Changes in soil carbon sequestration and emission in different succession stages of biological soil crusts in a sand-binding area

Table 1 Mean soil temperature and water content at different soil depths during developmental stages of BSC

Sample plots	Item	May	June	July	August	September	October	Growing season
Control	Soil water content (%)	9.24 ± 1.31^Ab	7.63 ± 0.93^Ca	6.66 ± 0.43^Da	7.61 ± 0.61^Ca	9.42 ± 1.27 ^Aa	8.45 ± 0.23^Bb	8.16 ± 0.82^a
Algal		8.75 ± 0.79^Bc	6.41 ± 0.67^Cc	4.28 ± 1.73^Ec	5.32 ± 1.89^Dc	9.83 ± 1.03^Aa	8.18 ± 1.83^Bb	7.22 ± 1.34^b
Lichen		9.11 ± 1.15^Abc	7.15 ± 0.89^Bb	5.56 ± 1.22^Cb	5.75 ± 1.76^Cbc	9.39 ± 0.94^Aa	7.85 ± 1.69^Bb	7.58 ± 1.28^ab
Moss		10.21 ± 1.04^Aa	6.46 ± 1.78^Bc	5.05 ± 1.94^Cbc	6.14 ± 2.29^Bb	9.91 ± 1.19^Aa	9.65 ± 2.13^Aa	7.93 ± 1.73^a
Control	Soil temperature (°C)	22.51 ± 0.35^Da	35.64 ± 0.54^Aa	30.72 ± 0.53^Bb	27.16 ± 1.40^Ca	21.74 ± 0.57^Db	14.14 ± 0.37^Ea	25.31 ± 0.69^a
Algal		18.92 ± 0.99^Cc	28.01 ± 0.38^Bd	32.64 ± 0.76^Aa	27.85 ± 0.69^Ba	20.40 ± 0.37^Cb	12.72 ± 0.22^Db	23.42 ± 0.76^b
Lichen		20.85 ± 1.20^Cb	33.49 ± 0.27^Ab	32.45 ± 1.26^Aa	27.73 ± 0.49^Ba	20.78 ± 0.50^Cb	12.82 ± 0.42^Db	24.62 ± 0.79^a
Moss		20.47 ± 1.03^Db	29.30 ± 1.17^Bc	32.82 ± 1.34^Aa	27.91 ± 0.60^Ba	25.01 ± 1.17^Ca	13.17 ± 1.66^Eb	24.78 ± 1.21^a

The lower case letters indicate significant differences at 0.05 level among the four sites in the same month; the uppercase letters indicate significant differences at 0.05 level during the 6 months at the same site
BSCs biological soil crusts

ISSN: 1750-0680