TY - JOUR T1 - Role of Lichen Covers in Conserving Loess-derived Soils in Northern Golestan Province: Physico-chemical and Micromorphological Approach TT - نقش پوشش گلسنگ در حفاظت خاک‌های لسی شمال استان گلستان از دیدگاه فیزیکوشیمیایی و میکرومورفولوژیکی JF - JSTNAR JO - JSTNAR VL - 15 IS - 57 UR - http://jstnar.iut.ac.ir/article-1-1861-en.html Y1 - 2011 SP - 91 EP - 100 KW - Lichen KW - Aggregate stability KW - Soil conservation KW - Micromorphology KW - Loess. N2 - Biological soil covers such as lichens have critical roles in soil stability and prevention of erosion. In order to study the effect of lichen biological covers on aggregate stability and soil conservation, loess hills covered with lichen and uncovered ones were selected in Northern Golestan Province. Five samples were taken from the depth 0 to 5 cm of both two areas for physico-chemical analyses. The undisturbed soil samples were taken for micromorphological studies, too. Analyses of soils revealed that soil organic carbon content increased markedly, compared to uncovered soils. Mean weight diameter also increased about three folds in soils covered with lichen. Fungal hyphae and polysaccharides excretions bind soil particles together and increase size of aggregates. Micromorphological study of thin sections showed that uncovered soils had a weak and massive structure, but soils covered with lichen had a crumb granular and also well -separated angular block and higher proportion of voids. Due to the effect of lichen on upward movement of calcium carbonate, crystallitic b-fabric appeared in the surface layer of covered soils and speckled b-fabric underneath. Excremental pedofeatures are the most common pedofeatures in the covered soils. M3 ER -