Soil Crust Inter- National

Understanding and valuing biological protection of disturbed and open land surfaces Soil Crust InterNational

Four Countries - Five Institutions:

Germany: Kaiserslautern Technical University Burkhard BUEDEL (Coordinator)

Spain: Universidad Complutense Allan GREEN

Austria: University of Salzburg Thomas PEER University of Graz Martin GRUBE

Sweden: Swedish Museum of Natural History Mats WEDIN We are looking at Biological Soil Crusts ( BSC)

What are they? 3-D picture of a Biological Soil Crust (BSC)

© Illustration by Renate Klein-Rödder In: © Belnap J, Lange OL, eds. Biological soil crusts: structure, function, and management. Ecological Studies Series 150, (2nd Ed). Springer-Verlag, Berlin, (2003) Page 4.

Cyanobacteria (blue-green ) © BSC are complex communities of microorganisms in the soil surface BSCs form a skin on the soil surface

Skin

© BSCs form a skin on the soil surface

Rhizoids of mosses

Rhizines of lichens

Gels of the

© The BSC skin alters the soil surface properties

Stabilises surface

Protects against

Influences runoff quantity and quality

Improves higher plant establishment © The BSC skin provides major nutrient inputs

© Carbon fixation by by mosses, lichens, cyanobacteria, and algae.

Possibly up to 6% of world carbon fixation. The BSC skin provides major nutrient inputs

Nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria (free-living and in ) and soil bacteria

Values of 10 kg N ha-1 y-1 reported.

© The BSC organisms are poikilohydric

Poikilohydric means their water content tracks that of the environment.

They are very robust.

BSC form in areas where higher plants cannot © grow. The BSC organisms are poikilohydric

BSC form in areas where higher plants cannot grow.

Arid areas, both hot and cold;

Cold areas, polar and alpine;

Disturbed areas

© Nutrient poor areas. Ecologically BSC are very important

Their main problem is a poor public image -they are not well known

At present: BSC are underfoot, overlooked and undervalued,

Yet they are the natural and most effective force in land stabilisation and land recovery.

They grow everywhere.

Not appreciated because of their small size and are the organisms that are hard to see and identify. Ecologically BSC are very important

Our AIM: Understanding and improving biological soil protection of disturbed and open land surfaces.

BY: Better appreciation of functioning and importance of BSC in Europe; Added value through improved practices and policies.

Make BSC visible to specialists and general public. We are achieving our AIM through:

Four research sites that capture latitudinal, altitudinal and causal differences.

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4 1 Öland 57º 32´N 20 masl 450 mm ppt y-1 Mean temp. 6.5oC Grazed

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4 2 Gössenheim 50º 01´N 295 masl 600 mm ppt y-1 Mean temp. 9.2oC Grazed

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4 3 Hochtor 47º 05´N 2600 masl 2000 mm ppt y-1 Mean temp. -3.0oC Natural

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4 4 Almeria 36º 58´N 250 masl 240 mm ppt y-1 Mean temp. 19.0oC Natural

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4 We are achieving our AIM through: A cutting edge science programme of 5 Research-based Work Packages 1 Delivery Package We are achieving our AIM through: A cutting edge science programme of 5 Research-based Work Packages 1 Delivery Package Work Package 1: Closing the Biodiversity gap Work Package 2: Net Carbon Gain Work Package 3: Surface performance Work Package 4: Community structure and recovery Work Package 5: Adaptation, acclimation, uniqueness Work Package 6: Delivery and coordination Work Package 6: Delivery and coordination

International BSC Workshop Universidad Complutense Madrid June 2013

Web Page: www.uni-kl.de/SCIN/

Burkhard Schroeter –University of Kiel School educational material Soil Crust InterNational Soil Crust InterNational Our thanks to: BiodivERsA Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Germany Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Austria Plan Nacional de I+D+i , Spain Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning, FORMAS. Sweden

Arid Zone Research Station, Spanish research Council Regierung von Unterfranken, Würzburg Länsstyrelsen Kalmar län, naturvärdsenheten

And many others

© Illustration by Renate Klein-Rödder In: Belnap J, Lange OL, eds. Biological soil crusts: structure, function, and management. Ecological Studies Series 150, (2nd Ed). Springer-Verlag, Berlin, (2003) Page 4.