Attributes of biological crust for use in the restoration of ecosystems, Mendoza

EDUARDO MARTÍNEZ CARRETERO; MARIO HERRERA MORATTA; ANA LAURA NAVAS ROMERO; MARÍA ANDREA DUPLANCIC

Mendoza

Congreso; XXXVI Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2018

In Argentina, more and more human activities result in a significant deterioration of the biological surface of the soil. Biological soil crusts (CB) provide significant ecosystem services to drylands. With the intention of knowing CB attributes that allow evaluating their role in restoration, our objective was to determine the stability, compaction, moisture retention, content of organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, temperature and radiation in soils covered with biological crusts. The study area was located in the Dept. Las Heras, Mendoza. Thirty blocks of 2 m2 were built at random in the extension of the interparche. Each block was made up of two zones, one with a biological crust (CCB) and another without a biological crust (SCB), separated by 50 cm. In each block soil stability (Herrick´s test), compaction (dual penetrometer), moisture retention (saturation and weighing), content of organic matter (calcination), nitrogen (Kjedahl), phosphorus (photometry of flame), temperature (digital thermometer) and radiation (point radiometer) were measured. Significant differences were found (p