Species composition and pedological characteristics of biological soil crusts in a high alpine ecosystem, Hohe Tauern, Austria
| Autor: | Roman Türk, Johann Peter Gruber, Angelika Tschaikner, Thomas Peer |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2010 |
| Předmět: |
lcsh:GE1-350
Cyanobacteria chemistry.chemical_classification Ecology lcsh:G1-922 Management Monitoring Policy and Law Biology biology.organism_classification Nutrient Algae chemistry Soil water Erosion Ecosystem Organic matter Lichen lcsh:Environmental sciences lcsh:Geography (General) Nature and Landscape Conservation |
| Zdroj: | eco.mont-Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research and Management, Vol 2, Iss 1, Pp 23-30 (2015) |
| ISSN: | 2073-1558 2073-106X |
| DOI: | 10.1553/eco.mont-2-1s23 |
| Popis: | Within the Hohe Tauern National Park (Austria), we studied biological soil crusts (BSCs) in the surroundings of the Hochtor and the Grosglockner High Alpine Road (2 500 – 2 600 m). Biological soil crusts (BSCs) consist of cyanobacteria, algae, lichens, and bryophytes, which alter soil factors, including water availability, nutrient content, and susceptibility to erosion. We detected approximately 45 taxa of Cyanoprokaryota and eukaryotic algae, 51 taxa of lichens, and 38 taxa of bryophytes at our study sites, of these the darkcoloured lichen Toniniopsis obscura is dominant. Bryophytes and vascular plants are of minor importance. Compared to uncrusted sites, crust sites exhibit significantly higher contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, and plant-available nutrients. Water storage capacity and aggregate stability are also higher in the crusted soils. Susceptibility to erosion is one fourth lower in crusted soils than in uncrusted soils. Preliminary results also suggest that BSCs are captors for heavy metals as they accumulate higher amounts of atmogenic heavy metals than bare soils. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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