Abstract
Since natural restoration combined with artificial auxiliary measures may achieve a relatively rapid restoration effect at a lower cost, it has become an essential measure for the ecological restoration of rock slopes. Previous studies have focused heavily on the relationship between substrate nutrients and water conditions and the development of mosses on the rock surface, but quantitative characterization of substantial effect of rock surface texture (e.g., microrelief) on moss growth is absent. The undulating microrelief on the rock surface can increase the heterogeneity of the microhabitat, which may be an important factor affecting the development of moss-dominated biocrusts. In this study, the roughness of rock surfaces, moss coverage and biomass, weight and major nutrient contents of soils within the biocrusts were measured in the western mountainous area of Sichuan Province, Southwest China to further examine the role of rock surface microrelief in the biocrusts. The results showed that three main factors affecting the development of the biocrusts were bryophyte emergence, soil accumulation, and lithology. The presence of moss accelerates soil formation on rock surfaces and lead to the accumulation of nutrients so that all parts of the moss-dominated biocrusts system can develop synergistically. It was found that a microrelief structure with a roughness between 1.5 and 2.5 could gather soil and bryophyte propagules effectively, which may have a strong relationship with the angle of repose. When the roughness is 1.5, the corresponding undulation angle is very close to the theoretical minimum value of the undulation angle calculated according to the relationships between the undulation angle of the protrusion, slope and angle of repose.
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This work was supported by the Project of Assessment on Post-quake Ecosystem and Environment Recovery in Jiuzhaigou under Grant 5132202020000046, the National Key Research and Development Programme of China under Grant 2017YFC0504902.
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Zhao Xin-yue: Writing–original draft (lead); Visualization (lead); Formal Analysis (equal); Data curation (equal); Writing–review and editing (lead). Zhao Mao-qiang: Investigation (lead); Data curation (equal); Methodology (equal). Wang Pan-pan: Investigation (equal); Resources (equal); Supervision (equal). Dai Yu-quan: Formal analysis (equal); Data curation (equal); Visualization (equal). Pu Wan-qiu: Investigation (equal); Methodology (equal). Huang Cheng-min: Supervision (lead); Resources (lead); Methodology (equal); Writing–original draft (equal); Writing–review and editing (equal).
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Zhao, Xy., Zhao, Mq., Wang, Pp. et al. Influence of surface roughness on the development of moss-dominated biocrusts on mountainous rock-cut slopes in West Sichuan, China. J. Mt. Sci. 20, 2181–2196 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-023-7958-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-023-7958-0