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Biological Soil Crusts of North America

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Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function, and Management

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 150))

Abstract

Biological soil crusts in North America are diverse and found in many different habitats. On a broad scale, there are several different vegetation zones or ecoregions in western North America that contain biological soil crusts as major components (Fig. 2.1, Table 2.1). These include hot deserts (Mojave, Chihuahuan, Sonoran; see Chap. 1, Photos 34, 35), cool deserts (Great Basin, Colorado Plateau; also often denoted as semideserts, Photos 29–33), the coastal woodlands, chaparral and islands of California; and the subhumid grasslands of the Great Plains. These habitats span a large range of annual precipitation (75–740 mm) and annual mean temperatures (4–24°C). Soil crusts are also found on a smaller scale in shallow lithic sites, infertile forest soils, alpine habitats, and more mesic ecosystems as an early successional vegetation type.

Arid and semiarid ecoregions of western North America.Areas shaded in black are cool deserts,while grayshaded areas are hot deserts

Soil, climatic and vegetative characteristics for low and mid-elevations in North Amrican arid, semaiarid, and subhumid ecoregions. (After Bailey 1994, MacMahon 1987)

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Authors
  1. R. Rosentreter
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  2. J. Belnap
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 2290 S. Resource Blvd., Moab, Utah, 84532, USA

    Jayne Belnap

  2. Lehrstuhl für Botanik II, Universität Würzburg Julius-von-Sachs-Institut für Biowissenschaften, Julius-von-Sachs-Platz 3, 97082, Würzburg, Germany

    Otto L. Lange

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© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Rosentreter, R., Belnap, J. (2001). Biological Soil Crusts of North America. In: Belnap, J., Lange, O.L. (eds) Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function, and Management. Ecological Studies, vol 150. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56475-8_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56475-8_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43757-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-56475-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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