Lipson Lab HOME |
Current and Recent Research Projects |
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Research in desert scrub ecosystems of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico |
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The role of cryptobiotic soil crusts and vascular plants in patterning microbial communities in desert scrub ecosystemsWe are investigating how cryptobiotic crusts of varying levels of successional development and the dominant vascular plants of this ecosystem affect soil microbial communities and processes. This work is being carried out in conjunction with researchers at CIBNOR in La Paz, and with the Sustainability of Coastal Ecosystems field biology coarse taught jointly through SDSU and CIBNOR |
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Soil crusts grow in the shelter of plants of this desert scrub ecosystem. These crusts are held together by polysaccharides produced by cyanobacteria, algae and lichens, and harbor unique microbial communities. |
Publications resulting from this work: |
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| Lipson DA, Dane LS, Lopez A, Maya Y (2006) Novel diversity of bacterial 16S rRNA and rbcL genes from cryptobiotic soil crusts. (in preparation). | ||