Articles | Volume 8, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-8-717-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-8-717-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Original research article
| 
07 Dec 2022
Original research article |
| 07 Dec 2022
| 07 Dec 2022
Biocrust-linked changes in soil aggregate stability along a climatic gradient in the Chilean Coastal Range
Nicolás Riveras-Muñoz
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geosciences, Soil Science and Geomorphology, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 19–23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
Steffen Seitz
Department of Geosciences, Soil Science and Geomorphology, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 19–23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
Kristina Witzgall
Soil Science,Technical University of Munich, Emil-Ramann-Str. 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
Victoria Rodríguez
GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Peter Kühn
Department of Geosciences, Soil Science and Geomorphology, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 19–23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
Carsten W. Mueller
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Rómulo Oses
Centro Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Sustentable de Atacama (CRIDESAT), Universidad de Atacama, Copayapu 485, Copiapó, Chile
Oscar Seguel
Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Chile, Av. Santa Rosa #11315, La Pintana, 8820808 Santiago, Chile
Dirk Wagner
GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Institute of Geosciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24–25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
Thomas Scholten
Department of Geosciences, Soil Science and Geomorphology, University of Tübingen, Rümelinstr. 19–23, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
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Short summary
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) stabilize the soil surface mainly in arid regions but are also present in Mediterranean and humid climates. We studied this stabilizing effect through wet and dry sieving along a large climatic gradient in Chile and found that the stabilization of soil aggregates persists in all climates, but their role is masked and reserved for a limited number of size fractions under humid conditions by higher vegetation and organic matter contents in the topsoil.
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) stabilize the soil surface mainly in arid regions but are...
