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The role of aerial algae in the formation of the landscape of the Yunnan Stone Forest, Yunnan Province, China

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Abstract

Aerial algae on the surface of carbonate rocks at the Stone Forest, Shilin County, Yunnan Province, China, and their bioerosion were investigated in the field and studied in the laboratory in detail. Through the observation, identification and statistics of more than one hundred algal samples and rock samples with the optical microscopes (stereomicroscope, biological microscope) and the scanning electronic microscope (SEM), the relationships between erosional forms on the surface of the Stone Forest and algae and/or algal communities and the genetic mechanism for the formation of erosional forms were analyzed. It is suggested that aerial algae play an active role in bioerosive processes that may affect the formation of karst erosional forms. These effects include both direct and indirect ones. The direct effect is the initiative control (“algal shape-controlling role”) of algae on the formation of karst forms of various scales, mostly micro-scale (<10−3m) and minor-scale (10−3–10−1m) erosional forms. The algal shape-controlling roles can be divided into the algal individual shape-controlling role and the algal community shape-controlling role. The former mostly controls the formation of micro-scale erosional forms, while the latter mostly controls the formation of micro-scale and smaller minor-scale erosional forms. The indirect effect refers to the “promoting role” of algae in the formation of karst forms, which may affect the formation of karst forms of all types and scales. The bioerosion of algae accelerates the weathering process of the whole Stone Forest karst landforms.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 410071017 and 90202017) and the Chinese Shilin Research Foundation (Grant No. 199901). We are grateful to Prof. Zeng Zhaoqi and Prof. Liu Zhili, Department of Biology, Nanjing University, for their warmful direction and assistance. We also thank the Management Office of National key Shilin Scenic Spot, Yunnan Province, China, for its great help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Youping Tian & Linhua Song

  2. Department of Geography, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Jie Zhang & Haosheng Bao

  3. School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Youping Tian

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  1. Youping Tian
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  2. Jie Zhang
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  3. Linhua Song
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Correspondence to Youping Tian.

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Tian, Y., Zhang, J., Song, L. et al. The role of aerial algae in the formation of the landscape of the Yunnan Stone Forest, Yunnan Province, China. SCI CHINA SER D 47, 846–864 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1360/02yd0381

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