TY - JOUR
T1 - Establishing rates of lateral expansion of cyanobacterial biological soil crusts for optimal restoration
AU - Sorochkina, Kira
AU - Velasco Ayuso, Sergio
AU - Garcia-Pichel, Ferran
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was partly carried out with funds provided by a Strategic Environmental Research and Development Grant of the U.S. Department of Defense. We thank Heather Throop (Arizona State University) for facilities and aid in the determination of soil textures, and Michael Bliss of Thomas Day laboratory (Arizona State University) for equipment and assistance with measuring PAR. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This research was partly carried out with funds provided by a Strategic Environmental Research and Development Grant of the U.S. Department of Defense. We thank Heather Throop (Arizona State University) for facilities and aid in the determination of soil textures, and Michael Bliss of Thomas Day laboratory (Arizona State University) for equipment and assistance with measuring PAR.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2018/8/1
Y1 - 2018/8/1
N2 - Aims: Biocrusts that form on topsoils contribute ecosystem services to drylands, and their loss under anthropogenic pressure has negative ecological consequences. Therefore, development of biocrust inoculation technology for restoration is of interest. This requires knowledge of biocrust growth and dispersal. To contribute to this, we determined the speed at which biocrusts expand laterally based on the self-propelled motility of cyanobacteria. Methodology: We inoculated sterile soil with natural biocrusts and incubated them over a year in a greenhouse under conditions mimicking local precipitation, monitoring the crust’s lateral expansion using time-course photography, chlorophyll a content, and microscopic inspection. Concurrent uninoculated controls served to monitor, and discount, natural inoculation by aeolian propagules. Results: While the expansion front was highly variable in space, biocrusts expanded in the order of 2 cm month−1, but only in seasons with moderate temperatures (Spring and Fall). Microcoleus vaginatus, Microcoleus steenstrupii, and Scytonema spp. advanced at averages of 1 cm month−1, the crust advance front being preferentially driven by specialized propagules (hormogonia). These rates are within expectations based on instantaneous gliding motility speeds of cyanobacteria. Conclusions: Based on the expansion capability of biocrusts during growth seasons, greenhouse inoculum units can be optimally spaced to fill 4–8 cm gaps.
AB - Aims: Biocrusts that form on topsoils contribute ecosystem services to drylands, and their loss under anthropogenic pressure has negative ecological consequences. Therefore, development of biocrust inoculation technology for restoration is of interest. This requires knowledge of biocrust growth and dispersal. To contribute to this, we determined the speed at which biocrusts expand laterally based on the self-propelled motility of cyanobacteria. Methodology: We inoculated sterile soil with natural biocrusts and incubated them over a year in a greenhouse under conditions mimicking local precipitation, monitoring the crust’s lateral expansion using time-course photography, chlorophyll a content, and microscopic inspection. Concurrent uninoculated controls served to monitor, and discount, natural inoculation by aeolian propagules. Results: While the expansion front was highly variable in space, biocrusts expanded in the order of 2 cm month−1, but only in seasons with moderate temperatures (Spring and Fall). Microcoleus vaginatus, Microcoleus steenstrupii, and Scytonema spp. advanced at averages of 1 cm month−1, the crust advance front being preferentially driven by specialized propagules (hormogonia). These rates are within expectations based on instantaneous gliding motility speeds of cyanobacteria. Conclusions: Based on the expansion capability of biocrusts during growth seasons, greenhouse inoculum units can be optimally spaced to fill 4–8 cm gaps.
KW - Biological soil crust
KW - Chlorophyll a
KW - Filamentous cyanobacteria
KW - Lateral dispersal
KW - Soil restoration
KW - Sonoran Desert
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U2 - 10.1007/s11104-018-3695-5
DO - 10.1007/s11104-018-3695-5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85047919270
SN - 0032-079X
VL - 429
SP - 199
EP - 211
JO - Plant and Soil
JF - Plant and Soil
IS - 1-2
ER -