbance scale on the natural recovery of biological soil crusts on the Colorado Plateau |
| title_short | The influence of disturbance scale on the natural recovery of biological soil crusts on the Colorado Plateau |
| title_sort | influence of disturbance scale on the natural recovery of biological soil crusts on the colorado plateau |
| topic | biological soil crust scale natural recovery Colorado Plateau disturbance ecology chlorophyll a |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1176760/full |
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