Biologists have performed a molecular level analysis of desert biological soil crusts -- living ground cover formed by microbial communities -- to reveal how long-dormant cyanobacteria become ...

When was the last time you gave much thought to the soil crust? If you’re like me, it has probably been at least a week or two. Frequently found in semiarid and arid environments, biological soil ...

A new study published in The Innovation has revealed the microstructure and expansion mechanism of cyanobacteria-dominated biological soil crusts (BSCs). By employing micro-scale X-ray computed ...

Biological soil crusts, commonly known as biocrusts, are intricate communities composed of cyanobacteria, lichens, mosses and other microorganisms that inhabit the uppermost layer of soils in arid and ...

Vol. 429, No. 1/2, Part I: Special Issue: Biocrusts: The Living Skin of the Earth (August 2018), pp. 19-34 (16 pages) Background Extracellular polymeric matrix (EPM) is a complex component of the ...

This view of Hill Air Force Base in the west desert of Utah is more delicate than it might look, given that it contains extremely delicate biocrusts that a CU-led team is studying in an attempt to ...

Moss crusts, an advanced form of biological soil crusts, play a crucial role in stabilizing soil phosphorus levels in desert ...

Model calculations predict a decrease of 25 to 40 percent in biological soil crusts through persisting global warming and increasing land use. Biological soil crusts protect the soil, accelerate the ...

This is a preview. Log in through your library . Abstract Background and aims Despite the important role of biological soil crusts in the soil carbon cycles of desert ecosystems, the responses of soil ...

"Biological soil crusts" don't look like much. In fact, people often trample right over these dark, or green-tinted, sometimes raised patches in the desert soil. But these scruffy stretches can house ...

Biological soil crusts -- or communities of microorganisms that grow on the surface of the soil when there is no plant cover -- are key in protecting the soil from erosion and providing an environment ...