Pore characteristics in biological soil crusts are independent of extracellular polymeric substances

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Authors

External Research Organisations

  • Justus Liebig University Giessen
  • University of Kassel
  • University of Florence (UniFi)
  • University of Kaiserslautern
  • Kiel University
  • National Research Council Italy (CNR)
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)294-299
Number of pages6
JournalSoil Biology and Biochemistry
Volume103
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2016
Externally publishedYes

Abstract

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are considered key players in hydrological cycles of many arid environments. The phototrophic organisms in these crusts excrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), which bind soil particles together, thereby stabilizing the soil surface. In a previous work, the non-invasive extraction of EPSs in biocrusts resulted in a change of their hydrological behavior. As this was suspected to be the effect of a change in their pore structure, we employed high resolution X-ray micro-tomography to investigate structural changes of biocrusts after EPS-extraction. We studied biocrusts from four different study sites in Svalbard, Germany, Israel and South Africa. Two different fractions of EPSs (tightly bound and colloidal) were extracted, using the same extraction method with two different solvents. Our results suggest that the extraction of EPSs did not result in structural differences at a resolution of 7 μm. We therefore conclude that the previously observed change in hydrological behavior is likely to be the result of a change of the physico-chemical properties of the very surface of the crust, rather than of its inner structure.

Keywords

    Biocrusts, Computed tomography, Ecological restoration, Extracellular polymeric substances, Hydrological cycles, Soil structure

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Pore characteristics in biological soil crusts are independent of extracellular polymeric substances. / Felde, Vincent J.M.N.L.; Rossi, Federico; Colesie, Claudia et al.
In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 103, 01.12.2016, p. 294-299.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Felde VJMNL, Rossi F, Colesie C, Uteau-Puschmann D, Horn R, Felix-Henningsen P et al. Pore characteristics in biological soil crusts are independent of extracellular polymeric substances. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2016 Dec 1;103:294-299. doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2016.08.029
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title = "Pore characteristics in biological soil crusts are independent of extracellular polymeric substances",
abstract = "Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are considered key players in hydrological cycles of many arid environments. The phototrophic organisms in these crusts excrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), which bind soil particles together, thereby stabilizing the soil surface. In a previous work, the non-invasive extraction of EPSs in biocrusts resulted in a change of their hydrological behavior. As this was suspected to be the effect of a change in their pore structure, we employed high resolution X-ray micro-tomography to investigate structural changes of biocrusts after EPS-extraction. We studied biocrusts from four different study sites in Svalbard, Germany, Israel and South Africa. Two different fractions of EPSs (tightly bound and colloidal) were extracted, using the same extraction method with two different solvents. Our results suggest that the extraction of EPSs did not result in structural differences at a resolution of 7 μm. We therefore conclude that the previously observed change in hydrological behavior is likely to be the result of a change of the physico-chemical properties of the very surface of the crust, rather than of its inner structure.",
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note = "Funding information: We would like to acknowledge the financial support of the German Research Foundation (grant Fe218/14-2 ). VJMNLF and FR are grateful for financial support for mutual visits from the COST Action ES1104 . Thanks are due to Elke M{\"u}ller and Elke Schneidenwind for conducting the texture analysis and Bettina Weber for providing the samples from the Karoo Desert. We thank Simon Berkowicz for his support during the fieldwork in the Negev and Andreas Dein for sampling permission at MEH, as well as Matthew Bowker and one anonymous reviewer for their very constructive comments.",
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AU - Felde, Vincent J.M.N.L.

AU - Rossi, Federico

AU - Colesie, Claudia

AU - Uteau-Puschmann, Daniel

AU - Horn, Rainer

AU - Felix-Henningsen, Peter

AU - De Philippis, Roberto

AU - Peth, Stephan

N1 - Funding information: We would like to acknowledge the financial support of the German Research Foundation (grant Fe218/14-2 ). VJMNLF and FR are grateful for financial support for mutual visits from the COST Action ES1104 . Thanks are due to Elke Müller and Elke Schneidenwind for conducting the texture analysis and Bettina Weber for providing the samples from the Karoo Desert. We thank Simon Berkowicz for his support during the fieldwork in the Negev and Andreas Dein for sampling permission at MEH, as well as Matthew Bowker and one anonymous reviewer for their very constructive comments.

PY - 2016/12/1

Y1 - 2016/12/1

N2 - Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are considered key players in hydrological cycles of many arid environments. The phototrophic organisms in these crusts excrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), which bind soil particles together, thereby stabilizing the soil surface. In a previous work, the non-invasive extraction of EPSs in biocrusts resulted in a change of their hydrological behavior. As this was suspected to be the effect of a change in their pore structure, we employed high resolution X-ray micro-tomography to investigate structural changes of biocrusts after EPS-extraction. We studied biocrusts from four different study sites in Svalbard, Germany, Israel and South Africa. Two different fractions of EPSs (tightly bound and colloidal) were extracted, using the same extraction method with two different solvents. Our results suggest that the extraction of EPSs did not result in structural differences at a resolution of 7 μm. We therefore conclude that the previously observed change in hydrological behavior is likely to be the result of a change of the physico-chemical properties of the very surface of the crust, rather than of its inner structure.

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