Biological soil crust community types differ in photosynthetic pigment composition, fluorescence and carbon fixation in Shapotou region of China

Abstract In order to ensure the smooth operation of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway in Shapotou region of China (southeast edge of the Tengger Desert), vegetation protecting system was established, and then substantial biological soil crusts (BSCs) gradually developed there, however so far little study has focused on the refined crust community types and their related ecological functions. In this study, eight main crust community types were distinguished from the restoration region, and their pigment composition and photosynthetic performance were compared through spectrophotometry, chlorophyll fluorescence and infrared gas analysis technologies. The results showed that crust chlorophyll-a and carotenoids contents had a good linear relationship (R2 = 0.964; P

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