Caracterización microtopográfica e influencia de las costras biológicas en la rugosidad del suelo en el centro-oeste de la Argentina

Background and aims: The influence of biological soil crusts (BSC) on soil roughness is an important function of these communities at the ecosystem level. Our objective was to characterize microtopographically the different types of BSC and evaluate their effect on the roughness of the soil along three systems differentiated by their degree of aridity. MM by different and complementary techniques: chain method, photographic analysis and technique of metal rods. For the first one, a block design was used, while for the other two, we worked on the types of dominant biological crusts in each system. Results: The morphology of the BSC varied according to the type of dominant organism. The mosses had a low height and were classified as gently undulating, the cyanobacteria had more abrupt peaks, and was classified as pinnacled, and the lichens had two height frequencies and were classified as rolling. The BSC influenced the roughness in the three sites evaluated. The type of BSC that dominated influenced the level of roughness found. The hyper-arid site was the site where the BSC had the most significant impact on roughness. Conclusions: The microtopographic variations and the increase in roughness provided by the BSC is key to understanding the dynamics of the Monte because small interruptions on the soil such as those generated by the BSC could increase water availability and decrease nutrient losses by erosion, two fundamental aspects of the functioning of these fragile systems.