Sand colonization and initiation of soil development by cyanobacteria and algae
2007
Rahmonov, O., University of Silesia, Sosnowiec (Poland). Department of Physical Geography | Piątek, J., Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków (Poland). W. Szafer Institute of Botany. Department of Phycology
There are no stages of soil cover development in which cyanobacteria and algae do not participate. The degree of algae distribution on the ground and in the soil profile varies. As a result, the role of algae at particular stages of soil development and in different soils is differentiated. The most obvious and significant role of algae is connected with the process of rock weathering and primary humus formation on purely mineral substrata. The research work consisted in determining the species composition of soil cyanobacteria and algae and their role in sand colonisation and soil development. Occurrence of 11 species of cyanobacteria and algae was recorded in the Pustynia Błędowska desert area (six Cyanophyta; one Bacillariophyceae; four Chlorophyta (3 taxa, 1 sp.) in 2001 and 2002. The physico-chemical properties of the soil varied under different communities of cyanobacteria and algae. The highest contents of Nt, Corg, available P and exchangeable cations such as Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+ were observed under Cylindrocapsa sp. cover. Microscopic examinations revealed the existence of intricate filament nets composed of cyanobacteria and algae, which connect mobile sands and intercept the finest mineral fractions carried by the wind. Sand stabilisation by algae contributed to the initiation of soil forming processes.
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