Structure and reactivity of a biological soil crust from a xeric sandy soil in Central Europe
- The investigation was designed to explore the structure, composition and activity of a biological soil crust on an acidic, sandy soil from a temperate climate. The crust covers several hundreds of square meters on the hilltop of a large terminal moraine. The conjugate alga Zygogonium ericetorum forms the essential matrix for the crust, a dense web of algal filaments with interspersed lichens and mosses. The crust is composed of three layers, with an uppermost layer consisting nearly entirely of a dense algal mat. In lower layers, a parasitic fungus, penetrating the algal cells, is another important component of the crust community. In this soil crust, photosynthetic and respiratory activity is stabilized at low water activities.
Author details: | Michael Hoppert, Rudolph Reimer, Anne Kemmling, Annekatrin Schröder, Bettina Günzl, Thilo HeinkenORCiD |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-5872 |
Publication type: | Postprint |
Language: | English |
Publication year: | 2004 |
Publishing institution: | Universität Potsdam |
Release date: | 2005/10/07 |
Tag: | <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i>; <i>Zygogonium ericetorum</i>; biological soil crust; desiccation tolerance; electron microscopy |
Source: | Geomicrobiology journal 21 (2004), 3, S. 183 - 191. - ISSN 0149-0451 |
RVK - Regensburg classification: | WI 2050 |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Biochemie und Biologie |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie |