Editorial: Ecological Development and Functioning of Biological Soil Crusts After Natural and Human Disturbances

Protist Diversity Responses to Experimental N Deposition in Biological Crusts of a Semiarid Mediterranean Ecosystem

“….." in Weber et al 2022). These micro-ecosystems occur in very different dry environments, from deserts and polar regions to temperate zones, and now it is widely recognized their significance in maintaining the structure and stability of soil (Belnap et al 2016;Chamizo et al 2016;Maestre et al 2011;Rogers 2020;Veste et al 2021) where vascular plants are not found (Barger et al 2013;Jeong et al 2018). In addition to the macroscopic components of the biocrusts (mosses and lichens), the main microbial communities involved in these consortia (cyanobacteria, phototrophic protists) are as well highly engaged in the processes of C and N fixation (Elbert et al 2012).…”

“…The preservation of these habitats is nowadays considered crucial as BSCs fulfil a wide range of ecological functions and ecosystem services such as maintaining soil fertility and a protective role against erosion and evaporation, especially in arid or semiarid regions (Bethany et al 2019;Szyja et al 2019;Veste et al 2021;Xiao et al 2022). Numerous studies have used BSCs as a model ecological system and have been devoted to elucidating different aspects of their ecological and functional processes, such as their composition ecophysiology, biotic interactions, ecosystem functions (nutrient cycling, water fluxes and erosion) (Bowker et al 2014;Castillo-Monroy and Maestre 2011;Chamizo et al 2016;Lafuente et al 2020;Maestre et al 2011;Maestre et al 2016;Ochoa-Hueso et al 2016;Rosentreter and Root 2019).…”

Sand dune vegetation-biocrust interaction as a source of spatial heterogeneity

“…Microbiotic crusts (also called biocrust or biological soil crusts, BSC) live in the upper few millimeters of the soil, usually on vegetated sand dunes (mostly on the interdune areas and the slopes of linear dunes). Vegetated linear dunes (VLDs) can be found in Australia, the Thar Desert in northern India, Africa's Kalahari Desert, and Israel's north-western Negev Desert (Robins et al, 2021;Telfer et al, 2017;Tsoar and Møller, 1986;Veste et al, 2021). VLDs have different characteristics than unvegetated linear dunes (known as seif dunes): they are lower, with heights ranging from a few meters up to dozens of meters , and they may run in parallel for many kilometers (see Fig.…”

“…In drylands, BSC mainly comprises a thin layer of cyanobacteria (Almog and Yair, 2007;Kidron, 2015;Kidron and Zohar, 2014), while in regions with higher precipitation rates, it can also include lichens, algae, fungi, and mosses (Veste et al, 2021;Zaady et al, 2007). The biocrust in the northwestern Negev Desert's sand dunes are mainly constituted by filamentous cyanobacteria, which can absorb atmospheric dust due to the increased surface roughness (Veste et al, 2021;. The "trapped" dust can enhance the crust development through its physical presence and chemical reactivity (Rozenstein et al, 2014).…”

“…Vegetation-biocrust interactions are complex and not fully understood, as they depend on the biocrust's developmental stage and on the vegetation type and soil properties. It is still not clear whether sand dune biocrust enhances vegetation growth or diminishes it (Almog and Yair, 2007;Kidron and Zohar, 2014;Veste et al, 2021). This answer depends on whether the biocrust is hydrophobic (positive effect) or hydrophilic (negative effect).…”