Diversidad de cianobacterias en costras biológicas de suelo de la ecorregión del Monte Central (Mendoza, Argentina)

The ecoregion of Monte Central has a high water deficit. Scarcity and variability of the water resource determine the spatial distribution of vascular plants. Areas devoid of vegetation are commonly colonized by microbial communities (mosses, cyanobacteria, lichens) called biological soil crusts (BSCs), which modify numerous biogeochemical properties of the substrate. Cyanobacteria are fundamental constituents of BSCs, they synthesize chlorophyll a, phycobilins and fix atmospheric nitrogen (N), representing one of the main sources of N for some arid ecosystems. The objective of this work is to contribute to the knowledge of the cyanobacteria present in BSCs of the Monte Central desert, in different landscape units of eastern Mendoza (natural reserves and grazing lands). Biotic and abiotic material was collected during the years 2015 and 2016 in each environmental unit. For the identification of cyanobacteria, morphological characteristics observed under light microscope, along with taxonomic keys were used. Thus, 12 new records of cyanobacteria are repor ted in BSCs, improving our knowledge of these biocrusts, their geographical distribution and ecology in the province of Mendoza, Argentina.