Biological soil crusts and their potential applications in the sand land over Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is now experiencing ecological degradation risks as a result of climate change and human activities.The alpine grassland ecology in permafrost zones is fragile and susceptible to deterioration due to its high altitude,low temperature,and limited oxygen,which complicates the repair of damaged land.Biological soil crusts(BSCs)are crucial for land restoration in plateau regions because they can thrive in harsh conditions and have environmentally beneficial traits.Inoculated biological soil crust(IBSC)has shown success in low-altitude desert regions,but may not be easily duplicated to the plateau environment.Therefore,it is essential to do a comprehensive and multifaceted analysis of the basic theoretical comprehension and practical application of BSCs on the Tibetan Plateau.This review article aims to provide a brief summary of the ecological significance and the mechanisms related to the creation,growth,and progression of BSCs.It discusses the techniques used for cultivating BSCs in laboratories and using them in the field,focusing on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau circumstance.We thoroughly discussed the potential and the required paths for further studies.This study may be used as a basis for selecting suitable microbial strains and accompanying supplemental actions for implementing IBSCs in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Bibliometric analysis of the status and trend of biological soil crusts research from 1912 to 2023

Biological soil crusts(BSCs)play an important role in soil development and ecological function,and it is more important for quantitatively analyzing the processes and trends of BSCs to identify the advantages and disadvantages of BSCs research for the development and application of BSCs theory.Bibliometric analysis of 2,186 BSCs literatures from Web of Science showed an exponential growth trend,as China and the United States as the top 2 in terms of publication volume.High quality publications are mainly from European and American countries,such as the United States,Germany and Spain.The top 3 publishers are Journal of Arid Environments,Soil Biology&Biochemistry and Plant and Soil,and disciplines include ecology,environmental science,and soil science,etc..Research institutions mainly affiliate to the Chinese Academy of Sciences,United States Department of the Interior,United States Geological Survey,Hebrew University of Jerusalem,Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas,and Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.Authors mainly come from United States,Israel,Spain and China.Funds are mainly from the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Spanish Government,Chinese Academy of Sciences,and National Science Foundation of the United States.Biological soil crusts(biocrusts,cyanobacteria,lichens,moss crusts,bryophytes),drylands,climate change,photosynthesis and desert are high-frequency keywords.Future research will focus on the driving mechanisms of BSCs on global biogeochemical cycles,maintaining global biodiversity on important ecological processes,global C,N,and P cycles.The impact on biological invasion,sandstorms,and water balance,multifunctional and reciprocal mechanisms for maintaining the stability of desert and sandy ecosystems,and impact on the formulation of management policies for arid ecosystems,corresponding to global climate change,and the estimation of regional,local,and microscale distribution of BSCs based on machine deep learning modeling gradually focus on.The ecosystem service functions of BSCs,the soil and water conservation and soil stability mediated by BSCs in arid and semi-arid regions,and the excavation of stress resistant genes for BSCs will be emphasized.

Exploration of playa surface crusts in Qehan Lake, China through field investigation and wind tunnel experiments

Globally,many lakes are drying up,leaving exposed lakebeds where wind erosion releases dust and sand rich in salt and harmful heavy metals into the atmosphere.Therefore,understanding the characteristics and spatial distribution of playa surface crusts is important to recognize the manifestation of salt dust storms.The objective of this study was to explore the playa surface crust types as well as their spatial distribution and evolution of Qehan Lake in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China to understand the salt dust release potential of different types of playa surface crusts.Various crust characteristics were investigated by field sampling in Qehan Lake,and playa surface crusts were further divided into five types:vegetated areas,salt crusts,clay flats,curly crusts,and margins.It should be noted that curly crusts were distributed in clay flats and covered only a small area in Qehan Lake.The spatial distribution characteristics of playa surface crust types were obtained by supervised classification of remote sensing images,and the salt dust release potential of crusts was explored by the wind tunnel experiments.The field investigation of Qehan Lake revealed that playa surface crust types had a circum-lake band distribution from the inside to the outside of this lake,which were successively vegetated areas,clay flats,salt crusts,and margins.The spatial distribution patterns of playa surface crust types were mainly controlled by the hydrodynamics of the playa,soil texture,and groundwater.There was a significant negative correlation between crust thickness and electrical conductivity.The results of the wind tunnel experiments showed that the initial threshold of friction wind velocity for the salt dust release was higher in clay flats(0.7–0.8 m/s)than in salt crusts(0.5–0.6 m/s).Moreover,the particle leap impact processes occurring under natural conditions may reduce this threshold value.Salinity was the main factor controlling the difference in the initial threshold of friction wind velocity for the salt dust release of clay flats and salt crusts.This study provides a scientific reference for understanding how salt dust is released from a lakebed,which may be used for ecological restoration of dry salt lakes.

Topographic differentiations of biological soil crusts and hydraulic properties in fixed sand dunes, Tengger Desert

Biological soil crusts （BSCs） play an important role in surface soil hydrology. Soils dominated with moss BSCs may have higher infiltration rates than those dominated with cyanobacteria or algal BSCs. However, it is unnown whether improved infiltration in moss BSCs is accompanied by an increase in soil hydraulic conductivity or water retention capacity. We investigated this question in the Tengger Desert, where a 43-year-old revegetation program has promoted the formation of two distinct types of BSCs along topographic positions, i.e. the moss-dominated BSCs on the interdune land and windward slopes of the fixed sand dunes, and the al- gal-dominated BSCs on the crest and leeward slopes. Soil water retention capacity and hydraulic conductivity were measured using an indoor evaporation method and a field infiltration method. And the results were fitted to the van Genuchten-Mualem model. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivities under greater water pressure （〈-0.01 MPa） and water retention capacities in the entire pressure head range were higher for both crust types than for bare sand. However, saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivities in the near-saturation range （〉-0.01 MPa） showed decreasing trends from bare sand to moss crusts and to algal crusts. Our data suggested that topographic differentiation of BSCs significantly affected not only soil water retention and hydraulic conductivities, but also the overall hydrology of the fixed sand dunes at a landscape scale, as seen in the reduction and spatial variability in deep soil water storage.

Carbon fixation and influencing factors of biological soil crusts in a revegetated area of the Tengger Desert,northern China

Biological soil crusts （BSCs） are an important type of land cover in arid desert landscapes and play an important role in the carbon source-sink exchange within a desert system. In this study, two typical BSCs, moss crusts and algae crusts, were selected from a revegetated sandy area of the Tengger Desert in northern China, and the experiment was carried out over a 3-year period from January 2010 to November 2012. We obtained the effec- tive active wetting time to maintain the physiological activity of BSCs basing on continuous field measurements and previous laboratory studies on BSCs photosynthesis and respiration rates. And then we developed a BSCs carbon fixation model that is driven by soil moisture. The results indicated that moss crusts and algae crusts had significant effects on soil moisture and temperature dynamics by decreasing rainfall infiltration. The mean carbon fixation rates of moss and algae crusts were 0.21 and 0.13 g C/（m2.d）, respectively. The annual carbon fixations of moss crusts and algae crusts were 64.9 and 38.6 g C/（m2.a）, respectively, and the carbon fixation of non-rainfall water reached 11.6 g C/（m2.a） （30.2% of the total） and 8.8 g C/（m2.a） （43.6% of the total）, respectively. Finally, the model was tested and verified with continuous field observations. The data of the modeled and measured CO2 fluxes matched notably well. In desert regions, the carbon fixation is higher with high-frequency rainfall even the total amount of seasonal rainfall was the same.

Responses of microbial activities and soil physical-chemical properties to the successional process of biological soil crusts in the Gurbantunggut Desert,Xinjiang

Biological soil crusts （BSCs） are capable of modifying nutrient availability to favor the establishment of biogeochemical cycles. Microbial activities serve as critical roles for both carbon and nutrient transformation in BSCs. However, little is known about microbial activities and physical-chemical properties of BSCs in the Gurbantunggut Desert, Xinjiang, China. In the present research, a sampling line with 1-m wide and 20-m long was set up in each of five typical interdune areas selected randomly in the Gurbantunggut Desert. Within each sampling line, samples of bare sand sheet, algal crusts, lichen crusts and moss crusts were randomly collected at the depth of 0-2 cm. Varia- tions of microalgal biomass, microbial biomass, enzyme activities and soil physical-chemical properties in different succession of BSCs were analyzed. The relationships between microalgal biomass, microbial biomass, enzymatic activities and soil physical-chemical properties were explored by stepwise regression. Our results indicate that micro- algal biomass, microbial biomass and most of enzyme activities increased as the BSCs developed and their highest values occurred in lichen or moss crusts. Except for total K, the contents of most soil nutrients （organic C, total N, total P, available N, available P and available K） were the lowest in the bare sand sheet and significantly increased with the BSCs development, reaching their highest values in moss crusts. However, pH values significantly decreased as the BSCs developed. Significant and positive correlations were observed between chlorophyll a and microbial biomass C. Total P and N were positively associated with chlorophyll a and microbial biomass C, whereas there was a significant and negative correlation between microbial biomass and available P. The growth of cyanobacteria and microorganism contributed C and N in the soil, which offered substrates for enzyme activities thus increasing enzyme activities. Probably, improvement in enzyme activities increased soil fertility and promoted the growth of cyanobacteria, eukary- otic algae and heterotrophic microorganism, with the accelerating succession of BSCs. The present research found that microalgal-microbial biomass and enzyme activities played important roles on the contents of nutrients in the successional stages of BSCs and helped us to understand developmental mechanism in the succession of BSCs.

Distribution characteristics of seamount cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts and the determination of the size of areas for exploration and exploitation

In 2001, the International Seabed Authority （ISBA） initiated the consideration relating to the Regulations for Prospecting and Exploration for Hydrothermal Polymetallic Sulphides and Cobalt-rich Ferromanganese Crusts in the Area at its 7th session. Since then, the consideration of the Regulations has been mainly focused on the size of areas to be allocated for exploration and exploitation of the crusts. This paper, based on the investigation data and the analysis of the distribution characteristics of the crusts, suggests a model for determining the size of areas for exploration and exploitation of the crusts, taking into account various factors such as production scale, crust thickness and grade, mineable area proportion, recovery efficiency, exploration venture, and so on. Through the modeling, the paper suggests that the exploration area （the area covered by each application for approval of a plan of work for exploration of cobalt-rich crusts） shall be 4 856 km2 and the exploitation area （the mine site area） shall be 1 214 km2, for 20 years of 1 million wet tonnes annual production.

Effects of artificially cultivated biological soil crusts on soil nutrients and biological activities in the Loess Plateau

Biological soil crusts （BSCs） play an important role in the early succession of vegetation restoration in the Loess Plateau, China. To evaluate the effects of artificially cultivated BSCs on the soil surface micro-envir- onment, we obtained natural moss crusts and moss-lichen crusts from the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi province, and subsequently inoculated and cultivated on horizontal and sloping surfaces of loess soil in a greenhouse. The chemical and biological properties of the subsoil under cultivated BSCs were determined after 10 weeks of cul- tivation. The results indicated that BSCs coverage was more than 65% after 10 weeks of cultivation. Moss crust coverage reached 40% after 5 weeks of cultivation. Compared with the control, soil organic matter and available nitrogen contents in moss crust with the horizontal treatments increased by 100.87% and 48.23%, respectively; increased by 67.56% and 52.17% with the sloping treatments, respectively; they also increased in moss-lichen crust with horizontal and sloping treatments, but there was no significant difference. Available phosphorus in cultivated BSCs was reduced, soil pH was lower and cationic exchange capacity was higher in cultivated BSCs than in the control. Alkaline phosphatase, urease and invertase activities were increased in artificially cultivated BSCs, and alkaline phosphatase activity in all cultivated BSCs was obviously higher than that in the control. Numbers of soil bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes were increased in the formation process of cultivated BSCs. These results indicate that BSCs could be formed rapidly in short-term cultivation and improve the mi- cro-environment of soil surface, which provides a scientific reference for vegetation restoration and ecological reconstruction in the Loess Plateau. China.

Rare Earth Elements Composition and Constraint on the Genesis of the Polymetallic Crusts and Nodules in the South China Sea

The rare earth elements（REE） composition of the polymetallic crusts and nodules obtained from the South China Sea（SCS） were analyzed through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.Results revealed great differences in the REE abundances（∑REE） of the SCS polymetallic crusts and nodules; the crusts show the highest ∑REE, whereas the nodules exhibit the lowest ∑REE. The similarity in their NASC-normalized patterns, the enriched light REE（LREE）, the markedly positive Ce anomaly（δCe）, and the non-or weakly positive Eu anomaly（δEu）, suggest that the polymetallic crusts and nodules are of hydrogenetic origin. Moreover, the REE contents and their relevant parameters are quite different among the various layers of the crusts and nodules, which probably results from the different marginal sea environments and mineral assemblages of the samples. The growth profiles of the SCS polymetallic crusts and nodules reveal the tendency ∑REE and δCe to slightly increase from the outer to the inner layers, suggesting that the growth environments of these samples changed smoothly from an oxidizing to a relatively reducing environment; in addition, the crust ST1 may have experienced a regressive event（sea-level change） during its growth, although the REE composition of the seawater remained relatively stable. On the basis of the regional ∑REE distribution in the SCS crusts and nodules,the samples collected near the northern margin were influenced by terrigenous material more strongly compared with the other samples, and the REE contents are relatively low. Therefore, the special geotectonic environment is a significant factor influencing the abundance of elements, including REE and other trace elements. Compared with the oceanic seamount crusts and deep-sea nodules from other oceans,the SCS polymetallic crusts and nodules exhibit special REE compositions and shale-normalized patterns, implying that the samples are of marginal sea-type Fe-Mn sedimentary deposits, which are strongly affected by the epicontinental environment, and that they grew in a more oxidative seawater environment. This analysis indicates that the oxidized seawater environment and the special nano property of their Fe-Mn minerals enrich the REE adsorption.

Noble Gas Isotopic Compositions of Cobalt-rich Ferromanganese Crusts from the Western Pacific Ocean and Their Geological Implications

Noble gas isotopic compositions of various layers in three-layered （outer, porous and compact layers） cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts and their basaltic and phosphorite substrates from the western Pacific Ocean were analyzed by using a high vacuum gas mass spectrum. The analytical results show that the noble gases in the Co-rich crusts have derived mainly from the ambient seawater, extraterrestrial grains such as interplanetary dust particles （IDPs） and wind-borne continental dust grains, and locally formation water in the submarine sediments, but different noble gases have different sources. He in the crusts derives predominantly from the extraterrestrial grains, with a negligible amount of radiogenic He from the eolian dust grains. Ar is sourced mainly from the dissolved air in the seawater and insignificantly from radiogenic Ar in the eolian continental dust grains or the formation water. Xe and Ne derive mainly from the seawater, with minor amounts of extraterrestrial Xe and Ne in the IDPs. Compared with the porous and outer layers, the compact layer has a relatively high 4He content and lower 3He/4He ratios, suggesting that marine phosphatization might have greatly modified the noble gas isotopic compositions of the crusts. Besides, the 3He/4He values of the basaltic substrates of the cobalt-rich crusts are very low and their R/R. ratios are mostly 〈0.1 R., which are similar to that of phosphorite substrates （0.087 R.）, but much lower than that of fresh submarine MORB （8.75±14 Ra） or seamount basalts （3-43 Ra）, implying that the basaltic substrates have suffered strong water/rock interaction and reacted with radiogenic ^4He and P-rich upwelling marine currents during phosphatization. The trace elements released in the basalt/seawater interaction might favor the growth of cobalt-rich crusts. The relatively low ^3He/^4He values in the seamount basalts may be used as an important exploration criterion for the cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts.

Effects of moss-dominated biocrusts on soil detachment by overland flow in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China

Biological soil crusts(biocrusts)are important landscape components that exist in various climates and habitats.The roles of biocrusts in numerous soil processes have been predominantly recognized in many dryland regions worldwide.However,little is known about their effects on soil detachment process by overland flow,especially in humid climates.This study quantified the effects of moss-dominated biocrusts on soil detachment capacity(Dc)and soil erosion resistance to flowing water in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area which holds a subtropical humid climate.Potential factors driving soil detachment variation and their influencing mechanism were analyzed and elucidated.We designed five levels of coverage treatments(1%–20%,20%–40%,40%–60%,60%–80%,and 80%–100%)and a nearby bare land as control in a mossdominated site.Undisturbed soil samples were taken and subjected to water flow scouring in a hydraulic flume under six shear stresses ranging from 4.89 to 17.99 Pa.The results indicated that mean Dc of mosscovered soil varied from 0.008 to 0.081 kg m^-2 s^-1,which was 1.9 to 21.0 times lower than that of bare soil(0.160 kg m^-2 s^-1).Rill erodibility(Kr)of mosscovered soil ranged from 0.0095 to 0.0009 s m^-1,which was 2 to 20 times lower than that of bare soil(0.0187 s m^-1).Both relative soil detachment rate and Kr showed an exponential decay with increasing moss coverage,whereas the critical shear stress(τc)for different moss coverage levels did not differ significantly.Moss coverage,soil cohesion,and sand content were key factors affecting Dc,while moss coverage and soil bulk density were key factors affecting Kr.A power function of flow shear stress,soil cohesion,and moss coverage fitted well to estimate Dc(NSE=0.947).Our findings implied that biocrusts prevented soil detachment directly by their physical cover and indirectly by soil properties modification.Biocrusts could be rehabilitated as a promising soil conservation measure during ecological recovery to enhance soil erosion resistance in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

Geochemistry of rare earth elements in cobalt-rich crusts from the Mid-Pacific M seamount

Rare earth elements（REEs） and major elements of 25 cobalt-rich crusts obtained from different depths of Mid-Pacific M seamount were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer and gravimetric method.The results showed that they were hydrogenous crusts with average ∑REE content of 2084.69 μg/g and the light REE（LREE）/heavy REE（HREE） ratio of 4.84.The shale-normalized REE patterns showed positive Ce anomalies.The total content of strictly trivalent REEs increased with water depth.The Ce content and LREE/HREE ratios in Fe-Mn crusts above 2000 m were lower than those below 2000 m.The change in REE with water depth could be explained by two processes：adsorptive scavenging by setting matters and behaviors of REE in seawater.However, the Ce abundance took no obvious correlation with water depth reflects the constant Ce flux.The Ce in crusts existed mainly as Ce（IV）, implying that the oxidative-enriching process was controlled by kinetic factors.

Resources calculation of cobalt-rich crusts with the grid subdivision and integral method

On the basis of three geological models and several orebody boundaries, a method of grid subdivision and integral has been proposed to calculate and evaluate the resources of cobalt-rich crusts on the seamounts in the central Pacific Ocean. The formulas of this method are deduced and the interface of program module is designed. The method is carried out in the software ＂Auto mapping system of submarine topography and geomorphology MBChart＂. This method and program will possibly become a potential tool to calculate the resources of seamounts and determine the target diggings for China＇ s next Five-year Plan.

Kr and Xe isotopic compositions of Fe-Mn crusts from the western and central Pacific Ocean and implications for their genesis

Kr and Xe nuclide abundance and isotopic ratios of the uppermost layer of Fe-Mn Crusts from the western and central Pacific Ocean have been determined. The results indicate that the Kr and Xe isotopic composi-tions, like that of He, Ne and Ar, can be classified into two types： low3He/4He type and high3He/4He type. The low3He/4He type crusts have low84Kr and132Xe abundance, while the high3He/4He type crusts have high84Kr and132Xe abundance. The82Kr/84Kr ratios of the low3He/4He type crusts are lower than that of the air, while the83Kr/84Kr and86Kr/84Kr ratios are higher than those of the air. The Kr isotopic ratios of the high-er3He/4He type crusts are quite similar to those of the air. The128Xe/132Xe,130Xe/132Xe and131Xe/132Xe ratios of the low3He/4He type sample are distinctly lower than those of the air, whereas the129Xe/132Xe,134Xe/132Xe and136Xe/132Xe ratios are higher than those of the air. The low3He/4He type samples have the diagnostic characteristics of the MORB, with excess129, 131, 132, 134, 136Xe relative to130Xe compared with the solar wind. The128Xe/132Xe,130Xe/132Xe and131Xe/132Xe ratios of the high3He/4He type samples are slightly higher than those of the air, and the129Xe/132Xe,134Xe/132Xe and136Xe/132Xe ratios are qiute similar to those of the air. The noble gases in the Fe-Mn crusts are derived from the lower mantle, and they are a mixture of lower mantle primitive component, radiogenic component and subduction recycled component. The helium isotopic ra-tios of the low mantle reservoir are predominantly controlled by primitive He （3He） and U and Th radiogenic decayed He （4He）, but the isotopic ratios of the heavier noble gases, such as Ar, Kr and Xe, are controlled to different extent by recycling of subduction components. The difference of the noble isotopic compositions of the two type crusts is the result of the difference of the noble isotopic composition of the mantle source reservoir underneath the seamounts the crusts occurred, the noble gases of the high3He/4He type crusts are derived mainly from EM-type lower mantle reservoir, and the noble gases in the low3He/4He type crusts are derived mainly from HIMU-type lower mantle reservoir.

Shifts in community structure and function of ammoniaoxidizing archaea in biological soil crusts along a revegetation chronosequence in the Tengger Desert

Metagenomic studies have demonstrated the existence of ammonia-oxidizing archaea(AOA) and revealed they are responsible for ammoxidation in some extreme environments. However, the changes in compositional structure and ammonia-oxidation capacity of AOA communities in biological soil crusts(BSCs) of desert ecosystems remain poorly understood.Here, we utilized Illumina MiSeq sequencing and microbial functional gene array(GeoChip 5.0) to assess the above changes along a 51-year revegetation chronosequence in the Tengger Desert, China. The results showed a significant difference in AOA-community richness between 5-year-old BSCs and older ones. The most dominant phylum during BSC development was Crenarchaeota, and the corresponding species were ammonia-oxidizing_Crenarchaeote and environmental_samples_Crenarchaeota. Network analysis revealed that the positive correlations among dominant taxa increased, and their cooperation was reinforced in AOA communities during BSC succession. Redundancy analysis showed that the dominant factor influencing the change in AOA-community structure was soil texture. GeoChip 5.0 indicated that the amoA gene abundances of AOA and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria(AOB) were basically the same, demonstrating that AOA and AOB played an equally important role during BSCs development. Our study of the long-term succession of BSC demonstrated a persistent response of AOA communities to revegetation development in desert ecosystems.

Distribution of algae and cyanobacteria of biological soil crusts along the elevation gradient in mountain plant communities at the Northern Urals(Russian European Northeast)

This paper describes the biodiversity of cyanobacteria and microalgae of biological soil crusts(BSC)on bare substrates in different mountain vegetation types at the Northern Urals.In total,we identified 99 algal species from six divisions in all sampled sites.The species diversity and structure of BSC algal communities show a relationship with environmental factors(altitude,soil p H and humidity,and illumination).Taxonomic diversity of algae decreases along the altitude gradient from mountain meadow to mountain tundra.Algae and cyanobacteria species from six divisions were identified in meadow communities,five in mountain forests and four in mountain tundra.We observed a positive correlation between species diversity of phototrophic microorganisms and altitude in the forest communities,but a negative correlation in the tundra.The dominant complex of cyanobacterial and algal species in BSC was specific for each type of plant community and was reflective of the habitat conditions.The species diversity and morphological organization of the BSC algae thalli can be used as a criterion for the ongoing assessment of climatic changes in high latitudes and mountain regions.

Snowpack shifts cyanobacterial community in biological soil crusts

Winter snowpack is an important source of moisture that influences the development ofbiological soil crusts(BSCs)in desert ecosystems.Cyanobacteria are important photosynthetic organismsin BSCs.However,the responses of the cyanobacterial community in BSCs to snowpack,snow depth andmelting snow are still unknown.In this study,we investigated the cyanobacterial community compositionand diversity in BSCs under different snow treatments(doubled snow,ambient snow and removed snow)and three snow stages(stage 1,snowpack;stage 2,melting snow;and stage 3,melted snow)in theGurbantunggut Desert in China.In stages 1 and 2,Cyanobacteria were the dominant phylum in the bacterialcommunity in the removed snow treatment,whereas Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were abundant inthe bacterial communities in the ambient snow and doubled snow treatments.The relative abundances ofProteobacteria and Bacteroidetes increased with increasing snow depth.The relative abundances ofCyanobacteria and other bacterial taxa were affected mainly by soil temperature and irradiance.In stages 2and 3,the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria increased quickly due to the suitable soil moisture andirradiance conditions.Oscillatoriales,Chroococcales,Nostocales,Synechococcales and unclassifiedCyanobacteria were detected in all the snow treatments,and the most dominant taxa were Oscillatorialesand Chroococcales.Various cyanobacterial taxa showed different responses to snowpack.Soil moisture andirradiance were the two critical factors shaping the cyanobacterial community structure.The snowpackdepth and duration altered the soil surface irradiance,soil moisture and other soil properties,whichconsequently were selected for different cyanobacterial communities.Thus,local microenvironmentalfiltering(niche selection)caused by snow conditions may be a dominant process driving shifts in thecyanobacterial community in BSCs.

Copper and zinc isotope variations in ferromanganese crusts and their isotopic fractionation mechanism

Ferromanganese(Fe-Mn)crusts are potential archives of the Cu and Zn isotope compositions of seawater through time.In this study,the Cu and Zn isotopes of the top surface of 28 Fe-Mn crusts and 2 Fe-Mn nodules were analysed by MC-ICP-MS using combined sample-standard bracketing for mass bias correction.The Zn isotope compositions of the top surface of Fe-Mn crusts are in the range of 0.71‰to 1.08‰,with a mean δ^(66)Zn value of 0.94‰±0.21‰(2 SD,n=28).The δ^(65)Cu values of the top surface of Fe-Mn crusts range from 0.33‰to0.73‰,with a mean value of 0.58‰±0.20‰(2 SD,n=28).The Cu isotope compositions of Fe-Mn crusts are isotopically lighter than that of dissolved Cu in deep seawater(0.58‰vs.0.9‰).In contrast,the δ^(66)Zn values of Fe-Mn crusts appear to be isotopically heavy compared to deep seawater(0.94‰±0.21‰vs.0.51‰±0.14‰).The isotope fractionation between Fe-Mn crusts and seawater is attributed to equilibrium partitioning between the sorption to crusts and the organic-ligand-bound Cu and Zn in seawater.The Cu and Zn isotopes in the top surface of Fe-Mn crusts are not a direct reflection of the Cu and Zn isotopes,but a function of Cu and Zn isotopes in modern seawater.This study proposes that Fe-Mn crusts have the potential to be archives for paleoceanography through Cu and Zn isotope analysis.

Discussion on wind factor influencing the distribution of biological soil crusts on surface of sand dunes

Biological soil crusts are widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions, whose formation and development have an important impact on the restoration process of the desert ecosystem. In order to explore the relationship between surface airflow and development characteristics of biological soil crusts, we studied surface airflow pattern and development characteristics of biological soil crusts on the fixed dune profile through field observation. Results indicate that the speed of near-surface airflow is the lowest at the foot of windward slope and the highest at the crest, showing an increasing trend from the foot to the crest. At the leeward side, although near-surface airflow increases slightly at the lower part of the slope after an initial sudden decrease at upper part of the slope, its overall trend decreases from the crest. Wind velocity variation coefficient varied at different heights over each observation site. The thickness, shear strength of biological soil crusts and percentage of fine particles at crusts layer decreased from the slope foot to the upper part, showing that biological soil crusts are less developed in high wind speed areas and well developed in low wind speed areas. It can be seen that there is a close relationship between the distribution of biological soil crusts in different parts of the dunes and changes in airflow due to geomorphologic variation.