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

被引:253
作者
Housman, D. C. [1 ]
Powers, H. H. [1 ]
Collins, A. D. [1 ]
Belnap, J. [1 ]
机构
[1] US Geol Survey, Canyonlands Field Stn, Moab, UT 84532 USA
基金
美国国家科学基金会;
关键词
microbiotic soil crust; chlorophyll fluorescence; acetylene reduction; photosynthesis;
D O I
10.1016/j.jaridenv.2005.11.014
中图分类号
Q14 [生态学(生物生态学)];
学科分类号
071012 ; 0713 ;
摘要
Biological soil crusts (cyanobacteria, mosses and lichens collectively) perform essential ecosystem services, including carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fixation. Climate and land-use change are converting later successional soil crusts to early successional soil crusts with lower C and N fixation rates. To quantify the effect of such conversions on C and N dynamics in desert ecosystems we seasonally measured diurnal fixation rates in different biological soil crusts. We classified plots on the Colorado Plateau (Canyonlands) and Chihuahuan Desert (Jornada) as early (Microcoleus) or later successional (Nostoc/Scytonema or Placidium/Collema) and measured photosynthesis (P.), nitrogenase activity (NA), and chlorophyll fluorescence (F-v/F-m) on metabolically active (moist) soil crusts. Later successional crusts typically had greater P-n, averaging 1.2-1.3-fold higher daily C fixation in Canyonlands and 2.4-2.8-fold higher in the Jornada. Later successional crusts also had greater NA, averaging 1.3-7.5-fold higher daily N fixation in Canyonlands and 1.3-25.0-fold higher in the Jornada. Mean daily Fv/Fm was also greater in later successional Canyonlands crusts during winter, and Jornada crusts during all seasons except summer. Together these findings indicate conversion of soil crusts back to early successional stages results in large reductions of C and N inputs into these ecosystems. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
引用
收藏
页码:620 / 634
页数:15
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