Images

Many human activities can be unintentionally harmful to biological crusts. The biocrusts are no match for the compressional stress caused by footprints of livestock or people or tracks from vehicles.

On the Colorado Plateau, mature biocrusts are bumpy and dark-colored due to the presence of lichens, mosses, and high densities of cyanobacteria and other organisms. These organisms perform critical functions, such as fertilizing soils and increasing soil stability, therefore reducing dust.

On the Colorado Plateau, mature biocrusts are bumpy and dark-colored due to the presence of lichens, mosses, and high densities of cyanobacteria and other organisms. Disturbed biocrusts are lighter in color, looking more like the underlying sand than undisturbed ones, and are less capable of stabilizing soils or providing soil fertility.

This is a false-color-composite satellite image of Great Salt Lake, Utah, Sept 2016. Vegetation appears red in image.

Biocrusts provide soil stability and prevent erosion. Soil is the foundation where plants live; if soil is not stable, native plants can have difficulty growing.

USGS scientists created outdoor testing plots where large squares of biocrusts were exposed to different warming and precipitation factors over time.

USGS scientist Sasha Reed studies sites where different climate conditions are being mimicked to determine effect on biocrusts.

USGS scientists created outdoor testing plots where large squares of biocrusts were exposed to different warming and precipitation factors over time.

USGS scientists created outdoor testing plots where large squares of biocrusts were exposed to different warming and precipitation factors over time.

Greater Yellowstone Area ice patches, northwestern Wyoming

This photo was taken off of Deadmans Road in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado.

Danny Stahle assesses the preservation of Whitebark Pine melting out of an ice patch.

Danny Stahle catalogs a sample taken from a Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicalus) that died ~5,300 years before present as conditions cooled and the ice patch expanded. 

Lucas watches Danny Stahle catalog a sample taken froma long frozen Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicalus).

Field assistants prepare the trail and drilling location.

Danny Stahle, Rachel Reckin, and Sari Dersam prepare the trail and drilling location.

Researchers retrieving ice cores from an ice patch located on the Beartooth Plateau, Wyoming. 

Craig Lee and a group of archeologist take a break and enjoy the scenery while standing over the coolers (white boxes) containing the ice core samples.

Mike Jayred, Nathan Challman, Rachel Reckin, and Danny Stahle work to lift an section of ice core from several meters deep in the ice patch.

Mike Jayred, Nathan Challman, Rachel Reckin, and Danny Stahle work to lift an section of ice core from several meters deep in the ice patch.

Mike Jayred, Nathan Challman, Rachel Reckin, and Danny Stahle work to lift an section of ice core from several meters deep in the ice patch.