Biological soil crusts play an important role in arid and semiarid ecosystems. Based on the available research
achievements of our team, the experimental areas with the similar climatic conditions and different soil textures
in the wind-water erosion region on the Loess Plateau were selected to study the similarities and differences of
development and ecological functions of biological soil crusts between loessland and Mu Us sandy land. The results
are as follows: ① The main biological soil crust species in both loessland land and sandy land were moss crusts.
The species composition of moss crusts were Bryum argenteum Hedw. ,B. caepititicium Hedw. and B. algovicum
Sendt. in loessland,but the B. pallescens,B. recurvulum and B. argenteum in sandy land. The highest coverage of biological
soil crusts under arbor-shrub vegetation was 77. 5% in sandy land,and the lowest one under perennial herbs
was 50. 5% in loessland. In sandy land the thickest biological soil crust under annual herbs was 11. 8 mm,and the
thinnest one under perennial herbs was 9. 5 mm; the highest shear strength of biological soil crusts under perennial
herbs in loessland was 26. 5 kPa,and the lowest one under perennial herbs in sandy land was 3. 5 kPa; the highest
density of biological soil crusts under annual herbs in sandy land was 1. 9 g·cm - 3,and the lowest one under perennial
herbs in loessland was 1. 1 g·cm - 3 ; ② When the values of precipitation in loessland and sandy land were
8. 0 mm and 40. 5 mm respectively, the soil infiltration rate in loessland was significantly higher than that in sandy
land,but for the total infiltration ( sum of increased soil moisture) , there was no significant difference between loessland
and sandy land; ③ The average increase of soil moisture content at 0 - 200 cm soil profile in loessland was
1. 4% and 1. 9% higher than that in sandy land; ④ Whether there were herbs or not,biological soil crusts had positive
effects on soil loss reduction in both loessland and sandy land,and the highest contribution of biological soil
crusts to soil loss reduction in sandy land was 90. 6%,and the lowest one in loessland was only 0. 3%.
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