Decline in biological soil crust N-fixing lichens linked to increasing summertime temperatures
April 11, 2022
Across many global drylands, biocrusts form a protective barrier on the soil surface and fill many critical roles in these harsh yet fragile environments. Previous short-term research suggests that climate change and invasive plant introduction can damage and alter biocrust communities, yet few long-term observations exist. Using a globally unique long-term record of continuous biocrust surveys from a rare never-grazed, protected grassland on the US Colorado Plateau, we found lichen species diversity and cover to be negatively correlated with increasing summer air temperatures, while moss species showed more sensitivity to variation in precipitation and invasive grass cover. These results suggest that dryland systems may be at a critical tipping point where ongoing warming could result in biological soil crust degradation.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2022 |
---|---|
Title | Decline in biological soil crust N-fixing lichens linked to increasing summertime temperatures |
DOI | 10.1073/pnas.2120975119 |
Authors | Rebecca A Finger-Higgens, Michael C. Duniway, Stephen E. Fick, Erika L. Geiger, David L. Hoover, Alix A. Pfennigwerth, Matthew W. Van Scoyoc, Jayne Belnap |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Proceedings of the National Academies of Science (PNAS) |
Index ID | 70230445 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Southwest Biological Science Center |
Related
Biocrust cover, vegetation, and climate data from a protected grassland within Canyonlands National Park, Utah (ver. 2.0, Sept. 2023)
These tabular data were compiled for/to monitor vegetation and biocrust cover in a never grazed grassland located in Canyonlands National Park. An objective, or objectives, of our study was to document potential changes in biocrust and vegetation cover and species composition as related to changes in land use and climate change. These data represent a timeseries of long-term vegetation and biocrus
The USGS published a news release about this study - see below.
Jayne Belnap, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist
Research Ecologist
Email
Phone
Related
Biocrust cover, vegetation, and climate data from a protected grassland within Canyonlands National Park, Utah (ver. 2.0, Sept. 2023)
These tabular data were compiled for/to monitor vegetation and biocrust cover in a never grazed grassland located in Canyonlands National Park. An objective, or objectives, of our study was to document potential changes in biocrust and vegetation cover and species composition as related to changes in land use and climate change. These data represent a timeseries of long-term vegetation and biocrus
The USGS published a news release about this study - see below.
Jayne Belnap, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist
Research Ecologist
Email
Phone