A networking resource devoted to biological soil crusts and the researchers who study them. We will provide a means for international scientists to communicate, share their research, share important news and announcements, ask questions and find collaborators. We will also provide a space for informal writing on research, opinion, and ideas (now seeking posters!).

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Random (or at least haphazard) photo dump


The benefit of never downloading your photos is that there are forgotten gems in there when you do get around to it. These shots are from a river trip in the Grand Canyon, in Fall 2011. I volunteered on a bighorn sheep research trip, and while looking for sheep feces I also made a ton of magnetic measurements of rocks and checked out the crust flora. Don't ask, these are just things I do in my spare time.

These are some shots from the vicinity of mile 30 or so, or crusts growing on soils derived from the redwall limestone in Marble Canyon.




Psora crenata. This species is not common on the Colorado Plateau, but really the canyon bottom is getting close to a hot desert climate. I also see lets of this near Sedona, AZ, on soils derived from the Supai formation, and in the verde valley, AZ, on the verde limestone.
 





Peltula sp. (maybe richardsii). I did not collect this, but it does look distinct from the teeny, mostly sterile Peltula patellata I am used to seeing in Colorado Plateau environments. The giant red apothecia were clearly visible from a standing position, and caught my eye from meters away. The squamules are notable smoother than patellata. There's also a tiny bright green Bryum moss clearly visible.

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