Premium
SOIL AGGREGATION BY CRYPTOGAMS OF A SAND PRAIRIE
Author(s) -
Schulten Julia A.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1985.tb08433.x
Subject(s) - lichen , moss , soil water , biology , hypha , botany , fungus , cyanobacteria , ecology , bacteria , genetics
Cryptogam‐covered, sandy soils of the Big Sand Mound prairie in southeastern Iowa are significantly more aggregated than bare soils. Soil particles covered by moss are intertwined by rhizoids, whereas cyanobacteria and lichen fungal hyphae adhere to the particles and glue them together. Lichen‐covered samples that were tested and oven dried, then retested 2 yr later, retain their aggregation, indicating that the aggregating material is stable even after the death of the fungus.