Ref - Cryptobiotic Soil by Dorde W. Woodruff

This page last updated on 01/07/2018

Land and People:

Conserving the Surroundings of Rock Art

Dorde W. Woodruff

Cryptobiotic Soil

   "Now to look at arid and semi-arid lands in more detail. A peculiar characteristic of all the
world's deserts is cryptobiotic (meaning "hidden life") soil, a crust on top of the ground
composed of a mixture of cyanobacteria (formerly called blue-green algae), several different
types of algae (Flechtner et al.1998:296), fungi, lichens (which are themselves symbiotic
organisms composed of algae and fungi), mosses, and sometimes liverworts or diatoms."

   "The original name for this mixture of organisms, cryptogamic soil, is from an old botanical term
for primitive plants without flowers, cryptogam, meaning "hidden marriage" or "hidden gametes",
gametes being the reproductive parts; before microscopes the reproductive phase of these plants
was hidden from human view. Other terms used are microphytic, "small plant", and microbiotic,
"small life". There is no referee or dictator, so researchers use their favorite term."

   "Cryptobiotic soil is quite important to desert ecology, yet easily damaged. It's not easy anymore
to find a complete cover of cryptobiotic soil between the scattered shrubs, herbs, and grasses of the
desert. ..."

   "For a long time cryptobiotic soil was overlooked; study of its ecology is fairly recent. The
landmark fieldwork of Ed Kleiner and Kimball Harper in Canyonlands in 1967 and 1968 (Kleiner
and Harper 1972) demonstrated basic differences between grazed and ungrazed areas. They
compared Virginia Park, a grassy place surrounded by rock walls and accessible only through a
unique, steep, rocky tunnel through the sandstone wall, to adjacent Chesler Park which had been
grazed for many years in winter by horses, while only deer and no domesticates could get into
Virginia Park."

   "Cryptobiotic cover was about seven times greater in Virginia Park (above), and it was much
richer floristically than Chesler, with more grasses and fewer shrubs. Without pressure from domestic grazers, cacti were less spiny. The soil had more nutrients. There was no drainage channel erosion. The vegetation formed a pattern, indicative of diversity and therefore productivity (Siegel 1999). The soil texture was finer. They concluded that the intact cover of cryptobiotic soil contributed to soil nutrients, and stabilized the soil to resist water and wind erosion."

   "In another landmark study Evans and Ehleringer (1993), using a new and more effective method
of measurement, found that cryptobiotic soil was the primary source of nitrogen for desert soil.
Some of the organisms of this crust, especially cyanobacteria, can change gaseous nitrogen from the air to a form usable by plants. In deserts water is the most limiting factor to plant growth, but
nitrogen is second. Cryptobiotic crusts also increase water infiltration and retention, holding it for
use, limiting runoff and its concomitant erosion. They enhance the establishment of seedling plants,
and warm the soil (Utah Bureau of Land Management, Monticello, 1999)."

   "These small organisms may look insignificant. They are not. All this is helpful and even essential to the health of deserts. But cryptobiotic crusts are fragile, and all the more so when it is hot and dry and they are dormant and brittle. When Kleiner and Harper returned to Virginia Park in the second year of their study, they were surprised their footsteps were still so visible. After that they walked in the same paths. People, domestic or wild animals, vehicles, bicycles, and wildfires all impact the crust (Buttars et al., 1998)."

"Recovery rates are slow. The organisms grow only when wet; summer heat and drought inhibit
them. Estimates vary, but ecologist Jayne Belnap thinks that ground left bare is vulnerable for at least 20 years after disturbance (Belnap 1997). If soil is then lost it may take up to 10,000 years to form again. Time for recovery of the different species varies. Cyanobacteria may begin to recover in as little as six months and may be healthy in five years (Allen 1999). But Belnap notes that it may take at least 50 years for nitrogen fixation to completely return. Furthermore, "assuming adjoining soils are stable and rainfall is average, recovery rates for lichen cover in southern Utah have been most recently estimated at a minimum of 45 years, while recovery of moss cover was estimated at 250 years.""

   "Of course, trampling of any kind disrupts or kills other organisms large and small besides the
cryptobiotic ones (National Park Service, Arches 1996) but these small crust organisms are less likely to be noticed. In the photo at left, sand from disturbance blew over these cryptogams and will kill them. Note the micro-topography; the uneven surface helps water absorption into the ground, helping to prevent runoff."

Reference: Excerpted from the PDF - Utah Rock Art -Volume XIX, Papers presented at the Nineteenth Annual Symposium of the Utah Rock Art Research Association (URARA) Vernal, Utah, September 1999 - pages 87-100 "Land and People: Conserving the Surroundings of Rock Art" by Dorde W. Woodruff - ©2000, 2002 by the Utah Rock Art Research Association (U ), Salt Lake City, Utah. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper. http://www.utahrockart2.org/pubs/proceedings/volumes/Proceedings_Utah_Rock_Art_Volume_19.pdf 

Return to previous page ... Cryptobiotic Soil

Ref - Cryptobiotic Soil

{Click on an image to enlarge, then use the back button to return to this page}

This page last updated on 01/07/2018

(Fig. 01)

(Fig. 02) Picture Notes: The pictures in (Figs. 01 & 03) were captured while taking a guided hike to the Pinnacles in the Valley of Fire. Our guide pointed out examples of these cryptobiotic soils that surrounded some of the trail areas that we were hiking, noting how important they are to preserving the natural environment. My hiking partner, Bob Croke, got down on the ground for a great up-close-and-personal close-up (Fig. 03) of these unique organisms. The pictures in (Fig. 02) were captured on 1/1/2016 while hiking another of the parks' guided hikes of the Duck Rock Trail. (Fig. 02) Cryptobiotic (a.k.a. Cryptogamic or microphytic) Soils: When hiking across valley bottoms or along open slopes, you should be careful where you walk. Whenever you encounter a bumpy crust in the soil like that shown above (Figs. 01 & 02), you should make every effort to avoid walking on it. Many times you will encounter enormous networks of fungi, bacteria, mosses, and lichens that stitch themselves together to create vast communities of life in the top layer of soil. These networks, called cryptobiotic soils, are desert ecosystems’ security forces, helping these ecosystems in many ways. They act as large sponges, soaking up rainwater before it has a chance to run off. They then help prevent the water from evaporating away. This fragile ‘crust’ also prevents the soil from blowing away as dust. Some scientists estimate that these cryptogamic communities dominate up to 70% of desert soils on the planet. Unfortunately, all of these benefits disappear as soon as the seal is broken. When people, vehicles, and animals, travel across these soils, they break down the networks, starting erosion, creating dust, and allowing invasive plants to take root. When destroyed, they can take anywhere from 7 to 250 years to regenerate. To read more about Crytobiotic Soil go to ... Reference - Cryptobiotic Soil [Return to the Previous Pinnacles Hike Page] [Return to the Duck Rock Hike Page]

Pinnacles Hike (VOF)

 {Click on an image to enlarge, then use the back button to return to this page}

This page last updated on 03/03/2019

(Fig. 01)

(Fig. 02)

(Fig. 03)

Hike Description: The Pinnacles trail, in yellow on (Fig. 02), approximately 5 miles round-trip, is an easy to moderate unmaintained trail accessible from a trailhead that starts at Atlatl Rock and proceeds toward a distant outcrop of white sandstone(Fig. 03). This is one of the longer hikes in the park and there are only a few trail markers to help you find your way through the dry washes and around the ridge to the northwest and into view of the Pinnacles (Fig. 04).  A good portion of the hike takes you through loose sand and gravel and there is some minor scrambling through the formation itself in order to complete the middle part of the hike (Fig. 05). Once you reach this area, the views and scenery in every direction rewards the hiker for their efforts. The formations know as “The Pinnacles” are not visible from the road and only come into view as you round the southern edge of a ridge of darker gray green rock.  If you are lucky enough to start the hike in the morning with the sun roughly behind you, the Pinnacles will appear to be on fire.  This is an excellent hike to view many of the plants common to the park, especially along the return (Fig. 02), as it leads you back across the desert. You'll see an abundance of Red Barrel Cactus, Teddy Bear Cholla, and other cacti and, in spring, many wildflowers including primrose, dusty-maiden, desert larkspur, strawberry hedgehog, winterfat and many others. At one point during our hike, our guide pointed out what she called cryptobiotic soils, and the importance of not walking on them whenever possible while hiking in the desert. Read more about cyptobiotic soil ... Cryptobiotic Soil  and here ... Reference - Cryptobiotic Soil

.
                

(Fig. 04)

(Fig. 05)

01/01/2014 Trip Notes: Today I hiked the Pinnacles Trail with two of my regular hiking partners, Harvey Smith and Robert Croke, and fifteen others in a guided hike Pinnacles that was offered as part of the Park’s First Day Hikes program. From the trailhead, across from the entrance to the Atlatl parking lot, the hike heads west, and north (Fig. 03), following a wash across open desert landscape which eventually leads to an isolated outcropping of impressive colorful red/orange hoodoos or “spires”, that sprout from the rocky hills (Fig. 04). Once we reached the center of the Pinnacles, we all stopped for a lunch break. See the middle of (Fig. 05). Below, (Fig. 06) is actually a view from the wash looking back over the area we hiked in order to reach the Pinnacles. The next two pictures, (Figs. 07 & 08) are looking back at the area that we had to scramble and climb up through to get out of the area. Once we reached the top of this area (Fig. 09), a sandy trail led down to a deep, wide wash (Fig. 10) that headed east, out to the desert ((Fig. 02) and (Fig. 11). After popping up out of the wash, we still had almost a two mile hike south east across the desert (Fig. 12), back to Atlatl Rock and the trailhead. All in all, there was a lot of desert hiking both going out and on the return, but as you can see, the scenery at the Pinnacles was worth the trip.
                 

(Fig.06)

(Fig. 07)

(Fig. 08)

(Fig. 09)

(Fig. 10)

(Fig. 11)

(Fig. 12)

Play a Slide Show Clicking the picture-link below will open OneDrive in a new window and a folder containing 21 pictures taken on a hike of the Pinnacles in VOF. To view the show, click on the first picture in the folder and you will get the following menu bar: Clicking the "Play slide show" will play a fullscreen window of the slide show. ___________________________________________________ Note: Every attempt is made to provide accurate information, but occasionally depictions are inaccurate by error of mapping, navigation or cataloging. The information on this site is provided without any warranty, express or implied, and is for informational and historical purposes only. Go Back to the previous page ... Valley of Fire State Park - Summary Page.

Sheep Panel Site at Gold Butte National Monument

{Click on an image to enlarge, then use the back button to return to this page}

This page last updated on 03/14/2018

(Fig. 01)

04/25/2017 Trip Notes: Today, Harvey and I took Jim Herring and Bob Croke to the 21-Goats Petroglyph site. This amazing petroglyph panel (Fig. 02) is one of the best I've ever observed. Unlike on my last trip, we decided to hike the immediate area around the site. The area surrounding the petroglyph was covered with Cryptobiotic Soil (Fig. 03). Click here to read about this ... Cryptobiotic Soil. We were also able to get several pictures of some spring flowers (Figs. 04 & 05). Hiking a short distance opposite the petroglyphs there were some uniquely rough rock formations (Fig. 06). Hiking up to the top of the nearby ledges provided us with some beautifully views that looked down over a hundred feet to the valley below (Fig. 07). The range of gorgeous colors found below this area are common of those in Gold Butte (Fig. 08). Hiking back down off of these ledges and back into the wash for the hike back to the trailhead, ther was a beautiful view of Black Butte (Fig. 09).                                 (Fig. 02) (Fig. 03) (Fig. 04) (Fig. 05) (Fig. 06) (Fig. 07) (Fig. 08) (Fig. 09) 09/30/2014 Trip Notes: After leaving the area of the Khota Circus Petroglyphs, we headed back to Black Butte Road and headed northwest up the road to the intersection of the 21 Goats Road which leads up a wash on the east side of Black Butte Road just north of Black Butte. About 1,500 feet down this road you will come to a barrier preventing any further vehicle travel. This is the trailhead for the 21 Goats Petroglyphs. It is sometimes referred to as the "The Sheep Parade" or the "Sheep Panel" in BLM documents. The argument over whether the animals depicted are sheep or goats still hasn't been settled, however, the book "The Rocks Begin To Speak" by Native American cryptanalyst LaVan Martineau uses the term "goat", most probably due to the extensive "horn" structure and other features. I feel that the term "21 goats" is more descriptive, but who really knows. Less than 200 feet beyond the trailhead you will see a side trail that leads south across the wash. This trail will take you to the Black Butte Dam. Continuing straight up the main road/wash for about 0.4 miles will take you to the 21 Goats Petroglyph site. Just as the wash starts to make a wide sweeping turn to the right the petroglyphs are on a cliff side almost straight ahead, just a little to the left (Figs. 10 & 11). Unfortunately for us they were in direct sunlight at the time of our visit in the late afternoon, making less than ideal photographing opportunities. Without doubt, this is one of the longest petroglyphs panels I have encountered. There are two rows of glyphs, with the upper row being at least 25-30 feet long. As you can clearly see (Click to enlarge) in (Fig. 01), the upper row contains twenty-one zoomorphs (goats or big horn sheep) in a single line. Below and to the left of this depiction, there are two more sections (Figs. 13 & 14) containing some abstract glyphs, as well as another dozen zoomorphs. Interestingly enough, of all the depictions here, this entire panel seems to contain only one glyph that may be representative of a human figure. Though there were many Indian tribes who used this area as a migration corridor, the petroglyphs are probably Virgin River Anasazi (Ancestral Puebloan). It has been estimated that some of these glyphs are more than 500 years old. Note: Martineau notes that the bighorn does not always necessarily stand for the actual animal, but rather represents travel and direction; that how the horns are "written" has specific meaning. Looking at these depictions you can see many different variations. Some "goats" are level, some tilted uphill others downhill. Some horns are arches, others right angles. Some feet are fluid and limber others like sticks and still others split in two at the hooves. Some are clearly traveling along side a pecked line or "trail" and a couple are going the opposite direction. Some horns are longer over the back and others short. Some animals are full and others are stick-like figures. Unfortunately, even Martineau's understanding of these various meanings appears to be clearly minimal.

(Fig. 10)

(Fig. 11)

(Fig. 12)

(Fig. 13)

(Fig. 14)

Back to [Gold Butte National Monument - Summary Page]

Duck Rock Hike Petroglyphs - Summary Page

 {Click on an image to enlarge, then use the back button to return to this page}

This page last updated on 10/11/2017

(Fig. 01)

Destination: Duck Rock Hike in Valley of Fire Distance from Point of Origin: 57 miles. Estimated (One Way) Travel Time: 1 hr and 10 minutes. Directions: From the Stratosphere, turn right onto Las Vegas Blvd south. Go a little over a mile and turn right onto W. Sahara Ave. Go 1.2 miles and reverse direction by making a U-turn to head back east on W. Sahara Ave. Go .5 miles and turn left to merge onto 1-15 via the ramp on the left toward Salt Lake City. Travel about 35 miles and take Exit 75 toward Valley of Fire/Lake Mead. Turn right onto NV-169/Valley of Fire Road/Valley of Fire Hwy. There is a Piaute Indian Reservation Tobacco Shop and small casino at that exit that makes a great pit stop. Drive east on Route 169 for approximately 15 miles. This takes you to the west entrance of the Valley of Fire. From the west entrance of Valley of Fire, drive 3.7 miles along the main park road. Turn left when you see signs for the Visitor’s Center, Mouse’s Tank, Rainbow Vista, and White Domes. Pass the Visitor’s Center (on your right), stay left and go 5 miles to the unmarked Duck Rock trailhead on the right, about a mile before reaching the White Domes parking lot. Area Description: This entire area is a remote section in the north most portion of Valley of Fire State Park that is not accessible by way of marked or developed trails. It is crossed by numerous washes and a few old abandoned dirt roads. There are many impressive red sandstone formations scattered throughout the entire area. Special Attraction or Points of Interest: Following the trail shown in (Fig. 02) you come to a sandstone area with a dozen petroglyph elements. About another three quarters of a mile past this spot you come to a sandstone formation that looks like a 'duck'. Primary Activity: Hiking and Photography Secondary Activities: None. Elevation: Elevation at the trailhead is about 1,950 feet. Through the length of the hike it courses up and down roughly 150 feet as you climb into and out of various washes. Best Time To Visit: Fall, Winter and Spring. Hike Description: The Duck Rock Loop is an unmarked, off-trail route, which primarily follows washes and old roads. This somewhat strenuous, 2.65-mile loop provides the unique opportunity to see a remote area of Valley of Fire State Park that is not accessible by way of marked or developed trails. The route will pass by a petroglyph gallery, “Duck Rock” and other numerous impressive red sandstone formations. Difficulty: Easy hiking in the sandy wash areas with some moderate to difficult scrambling up and down the sides of the washes. Facilities: None Estimated Round-trip Time: To complete the round-trip hike is less than 2 hours.

(Fig. 02)

01/18/2016 Trip Notes: On this visit Robert Croke, Ron Ziance, Blake Smith and myself headed out to the Valley of Fire state park for another hike of the Duck Rock Trail. This time we reversed the direction of the hike. We headed out on the old two track dirt road toward duck rock. Click here for pictures and description of this hike ... Trip Notes for 01/18/2016 (Duck Rock Trail).

(Fig. 03)

01/01/2016 Trip Notes: On the early 40-degree morning of new year's day, Robert Croke, Ron Ziance, and myself headed out to the Valley of Fire state park for a guided hike of the Duck Rock Trail (Fig. 02). After assembling (Fig. 03) at the hike trailhead off of White Domes Road, a group of more than 25 headed out into a remote desert area (Fig. 01) on the northern boarder of Valley of Fire State Park. Primarily following a series of washes (Fig. 04) and a few old roads, this somewhat strenuous, 2.65-mile loop hike, is an unmarked, off-trail route. After hiking along the upper edge of a deeply carved wash (Figs. 04 & 05), we eventually had to scramble down a rather deep decent (Fig. 06) into the wash, where it intersected yet another cross wash (see map in Fig. 02). At this point there were a couple of deep water catches (Fig. 07). The group then climbed up out of the wash and and across the desert, headed north to some high, red Aztec sandstone formations (Fig. 09). (Con't below)
                         

(Fig. 04)

(Fig. 05)

(Fig. 06)

(Fig. 07)

(Fig. 08)

(Fig. 09)

Trip notes continued: After reaching the area containing the large sandstone formations, we found a large wall full of petroglyphs. Our guide, Chris Johnson, seen in (Fig. 10), provided information on the history of the area and some of the ancient habitats that may have created the petroglyphs found in Valley of Fire as they passed through this area hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. Open to interpretation, the closeups seen in the collage (Fig. 11), show that some of these could be representations showing bighorn sheep, possible maps showing some of the washes of the area, a symbol that could be "duck rock", and more. As we rounded these large outcrops we followed an old road (Fig. 12) that headed east out across the landscape toward Duck Rock (refer to Fig. 2). Along the way we passed a strange formation that I thought looked like some kind of Egyptian head-like sculpture (Fig. 13). Continuing to hike in a southeasterly direction, refer to map in (Fig. 02), we eventually came to the sandstone formation known as 'Duck Rock' (Fig. 14). From the pictures in the collage, you can see that all we could see was the top of its head while walking the wash on its approach. Once we actually reached it, it loomed much larger than we had anticipated. You can see that we then had to climb up a very rocky hill to reach the top of its back, and then down the other side to continue hiking. Hiking back up out of the wash I passed some cryptobiotic soil. Even though we found many examples of this everywhere we walked around this area, these examples, more than 2-inches high, were some of the biggest I've ever encountered (Fig. 15). For more about this subject go to ... Cryptobiotic Soil. From here we mostly followed an old dirt road back to the trailhead and a view of the White Domes (Fig. 16). After the hike we drove to the White Domes parking and picnic area for lunch. The pictures seen in the collage (Fig. 17) were taken while we were having lunch.

(Fig. 10)

(Fig. 11)

(Fig. 12)

(Fig. 13)

(Fig. 14)

(Fig. 15)

(Fig. 16)

(Fig. 17)

Return to [Valley of Fire State Park - Summary Page]

Logandale Trails Recreation Area - 03/11/2013 Trip Notes

{Click on any image to view full size, then use the back button on your browser to return to this page}
This page last updated on 01/16/2019

(Fig. 01)

(Fig. 02)

(Fig. 03) 03/11/2013 Trip Notes: While on a trip to Logandale for personal business, Harvey Smith and I decided to take a little side trip to the Logandale Trails inside what is commonly referred to as the Logandale Trails Recreation Area. (see description below for more detail) The dotted yellow line in (Fig. 02 – click to enlarge) shows the route we drove on our way in to (and out of) the large valley area along the western side of main spine of the Redstone outcrop. This desert valley contains the Anderson Wash (to the north) and Logan Wash (Fig. 05) (to the south). We stopped at several locations for some hiking and picture taking. As you can see from the map in (Fig. 03 – click to enlarge) that shows the main trails, we barely scratched the surface of what was available to us here. In fact we never even got to the area where the petroglyphs were. As you can see in (Figs. 01, and 04 thru 06), some of the desert areas and canyons that we hiked provided opportunities for some great views and picture taking. We will definitely be returning here with the Rhino to do some more exploring.

(Fig. 04)

(Fig. 05)

(Fig. 06)

(Fig. 07) Logandale Trails System:  The Logandale Trails System (LTS) is the grouping of more than 200 miles of recreational trails, suitable for a variety of OHV types, as well as hiking and horseback riding, in the spectacular landscape that exists between the township of Logandale and Valley of Fire State Park. As seen in (Fig. 02), it is located between the Overton Ridge and the Weiser Ridge in the north Muddy Mountains. Its southern boundary is the Overton Wash, just north of the Valley of Fire State Park. Since 1973 land to the west and north of the Logandale Trails Recreation Area have been turned over to the Nevada Division of State Parks and subsequently added to the boundaries of  the Valley of Fire State Park. Refer to the green shaded areas in (Fig. 07 - click to enlarge).   The unusual geology of Logandale was formed out of what was once an inland sea. The conglomerate rock which comprises much of the geology contains a multitude of fossil remains.    A few miles in on the north end entrance, you come to an area that is considered to be the trailhead. It has two shade structures with 8 tables and a restroom building. Several miles further in you will come to the Basset Campground with another restroom building and a hitching post. The trails found here on the western portion are specifically for horseback riding. There are also numerous primitive campsites with fire rings scattered about the trail system; several locations have picnic tables. Note: There are no hookups or dump stations for RVs.    The desert here is home to a variety of plant and animal species, some of which are threatened or endangered. Animals, like the Desert Tortoise, Chuckwallas, The Gila monster, Bald eagles, Gambel’s Qual and bighorn sheep, have all been spotted in the LTS areas. You are also likely to find several rare plant species: the three-cornered milkvetch, the Las Vegas bearpoppy, the two-toned beardtongue, and possibly the sticky buckwheat. The milkvetch, beardtongue, and sticky buckwheat can be found near "The Boot" trail, the main trail in the LTS. During my visit I found a Golden Evening-Primrose (Camissonia brevipes), a.k.a. Yellow Cups, (Fig. 07) near the Basset Campground. Click here to learn more ... Golden Evening Primrose. As can be expected, these plants are more visible in spring, when they bloom. The cryptobiotic soil crusts of the LTS plays an important role in the ecosystem. These delicate plant structures forming the crust of the soil are important for the health of the desert ecosystem since they provide nutrients to the soil and limit erosion.     One of the unique advantages of this area is the opportunity it provides to hike and climb its dozens of magnificent red sandstone cliffs along its main spine, many several hundred feet high.  As you ride, bike or hike this extensive trail system, you will be presented with various opportunities to view petroglyphs left hundreds of years ago by early inhabitants of the area. The LTS is the former home of the Virgin Anasazi, a culture that mysteriously left the area around 1150 AD. Other groups came before and after the Anasazi, leaving evidence of their presence in the area. If careful, you will spot rock art, pueblo foundations, and artifacts that indicate the former presence of these cultures. Due to the subtle and sometimes hidden nature of the resources, most visitors pass them by without knowing they exist. Several petroglyph sites are in recesses of rock formations, not visible to the casual passer-by.

(Fig. 08)

Return to the previous page ... Logandale Trails Recreation Area - Summary Page.

___________________________________________________

Note: Every attempt is made to provide accurate information, but occasionally depictions are inaccurate by error of mapping, navigation or cataloging. The information on this site is provided without any warranty, express or implied, and is for informational and historical purposes only.