An Investigation of the Cryptobiotic Community from Sandstone Cliffs in Southeast Ohio

Abstract

Because of harsh environmental conditions, cliff walls tend to have depauparate vascular plant floras. However, the resistance to desiccation and low light requirements of algae and cyanobacteria make them integral components of cliff walls. In addition, protozoa may be present within moist microhabitats. To document part of the cryptobiotic flora of these habitats, nine cliffs were sampled in the Hocking Hills, Ohio, vicinity over a 3‐mo period in the spring of 1999. A total of 140 infrageneric algal and 25 nonphotosynthetic protozoan taxa were recorded. The algal flora was dominated by bacillariophytes (80 taxa), with cyanobacteria (43), chlorophytes (12), euglenophytes (4), and xanthophytes (1) comprising the remainder of observed taxa. The majority of cyanobacterial taxa were chroococcalian forms that were collected at all nine sites. In addition, 15 nonnitrogen‐fixing filamentous forms were observed but tended to be less abundant. Protozoan taxa were comprised of ciliates (18 taxa), heliozoans (4), a...