Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 117193 |
| Journal | GEODERMA |
| Volume | 454 |
| Early online date | 31 Jan 2025 |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2025 |
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) play key roles in dryland ecosystem processes by mediating soil surface conditions. How consumption by macro-arthropods affects biocrust surface roughness and carbon cycling remains largely unknown. In two separate experiments, we addressed this knowledge gap by exposing biocrusts to varying levels of desert isopod crustivory (i.e. grazing intensity), and quantifying the consequences for microtopography, CO2 efflux and carbon fixation. Biocrust surface roughness peaked under intermediate crustivory pressure, implying that varying levels of crustivory may have opposing consequences for ecosystem processes such as carbon cycling, water infiltration, runoff generation and soil erosion. However, crustivory had a monotonic negative effect on biocrust carbon cycling. Biocrust CO2 efflux decreased with increasing crustivory, but recovered after several wetting events. Crustivory had a negative effect on biocrust C fixation, but only after the CO2 efflux recovered to pre-crustivory levels. Our findings suggest that macro-crustivores may play a pivotal role in regulating biocrust functioning, introducing a whole new line of trophic research that may transform our understanding of ecosystems dynamics in drylands.
Keywords
- Biocrust, Carbon cycle, Dryland, Hydrology, Surface roughness, Trophic interaction
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Soil Science
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In: GEODERMA, Vol. 454, 117193, 02.2025.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Crustivorous macro-arthropods regulate the microtopography and carbon dynamics of biological soil crusts
AU - Sagi, Nevo
AU - Sagy, Amir
AU - Felde, Vincent J.M.N.L.
AU - Hawlena, Dror
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
PY - 2025/2
Y1 - 2025/2
N2 - Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) play key roles in dryland ecosystem processes by mediating soil surface conditions. How consumption by macro-arthropods affects biocrust surface roughness and carbon cycling remains largely unknown. In two separate experiments, we addressed this knowledge gap by exposing biocrusts to varying levels of desert isopod crustivory (i.e. grazing intensity), and quantifying the consequences for microtopography, CO2 efflux and carbon fixation. Biocrust surface roughness peaked under intermediate crustivory pressure, implying that varying levels of crustivory may have opposing consequences for ecosystem processes such as carbon cycling, water infiltration, runoff generation and soil erosion. However, crustivory had a monotonic negative effect on biocrust carbon cycling. Biocrust CO2 efflux decreased with increasing crustivory, but recovered after several wetting events. Crustivory had a negative effect on biocrust C fixation, but only after the CO2 efflux recovered to pre-crustivory levels. Our findings suggest that macro-crustivores may play a pivotal role in regulating biocrust functioning, introducing a whole new line of trophic research that may transform our understanding of ecosystems dynamics in drylands.
AB - Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) play key roles in dryland ecosystem processes by mediating soil surface conditions. How consumption by macro-arthropods affects biocrust surface roughness and carbon cycling remains largely unknown. In two separate experiments, we addressed this knowledge gap by exposing biocrusts to varying levels of desert isopod crustivory (i.e. grazing intensity), and quantifying the consequences for microtopography, CO2 efflux and carbon fixation. Biocrust surface roughness peaked under intermediate crustivory pressure, implying that varying levels of crustivory may have opposing consequences for ecosystem processes such as carbon cycling, water infiltration, runoff generation and soil erosion. However, crustivory had a monotonic negative effect on biocrust carbon cycling. Biocrust CO2 efflux decreased with increasing crustivory, but recovered after several wetting events. Crustivory had a negative effect on biocrust C fixation, but only after the CO2 efflux recovered to pre-crustivory levels. Our findings suggest that macro-crustivores may play a pivotal role in regulating biocrust functioning, introducing a whole new line of trophic research that may transform our understanding of ecosystems dynamics in drylands.
KW - Biocrust
KW - Carbon cycle
KW - Dryland
KW - Hydrology
KW - Surface roughness
KW - Trophic interaction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85216549026&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117193
DO - 10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117193
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85216549026
VL - 454
JO - GEODERMA
JF - GEODERMA
SN - 0016-7061
M1 - 117193
ER -