BLM CA Area Based Quality Index Assess Manage Biological Soil Crusts Mojave Sonoran Deserts

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This project is for BLM to work with a University to conserve and restore biotic soil crusts biocrusts, which are a major source of environmental stability and stabilization for sequestration and cycling of carbon and nitrogen in plants and soils. While the scientific understanding of biocrusts has increased greatly in the last decade, research has outstripped the capacity of managers to apply new information into decision making for making arid and semi-arid ecosystems more efficient for these essential ecological processes. As yet, no standardized method or metric exists for evaluating the ecological significance of biocrust communities at particular sites or land units. This project will test in the field one or more quality indices for biocrust function. Results from this project will determine whether individual indices or a suite of indices have broad applicability in the evaluation of ecosystem function of biocrust communities in diverse desert landscapes in BLM southern California desert wilderness areas. Development and testing of metrics will have immediate value to land managers by providing them with a practical, easy, unbiased, and quantitative means of evaluating and monitoring biocrusts to inform restoration, enhancement, and conservation measures of biocrusts.

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