Billions of tons of desert dust move through the atmosphere each year. The primary source
regions, which include the Sahara and Sahel regions of North Africa and the Gobi and Takla …

Desert soil surfaces are generally covered with biological soil crusts, composed of a group
of organisms dominated by cyanobacteria, lichens, and mosses. Despite their unassuming …

Drought and ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation) are the coexisting environmental factors that
negatively affect plant growth and development via oxidative damage. Flavonoids are …

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are the dominant living cover in many drylands of the world.
They possess many features that can influence different aspects of local hydrologic cycles …

In low-nutrient environments with few vascular plant symbiotic N fixers, biocrusts play an
important role in ecosystem N cycling. A large number of studies across a wide range of …

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are ubiquitous lichen–bryophyte microbial communities, which
are critical structural and functional components of many ecosystems. However, BSCs are …

"… a number of chapters provide excellent summaries of the modern methods available for
studying fungal ecology, along with those more traditional methods that are still extremely …

Human skin is one of the most complex body organs that functions as a physical barrier
against water loss and environmental stressors that include UV radiation, reactive oxygen …

Biological soil crusts (cyanobacteria, mosses and lichens collectively) perform essential
ecosystem services, including carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fixation. Climate and land-use …

Biological soil crusts, a community of cyanobacteria, lichens, and mosses that live on the soil
surface, occur in deserts throughout the world. They are a critical component of desert …