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ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías

SECTION B: LIFE SCIENCES

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2015)

Abundance patterns and components richness of biological soil crust in a dry shrubland in southern Ecuador

DOI
https://doi.org/10.18272/aci.v7i1.228
Submitted
November 24, 2015
Published
2015-05-22

Abstract

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) result from an intimate association between soil particles and cyanobacteria, algae, microfungi, lichens, and bryophytes. Important advances in the understanding of BSC and their key role in ecosystem processes in dry lands are widely known. However, little is known about the small-scale patterns of abundance and distribution of BSC-forming lichens, mosses and cyanobacteria in South America, particularly in Ecuador. In order to fill this important information gap, we set to identify patterns of abundance and richness of mosses and lichens forming BSC along the elevation gradient of dry southern Ecuador. To reach our objective, we identify three levels at 1400, 1500 and 1600 m elevation. At each level, we selected 180 subplots (60 per elevation level). Each subplot (25 × 25 cm quadrat) was divided into 5 × 5 cm, spread over a homogeneous area of 1.5 ha. The richness and cover of species forming BSC (lichens, mosses and cyanobacteria) were estimated. We conducted a variance analysis to evaluate the effect of elevation on the richness and diversity of species. We found 24 species in the three elevation levels, sixteen lichens (two are first reports for Ecuador), five mosses, two cyanobacteria, and one pteridophyta. Our results clearly show that the species richness of BSC respond to elevation. Our research becomes the first report of BSC in Ecuador and adds new information on the abundance and species richness of BSC.

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