Development of a soil crust identification guide for White Sand National Monument Citizen Science Program

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This project will allow baseline data to be obtained on biological soil crusts within the Worldâ¿¿s Largest Gypsum Dune Field at White Sands National Monument in support of a citizen science program. The inventory will focus on non-flowering plants and plantlike organisms, including lichens, bryophytes, eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria representing the soil cryptogam diversity. This project will also determine the ecological functionality of these organisms throughout the gypsum system. Globally gypsum soils have been shown to promote a rich endemic flora of vascular plants. The Chihuahua Desert in New Mexico is especially distinguished by large areas of gypsum with a rich endemic vascular plant flora. Yet, data on the gypsum cryptogams are sparse and to date cryptogams have never been systematically surveyed at the monument. The information from this inventory will provide new media for public interpretation and understanding and be used to develop a crust identification guide, a simplified distribution map for the dune drive, and a collection of crust specimens. The associated analyses, morphological species descriptions, and photo documentation will provide important baseline information about unique environmental and biological conditions that formed and preserve this incredible gypsum island.

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