Abstract
In early studies of biological crusts, free-living fungi of hot-desert soils were identified as conspicuous and important components of the crust structure (Fletcher and Martin 1948). Subsequent investigations revealed extensive and persistent growth of both hyphae and algal filaments that strongly influenced the aggregation of soil particles and the crust-forming properties of soils collected from a wide range of arid and semiarid environments (Thornton et al. 1956; Bond and Harris 1964; Cameron 1971). Surprisingly, recent investigations rarely or only incidentally mention fungi in characterizations of soilcrust structure and function. In this chapter, we examine the extant literature regarding the nature of fungal soil-crust relationships and address the possible functional roles attributable to this group of abundant and highly diverse microorganisms. Our report includes the results of an examination of the vertical profile of some typical biological crusts, and the soils beneath them, in search of a fungal community composition indicative of an ecological specificity for the crust environment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Ahmadjian V, Jackobs JB (1981) Relationship between fungus and algae in the lichen Cladonia cristatella Tuck. Nature 389:169–172
Alstrup V, Hawksworth DL (1990) The lichenicolous fungi of Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland. Bioscience 31:1–90
Belnap J, Gardner JS (1993) Soil micro structure in soils of the Colorado Plateau: the role of the cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus. Great Basin Nat 53:40–47
Beymer RJ, Klopatek JM (1991) Potential contribution of carbon by microphytic crusts in pinyon-juniper woodlands. Arid Soil Res Rehabil 5:187–198
Bond RD, Harris RD (1964) The influence of the microflora on physical properties of soils. I. Effects associated with filamentous algae and fungi. Aust J Soil Res 2: 111–122
Cameron RE (1971) Antarctic soil microbial and ecological investigations. In: Quam LO, Porter HD (eds) Research in the Antarctic. American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington DC, pp 137–189
Christensen M (1981) Species diversity and dominance in fungal communities. In: Wicklow DT, Carroll GC (eds) The fungal community: its role and organization in the ecosystem. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 185–199
Christensen M (1989) A view of fungal ecology. Mycologia 81:1–19
Domsch KH, Gams W, Anderson PH (1980) Compendium of soil fungi, vols 1,2. Academic Press, London
Durrell LW, Shields LM (1961) Characteristics of soil algae relating to crust formation. Trans Am Microsc Soc 80:73–79
Fletcher JE, Martin WP (1948) Some effects of algae and molds in the rain crust of desert soils. Ecology 29:95–100
Frankland JC (1974) Decomposition of lower plants. In: Dickinson CH, Pugh GJF (eds) Biology of plant litter decomposition, vol 1. Academic Press, London, pp 3–36
Friese CF, Allen MF (1991) The spread of VA mycorrhizal fungal hyphae in the soil: inoculum types and external hyphal architecture. Mycologia 38:409–418
Garty J (1992) The postfire recovery of rock-inhabiting algae, microfungi, and lichens. Can J Bot 70:301–312
Hawksworth DL (1982) Secondary fungi in lichen symbiosis: parasites, saprophytes and parasymbionts. J Hattori Bot Lab 52:357–366
Hawksworth DL (1988) The variety of fungal-algal symbioses, their evolutionary significance, and the nature of lichens. Bot J Linn Soc 96:3–20
Hawksworth DL, Kirk PM, Sutton BC, Pegler DN (1995) Ainsworth and Bisby’s dictionary of the fungi. 8th edn. CAB International, Wallingford
James PW, Hawksworth DG, Rose F (1977) Lichen communities in the British Isles: a preliminary conspectus. In: Seaward MRP (ed) Lichen ecology. Academic Press, New York, pp 295–413
Johansen JF (1993) Cryptogamic crusts of semiarid and arid lands of North America. J Phycol 29:140–147
Moller C, Gams W (1993) Two new hyphomycetes isolated from Antarctic lichens. Mycotaxon 48:441–450
Schulten JA (1985) Soil aggregation by cryptogams of a sand prairie. Am J Bot 72: 1657–1661
Staley JT, Palmer F, Adams JB (1982) Microcolonial fungi: common inhabitants on desert rocks? Science} 215:1093–1095
States JS (1978) Soil fungi of cool-desert plant communities in northern Arizona and southern Utah. J Ariz Acad Sci 13:13–17
States JS (1981) Useful criteria in the description of fungal communities. In: Wicklow DT, Carroll GC (eds) The fungal community: its role and organization in the ecosystem. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 185–199
States JS, Christensen M (2001) Fungi associated with biological crusts in desert grasslands of Utah and Wyoming. Mycologia 93(3):432–439
Thornton RH, Cowie JD, McDonald DC (1956) Mycelial aggregation of sand under Pinus radiata. Nature 177:231–232
Triebel D, Rambold G, Nash TH III (1991) On lichenicolous fungi from continental North America. Mycotaxon 42:263–296
Wasser SP, Nevo E, Vinogradova ON, Navrotskaya IL, Ellanskaya IA, Voltz PA, Virchenko VM, Tsarenko PM, Kondratyuk SY (1995) Diversity of cryptogamic plants and fungi in Evolution Canyon, Nahal Oren, Mount Carmel Natural Preserve, Israel. Isr J Plant Sci 43:367–383
Went FW (1973) Rhizomorphs in soil not connected with fungal fruiting bodies. Am J Bot 60:103–110
Zhurbenko M (1996) Lichens and lichenicolous fungi of the northern Krasnoyarsk Territory, central Siberia. Mycotaxon 58:185–232
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
States, J.S., Christensen, M., Kinter, C.L. (2001). Soil Fungi as Components of Biological Soil Crusts. 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_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56475-8_13
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43757-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-56475-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive