Effects of microbiotic crusts on evaporation from the revegetated area in a Chinese desert
Lichao Liu A B , Yaoxuan Song A , Yanhong Gao A , Tao Wang A and Xinrong Li AA Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 260 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, China.
B Corresponding author. Email: lichao@lzb.ac.cn
Australian Journal of Soil Research 45(6) 422-427 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR06175
Submitted: 12 December 2006 Accepted: 27 July 2007 Published: 20 September 2007
Abstract
Conflicting views exist on the evaporative effects of microbiotic crusts. The effects of microbiotic crusts on evaporation were studied using a microlysimeter under different simulated precipitation. The results show that under minor precipitation, the microbiotic crusts generally act as a retarding factor for evaporation, prolonging water retention in the surface layer in comparison with sandy soil, whereas under abundant precipitation, the crusts result in less infiltration and a greater total water loss through evaporation. It is possible that microbiotic crusts act as a major environmental driver in the succession of restored vegetation through their influence on evaporative water loss.
Additional keywords: microbiotic crusts, evaporation, restored vegetation, arid zone.
Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge 2 anonymous reviewers for providing valuable scientific review of the manuscript. This research was financially supported by the Chinese National Natural Sciences Foundation (Grant No. 40671011) and Talent Program of CAREERI.
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