Biological Crust Diversity Related to Elevation and Soil Properties at Local Scale in a Montane Scrub of Ecuador

Journal of Fungi · 5 authors, 2 centres

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The authors found a bell-shaped or hump-shaped distribution pattern of BSC diversity across elevations.

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The authors found a bell-shaped or hump-shaped distribution pattern of BSC diversity across elevations. The study also suggested that BSC diversity acts as a regulator of soil organic matter content, providing nutrients to soil and microorganisms.

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other

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preclinical research

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10058557

Biological Crust Diversity Related to Elevation and Soil Properties at Local Scale in a Montane Scrub of Ecuador

Journal of Fungi

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ABSTRACT

Abstract The montane shrublands of southern Ecuador represent one of the least studied ecosystems, which in the last decade have been seriously threatened by increasing wildfires, deforestation, overgrazing, and conversion to forest plantations. Our main objective was to determine, at the local scale, the diversity of species composing the biological soil crust (BSC) at three elevations (2100, 2300, and 2500 m.a.s.l.) and their possible relationships with soil physical and chemical properties in montane shrublands. For this purpose, three monitoring plots of 100 m 2 were established at each elevation, and within each plot, 20 subplots were established (180 subplots sampled in total). In addition, composite soil samples were collected at a depth of 0 to 10 cm, and some physical and biochemical parameters (e.g., bulk density, texture, pH, organic matter, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and potassium) of the soil were analyzed. The results show 35 species (23 lichens, 10 bryophytes and 2 cyanobacteria) at three elevations with a bell-shaped or hump-shaped distribution pattern. This allowed us to point out that the species richness was higher at the intermediate elevations and that the composition showed significant differences in the three elevations related to soil factors. Elevation and soil drivers may help to better chose the more suitable biological soil crust (lichen-dominated and bryophyte-dominated BSC) for the management and conservation of the montane scrub of Ecuador, which is strongly threatened by human activities. Keywords: diversity, lichens, bryophytes, biological soil crust, richness, elevation

CITATION EXPORT

Leslye Ruiz, Vinicio Carrión-Paladines, Marlon Vega et al.. Biological Crust Diversity Related to Elevation and Soil Properties at Local Scale in a Montane Scrub of Ecuador. Journal of Fungi. (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9030386

AUTHORS

5 · 2 CENTRES

Leslye Ruiz, Vinicio Carrión-Paladines, Marlon Vega, Fausto López, Ángel Benítez

1Carrera de Biología, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto s/n, Loja 1101608, Ecuador
2Biodiversidad de Ecosistemas Tropicales-BIETROP, Herbario HUTPL, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto s/n, Loja 1101608, Ecuador