Abstract

Potash tailing piles caused by fertilizer production shape their surroundings because of the associated salt impact. A previous study in these environments addressed the functional community “biocrust” comprising various micro- and macro-organisms inhabiting the soil surface. In that previous study, biocrust microalgae and cyanobacteria were isolated and morphologically identified amongst an ecological discussion. However, morphological species identification maybe is difficult because of phenotypic plasticity, which might lead to misidentifications. The present study revisited the earlier species list using an integrative approach, including molecular methods. Seventy-six strains were sequenced using the markers small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS). Phylogenetic analyses confirmed some morphologically identified species. However, several other strains could only be identified at the genus level. This indicates a high proportion of possibly unknown taxa, underlined by the low congruence of the previous morphological identifications to our results. In general, the integrative approach resulted in more precise species identifications and should be considered as an extension of the previous morphological species list. The majority of taxa found were common in saline habitats, whereas some were more likely to occur in nonsaline environments. Consequently, biocrusts in saline environments of potash tailing piles contain unique microalgae and cyanobacteria that will possibly reveal several new taxa in more detailed future studies and, hence, provide new data on the biodiversity, as well as new candidates for applied research.

Highlights

  • Biological soil crusts are multidimensional communities consisting of various microand macro-organisms, which inhabit the first millimeters of the soil [1]

  • We found lineages in the Moewusinia, Chlorogonia, and Chloromonadinia (Chloromonas), as well as an independent lineage formed by the genus Borodinellopsis

  • Many taxa of already known salt-tolerant green algae and cyanobacteria were found in biocrusts of extremely saline potash tailing pile habitats using an integrative approach

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are multidimensional communities consisting of various microand macro-organisms, which inhabit the first millimeters of the soil [1]. They include microalgae and cyanobacteria, as well as protists, heterotrophic bacteria, and fungi, and in later successional stages, lichens and mosses might grow [1]. Biocrusts are vulnerable against disturbances, such as trampling [5,6,7,8], and endangered by climate change [9]. This stresses the relevance of biocrust research, along with the great interest on their multifunctional ecosystem services in the growing field of applied biocrust research [10,11,12,13,14]

Objectives
Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call