Cyanobacterial colonization on epilithic mosses in degraded karst ecosystem: The role of moss traits and environmental factors

This dataset supports research on moss-cyanobacteria associations and their role in nitrogen fixation within nitrogen-limited degraded karst ecosystems. The moss-cyanobacteria symbiosis provides novel nitrogen inputs to nutrient-poor environments, playing a significant role in nitrogen cycling and ecological restoration. Data were collected during November 2022 from 45 plots across three elevation gradients (525 ±25 m, 875 ± 25 m, and 1225 ± 25 m) in the Guizhou Karst Mountain Land Ecology and Land Use Observation and Research Station. The dataset includes cyanobacterial colonization metrics (colonization rates on branches/leaves and biomass via phycocyanin extraction), moss trait data (37 species with morphological, physiological, and chemical characteristics), environmental variables (elevation, rocky desertification degree, light/UV-A radiation, temperature, and pH), and cyanobacterial diversity (78 species morphologically identified and categorized functionally). Key findings indic..., , # Data from: Cyanobacterial colonization on epilithic mosses in degraded karst ecosystem: The role of moss traits and environmental factors

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.0cfxpnwfs](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0cfxpnwfs)

## Description of the data and file structure

Fieldwork was conducted in a karst ecosystem in November 2022. We collected 264 moss samples from rock surfaces across 45 plots at three elevation levels (525 ± 25 m, 875 ± 25 m, 1225 ± 25 m) representing different rocky desertification degrees. Measurements included: 1) environmental factors (light, UV-A, temperature); 2) moss traits (37 species identification, photosynthetic pigments, water retention); 3) cyanobacterial colonization (colonization rates via microscopy, biomass via phycocyanin); 4) nutrient content (C, N, P); and 5) cyanobacterial diversity (78 species identification). All analyses were conducted with appropriate replicates to ensure data quality.

### Files and variables

#### File: Randomforest_BCR.zip

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