Use of quantitative PCR with the chloroplast gene rps4 to determine moss abundance in the early succession stage of biological soil crusts

The quantitative PCR (qPCR) method was firstly used to measure moss abundance with moss chloroplast gene rps4 as compared to that with cyanobacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal 25-28S rRNA gene in the early succession stage of biological soil crusts (BSCs). Four sites with three BSC types collected from Hobq Desert of China, representing cyanobacterial-, lichen-, and moss-dominated BSCs were investigated. The copies of the moss rps4 gene, cyanobacterial 16S rRNA gene, and fungal 25-28S rRNA gene, chlorophyll a content, and the community composition variated significantly. The moss rps4 gene copies attained a significant positive correlation with chlorophyll a content and showed a cross validation with relative moss biomass.