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Micrometeorology of a Smooth and Rugose Biological Soil Crust Near Coon Bluff, Arizona

Abstract Extensive research has been conducted on the structure, function, and management of biological soil crusts (BSCs) (cf. Belnap and Lange 2003). Little research, however, has been conducted on spatial aspects of BSCs, such as (micro)climate, biogeomorphology, and model-building for large area assessment and management. This preliminary experiment explores the micrometeorology of both a dry and a wet stand of BSC on a pediment in the Sonoran Desert. A researcher-induced precipitation event was used to simulate an actual precipitation event on a 0.5-m2 plot; another, adjacent plot was left “dry.” Using a thermister, connected to a datalogger, temperature above, in, and below the BSC was recorded in 5-min intervals over a 24-hr period. Simultaneously, using a solarimeter, incoming and outgoing radiation measurements were recorded at the same temporal scale and intervals. The data show a significant difference between the dry and wet BSC plots in both temperature and outgoing radiation over the temporal scale tested. Perhaps due in part to the activation of microorganisms and color changing of surface organisms when a precipitation event happens, the wet BSC plot experienced less extreme temperatures and a consistently positive outgoing radiation flux. The study also demonstrates the need for further research in the area of BSC spatiality and microclimate, and advocates for the use of research methods that may have been overlooked in present BSC research endeavors.