The complex interactions between biocrust properties and rainfall characteristics give rise to
partitioning of infiltration and runoff. In this review we examine primary mechanisms for …

Fungi are essential components of all ecosystems in roles including symbiotic partners,
decomposers and nutrient cyclers and as a source of food for vertebrates and invertebrates …

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are heterogeneously distributed in space, and the drivers of
their distribution depend on the spatial scale of observation. Globally, there are about 1544 …

The impact of 10 years of annual foot trampling on soil biocrusts was examined in replicated
field experiments at three cold desert sites of the Colorado Plateau, USA. Trampling …

Background and aims Despite the important role of biological soil crusts in desert
ecosystems, the responses of the crustal composition and distribution to changes in both …

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are known to serve crucial functions in many arid and
semiarid habitats, but less is understood about biocrusts in temperate biomes, where they …

Cyanobacterial diversity in soil crusts has been extensively studied in arid lands of
temperate regions, particularly semi-arid steppes and warm deserts. Nevertheless, Arctic …

Aims Biocrusts are globally distributed and important for sustaining critical ecosystem
functions. Little is known about their continental drivers and how smaller-scale microsite …

Biological soil crusts, known also as biocrusts, provide valuable ecosystem services,
especially in arid and semiarid regions. They may affect geomorphological (stability) …

In temperate regions, biological soil crusts (BSCs: complex communities of cyanobacteria,
eukaryotic algae, bryophytes, and lichens) are not well investigated regarding community …