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Rapid ex situ culture of N-fixing soil lichens and biocrusts is enhanced by complementarity

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Abstract

Background and aims

Rehabilitation of biological soil crusts (biocrusts) in degraded drylands may facilitate ecosystem recovery. In order to rehabilitate biocrusts, ex situ culture methods for biocrust organisms must be optimized so that biocrusts may be grown in sufficient quantities to be reintroduced into degraded areas. Our goal was to improve these culture methods.

Methods

We cultured six biocrust lichens and mosses, alone or in combinations, in a full-factorial greenhouse experiment, also manipulating water quality and hydration schedule.

Results

All cultures produced a multi-species biocrust. The lichen Collema grew fastest, increasing by up to 238 % over 5 months. The mosses Syntrichia caninervis, and Syntrichia ruralis also grew, whereas other lichen species failed to maintain growth. Species combinations featuring Collema and both mosses exhibited greater growth rates for all species, compared to monocultures. All species were either unaffected by water quality, or performed better when irrigated with purer water. Several species responded favorably to shorter dry periods.

Conclusions

The lichen Collema is a promising restoration material because of its culturability, and its N-fixation ability. Initial species composition of a culture will likely affect its success, and complementarity among species may be exploitable in order to produce inoculum faster.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (Grant number RC- 2329; Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and Environmental Protection Agency), Northern Arizona University’s Faculty Grants Program, and the Bureau of Land Management Colorado State Office. Technical assistance was provided by Jeff Wright, Hilda Smith, and Phil Patterson. We thank Hill Air Force Base Utah Test and Training Range, and Russell Lawrence (Natural Resources Division) for facilitating access to field sites. We thank Drs. Thomas Kuyper, Ted Melis, Barbara Ralston, Jim Grace, and two anonymous reviewers for constructive feedback on early drafts. Use of trade, product, or firm names is for information purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, 86011, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA

    Matthew A. Bowker & Anita J. Antoninka

  2. US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ, 86001, USA

    Matthew A. Bowker

  3. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, CB 334 Ramaley N285, Boulder, CO, 80305, USA

    Anita J. Antoninka

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  1. Matthew A. Bowker
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Correspondence to Matthew A. Bowker.

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Responsible Editor: Thom W. Kuyper .

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Bowker, M.A., Antoninka, A.J. Rapid ex situ culture of N-fixing soil lichens and biocrusts is enhanced by complementarity. Plant Soil 408, 415–428 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2929-7

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