Cover Image

Biological soil crusts : structure, function, and management /

Show other versions (1)

In arid lands, where vegetation is sparse or absent, the open ground is not bare but generally covered by a community of small, highly specialized organisms. Cyanobacteria, algae, microfungi, lichens, and bryophytes aggregate soil particles to form a coherent skin - the biological soil crust. It sta...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Corporate Author: SpringerLink (Online service)
Other Authors: Belnap, Jayne, 1952-, Lange, O. L. (Otto Ludwig)
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: New York : Springer, 2002.
Edition:First edition.
Series:Ecological studies ; v. 150.
Subjects:
Soil biology.
Soil crusting.
Soil ecology.
Electronic books.
Online Access:Connect to the full text of this electronic book
Table of Contents:
  • I Taxonomic Composition, Ecology, and Biogeography of Soil-Crust Communities
  • 1 Biological Soil Crusts: Characteristics and Distribution
  • 2 Biological Soil Crusts of North America
  • 3 Biological Soil Crusts of South America
  • 4 Lichen-Rich Soil Crusts of Arctic Greenland
  • 5 Biological Soil Crusts of the Subalpine, Alpine, and Nival Areas in the Alps
  • 6 Biological Soil Crusts of European Temperate and Mediterranean Regions
  • 7 Biological Soil Crusts of Asia Including the Don and Volga Region
  • 8 Biological Soil Crusts of the Middle East
  • 9 Biological Soil Crusts of Africa
  • 10 Biological Soil Crusts of Australia
  • 11 Biological Soil Crusts of Antarctica
  • 12 Synopsis: Comparative Biogeography and Ecology of Soil-Crust Biota
  • II Heterotrophic Components of Biological Soil Crusts
  • 13 Soil Fungi as Components of Biological Soil Crusts
  • 14 Microbes and Microfauna Associated with Biological Soil Crusts
  • III Structure of Biological Soil Crusts: Microscale to Landscape
  • 15 Comparative Structure of Physical and Biological Soil Crusts
  • 16 Small Scale Environments and Distribution of Biological Soil Crusts
  • 17 Ecological Determinants of Species Composition of Biological Soil Crusts on a Landscape Scale
  • IV Biological Soil Crusts as an Ecosystem Component: Carbon and Nitrogen Acquisition and Interaction with Vascular Plants
  • 18 Photosynthesis of Soil-Crust Biota as Dependent on Environmental Factors
  • 19 Factors Influencing Nitrogen Fixation and Nitrogen Release in Biological Soil Crusts
  • 20 Biological Soil Crusts and Ecosystem Nitrogen and Carbon Dynamics
  • 21 Influence of Biological Soil Crusts on Soil Environments and Vascular Plants
  • V Soil Stability and Hydrology as Influenced by Soil Crusts
  • 22 Effects of Biological Soil Crusts on Water Redistribution in the Negev Desert, Israel: Case Study in Longitudinal Dunes
  • 23 Biological Soil Crusts and Water Relations in Australian Deserts
  • 24 Biological Soil Crusts and Hydrology in North American Deserts
  • 25 Biological Soil Crusts and Wind Erosion
  • 26 Synopsis: Influence of Biological Soil Crusts on Arid Land Hydrology and Soil Stability
  • VI Disturbance to Biological Soil Crusts: Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration
  • 27 Disturbance and Recovery of Biological Soil Crusts
  • 28 Impacts of Fire on Biological Soil Crusts
  • VII Monitoring and Management of Biological Soil Crusts
  • 29 Biological Soil Crusts and Livestock in Arid Ecosystems: Are they Compatible?
  • 30 Global Change and the Future of Biological Soil Crusts
  • 31 Remote Sensing of Biological Soil Crusts
  • 32 Monitoring and Management of Biological Soil Crusts
  • VIII Conclusion
  • 33 Structure and Functioning of Biological Soil Crusts: Synthesis
  • Taxonomic Index.