Big Spring Canyon Overlook - Flickr - brewbooks

Description:

Description: The desert habitat of Coleogyne ramosissima (Blackbrush) and sporadic Juniperus osteosperma (Utah juniper) growing on cryptobiotic soil. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleogyne Cryptobiotic soil is a biological soil crust composed of living cyanobacteria, green algae, brown algae, fungi, lichens, and/or mosses. Commonly found in arid regions around the world, cryptobiotic soils go by many names, including cryptogamic, microbiotic, or microphytic soils or crusts. Soil crusts are important members of desert ecosystems and contribute to the well-being of other plants by stabilizing sand and dirt, promoting moisture retention, and fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Source en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptobiotic_soil www.nps.gov/cany/naturescience/soils.htm Seen on a hike out to Big Spring canyon Overlook, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/needles.pdf www.soilcrust.org/crust101.htm gc 628. Date: Taken on 24 September 2010, 11:00. Source: Big Spring Canyon Overlook. Author: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA. Camera location38° 10′ 44.4″ N, 109° 48′ 43.34″ W View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap 38.178999; -109.812040.