Cyanobacterial populations in biological soil crusts of the northwest Negev Desert, Israel-effects of local conditions and disturbance

authored by

Martin Hagemann, Manja Henneberg, Vincent J.M.N.L. Felde, Simon M. Berkowicz, Hagai Raanan, Nadin Pade, Peter Felix-Henningsen, Aaron Kaplan

Abstract

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) fulfil numerous ecological functions in arid and semiarid areas. Cyanobacteria are important BSC organisms, which are responsible for carbon fixation, N2 fixation and binding of soil via extracellular polysaccharides. The cyanobacterial populations were characterised in different sampling plots established in three experimental stations along a rainfall gradient within NW Negev Desert, Israel. Cyanobacterial crust thickness and osmolyte accumulation therein decreased in plots with lower moisture. The cyanobacterial population structure also changed in different plots. We observed an increase of subsection III cyanobacteria such as Microcoleus spp. and Leptolyngbya spp. and a decreasing proportion of strains belonging to subsections I and IV in drier areas on the rainfall gradient. This population shift was also observed in the sampling plots, which were situated at various relief positions within the sand dune experimental sites. We also characterised the cyanobacterial populations within mechanically disturbed plots. After 4 years, they reached between 80% and 50% of the control populations in the northernmost and southern stations, respectively. Our results suggest that the cyanobacterial population is sensitive not only to macroscale factors but may also be subject to local climate variations and that 4 years was insufficient for complete recovery of the cyanobacterial population.

External Organisation(s)

University of Rostock
Justus Liebig University Giessen
University of Kassel
Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI)
Rutgers University

Type

Article

Journal

FEMS microbiology ecology

Volume

93

ISSN

0168-6496

Publication date

01.06.2017

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Microbiology, Ecology, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 13 - Climate Action

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiw228 (Access: Open)