Fig 1.
Light microscopy images of Nostoc sp. (A), Phormidium sp. (B) and Scytonema arcangeli (C) and their inoculum in plastic containers.
Fig 2.
Wind tunnel test in the field.
Fig 3.
Rapidly formed cyanobacterial crust images in the field at 4 and 12 months after inoculation.
(Con) control soil; (CY) cyanobacteria treated soil; (CST) cyanobacteria with SAP and TKS7 treated soil; (N-BSC) natural cyanobacterial crust. The photos of the 4 month old crusts were taken when the soil was wet. Photos of the 12 month old crusts and the N-BSC were taken when the soil was dry.
Fig 4.
Fragment size distribution (A, B) and mean weight diameter values (C) of cyanobacterial crusts after 4 and 12 months of development. (Con) control soil; (CY) cyanobacteria treated soil; (CST) cyanobacteria with SAP and TKS7 treated soil; (N-BSC) natural cyanobacterial crust. Values represent the means of quadruplicate measurements. Values with the same letter are not significantly different according to the multiple comparison test (95% Duncan’s post hoc tests). Error bars represent the standard errors.
Table 1.
Biological and physical measurements of cyanobacterial crusts after 4 and 12 months of development.
Fig 5.
Threshold friction velocity values of cyanobacterial crusts after 12 months of development.
The images were taken after the wind tunnel test. (Con) control soil; (CY) cyanobacteria treated soil; (CST) cyanobacteria with SAP and TKS7 treated soil; (N-BSC) natural cyanobacterial crust. Values represent the means of triplicate measurements. Values with the same letter are not significantly different according to the multiple comparison test (95% Duncan’s post hoc tests). Error bars represent the standard errors.
Fig 6.
Total carbohydrate (A), chlorophyll a (B), organic carbon (C), soil respiration (D), carbon fixation (E) and microbial biomass carbon (F) of cyanobacterial crusts after 4 and 12 months of development. (Con) control soil; (CY) cyanobacteria treated soil; (CST) cyanobacteria with SAP and TKS7 treated soil; (N-BSC) natural cyanobacterial crust. Values represent the means of triplicate measurements. Values with the same letter are not significantly different according to the multiple comparison test (95% Duncan’s post hoc tests). Error bars represent the standard errors.
Fig 7.
Relationship between MWD values and each soil content factor (total carbohydrate, chlorophyll a, organic carbon).
Fig 8.
Quantum yield efficacy of PSII (ΔF/Fmʹ) (A, B) and relative electron transport rate (rETR) (C, D) of cyanobacterial crust after 4 and 12 months of development. (Con) control soil; (CY) cyanobacteria treated soil; (CST) cyanobacteria with SAP and TKS7 treated soil; (N-BSC) natural cyanobacterial crust. Values represent the means of triplicate measurements. Error bars represent the standard errors.
Fig 9.
Soil surface of the inoculated crusts immediately after heavy rain in the field.
(Con) control soil; (CY) cyanobacteria treated soil; (CST) cyanobacteria with SAP and TKS7 treated soil.