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Capacity of Desert Algal Crusts to Fix Atmospheric Nitrogen
Author(s) -
Macgregor A. N.,
Johnson D. E.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1971.03615995003500050055x
Subject(s) - grassland , nitrogen , nitrogen fixation , crust , desert (philosophy) , soil crust , environmental science , biological soil crust , ethylene , hydrology (agriculture) , agronomy , soil water , geology , chemistry , biology , soil science , geochemistry , philosophy , biochemistry , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , epistemology , catalysis
Approximately 4% of the soil surface of an area of desert grassland in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona possessed algal‐crust formations. Samples of dry intact algal crusts were examined for nitrogen fixation by the acetylene‐ethylene method. Three hours after being moistened, algal crusts produced detectable levels of ethylene. Premoistened algal crusts were capable of producing ethylene equivalent to 0.7 µg of N/cm 2 of algal crust per hour. On the basis of these findings, 1 ha of desert grassland may receive a nitrogen input of 3 to 4 g of N/hour (0.3 mg to 0.4 mg N/m 2 per hr) following a rainfall.