title: Improved appreciation of the functioning and importance of biological soil crusts in Europe: the Soil Crust International Project (SCIN).
abstract: Here we report details of the European research initiative "Soil Crust International" (SCIN) focusing on the biodiversity of biological soil crusts (BSC, composed of bacteria, algae, lichens, and bryophytes) and on functional aspects in their specific environment. Known as the so-called "colored soil lichen community" (Bunte Erdflechtengesellschaft), these BSCs occur all over Europe, extending into subtropical and arid regions. Our goal is to study the uniqueness of these BSCs on the regional scale and investigate how this community can cope with large macroclimatic differences. One of the major aims of this project is to develop biodiversity conservation and sustainable management strategies for European BSCs. To achieve this, we established a latitudinal transect from the Great Alvar of Öland, Sweden in the north over Gössenheim, Central Germany and Hochtor in the Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria down to the badlands of Tabernas, Spain in the south. The transect stretches over 20° latitude and 2,300 m in altitude, including natural (Hochtor, Tabernas) and semi-natural sites that require maintenance such as by grazing activities (Öland, Gössenheim). At all four sites BSC coverage exceeded 30 % of the referring landscape, with the alpine site (Hochtor) reaching the highest cyanobacterial cover and the two semi-natural sites (Öland, Gössenheim) the highest bryophyte cover. Although BSCs of the four European sites share a common set of bacteria, algae (including cyanobacteria) lichens and bryophytes, first results indicate not only climate specific additions of species, but also genetic/phenotypic uniqueness of species between the four sites. While macroclimatic conditions are rather different, microclimatic conditions and partly soil properties seem fairly homogeneous between the four sites, with the exception of water availability. Continuous activity monitoring of photosystem II revealed the BSCs of the Spanish site as the least active in terms of photosynthetic active periods.
authors: Plant Ecology and Systematics, Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrödinger-Str. 13, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors: Burkhard
authors: B
authors: Büdel
authors: Plant Ecology and Systematics, Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrödinger-Str. 13, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Colesie
authors: Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain ; Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand.
authors: T G Allan
authors: TG
authors: Green
authors: Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Grube
authors: Arid Zones Research Station (CSIC), Carretera Sacramento, s/n 04120 -La Cañada de San Urbano, Almeria, Spain.
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Lázaro Suau
authors: Plant Ecology and Systematics, Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrödinger-Str. 13, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Loewen-Schneider
authors: Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria.
authors: Stefanie
authors: S
authors: Maier
authors: Department of Organismic Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Peer
authors: Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Pintado
authors: Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: José
authors: J
authors: Raggio
authors: Department of Organismic Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
authors: Ulrike
authors: U
authors: Ruprecht
authors: Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: Leopoldo G
authors: LG
authors: Sancho
authors: Botanical Institute and Botanical Gardens, Plant Ecophysiology, University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
authors: Burkhard
authors: B
authors: Schroeter
authors: Department of Organismic Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
authors: Roman
authors: R
authors: Türk
authors: Plant Ecology and Systematics, Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrödinger-Str. 13, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany ; Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max-Plank Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors: Bettina
authors: B
authors: Weber
authors: Department of Botany, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Mats
authors: M
authors: Wedin
authors: Department of Botany, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Westberg
authors: Plant Ecology and Systematics, Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrödinger-Str. 13, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Williams
authors: Department of Organismic Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
authors: Lingjuan
authors: L
authors: Zheng
keywords: Biodiversity; Biological soil crust; Bryophytes; Lichens; Net primary productivity; Soil microorganisms