Warming and increased precipitation frequency on the Colorado Plateau: implications for biological soil crusts and soil processes

Authors

Tamara J. Zelikova
David C. Housman
Ed E. Grote
Deborah A. Neher
Jayne Belnap

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Plant and Soil

Volume

355

Issue

1

First Page

265

Publisher

Springer Netherlands

Last Page

282

Publication Date

2012

Abstract

Aims
Changes in temperature and precipitation are expected to influence ecosystem processes worldwide. Despite their globally large extent, few studies to date have examined the effects of climate change in desert ecosystems, where biological soil crusts are key nutrient cycling components. The goal of this work was to assess how increased temperature and frequency of summertime precipitation affect the contributions of crust organisms to soil processes.

Methods
With a combination of experimental 2°C warming and altered summer precipitation frequency applied over 2 years, we measured soil nutrient cycling and the structure and function of crust communities.

Results
We saw no change in crust cover, composition, or other measures of crust function in response to 2°C warming and no effects on any measure of soil chemistry. In contrast, crust cover and function responded to increased frequency of summer precipitation, shifting from moss to cyanobacteria-dominated crusts; however, in the short timeframe we measured, there was no accompanying change in soil chemistry. Total bacterial and fungal biomass was also reduced in watered plots, while the activity of two enzymes increased, indicating a functional change in the microbial community.

Conclusions
Taken together, our results highlight the limited effects of warming alone on biological soil crust communities and soil chemistry, but demonstrate the substantially larger effects of altered summertime precipitation.

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Recommended Citation

Zelikova, TJ, Housman, DC, Grote, EE, Neher, DA and Belnap J. 2012. Warming and increased precipitation frequency on the Colorado Plateau: implications for biological soil crusts and soil processes. Plant Soil (2012) 355:265–282.