GB1

 
                       View at site 1                                                        Typical crust at site 1

Great Basin National Park, North Fork Big Wash, White Pine County, Nevada, USA.   38º 53.270' N latitude, 114º 11.322' W longitude; elevation 6800 feet.  Date of sampling:  12 July 1999.

Dominant vascular plants:  Juniperus osteosperma, P. monophylla, Cercocarpus cutricatus, Purshia mexicana, Symphoricarpus sp., Squawbush, Ephedra, Artemisia tridentata (2 varieties), Penstemon sp., Needle and thread grass, Pinus deulis.

Mean lichen crust thickness: 9.0 mm
Mean moss crust thickness: 9.8 mm

Cover summary:

Type Cover                % Cover
Shrubs                               4.8
Annual grasses                0.0  
Perennial grasses            2.4
Perennial forbs                0.8
Algal crust                        7.7
Bryophytes                     29.4
Lichens                              9.7
Bare Soil                            6.5
Rock                                 14.0
Gravel                              16.9 
Litter                                21.4
Cactus                                0.0

Chlorophyll a (ng/g):  5762.31
N fixation rate (mmole/n2/m2/hr): 1297.15
Soil texture class:  sandy loam

GB2

   
               View at site 2

Great Basin National Park, Shawberry Creek Drainage, White Pine Co., Nevada, USA.   39° 03.517' N latitude, 114° 17.000' W longitude.  In a Pimonophylla stand, soils not silty but sandy with coarse sand/pea gravel of granite.  Moss crust mostly on down slope side of shrubs and trees.  Date of samping:  13 July 1999.

Dominant vascular plants:  Pinus monophylla, Artemesia tridentata var. tridentata, Gutierrizia sarothrae, Bouteloua gracilis, Bromus tectorum, Ephedra, needle and thread grass, Opuntia sp. 

Mean lichen crust thickness: 9.4 mm
Mean moss crust thickness: 7.0 mm

Cover summary:

Type Cover                % Cover
Shrubs                              0.0
Annual grasses               5.2   
Perennial grasses           2.8 
Perennial forbs               0.0
Algal crust                       0.0
Bryophytes                      1.6
Lichens                             0.8
Bare Soil                         41.6
Rock                                  0.8
Gravel                             32.0
Litter                               16.0
Cactus                               0.0