Crust
Peeled Back
Crust
Encased Rock & twigs
Animals
Plants
Info
| Crust Peeled Back | | Crust Encased Rock & twigs | | ||
Animals Plants Info |
 | Class: | Crust (Crust) - Crust (Crust) - Crust (Crust) | ||||||||||||||
| Order: | Crust (Crust) | |||||||||||||||
| Family: | BioCrust (Biocrust) | |||||||||||||||
| Species: | Crust (Microphytic crust)| This Photo: | 🔍Fresh & Green; many species🔎 | Other names: | Cryptobiotic Crust, Cryptogamic Crust, Duricrust or Microbiotic Crust | General Species Information: Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere The Microphytic Crust is an incredibly important structure. While not a single species, this seemed to be the best place to highlight it's value to Ellura. On this photo you can see a chunk has been dug out and turned over (by an animal we assume). It's difficult to see normally, but this highlights how thick it is. You can see how lacking in nutrients the soil underneath is, and how rich in life the Microphytic Crust is. While the common name of Duricrust is also used, it's a bit of a misnomer on Ellura. Technically duricrust contains more minerals and is harder, while the crust we have at Ellura (and seen in the surrounding area) appears to be mainly organic.
| |||||||||||