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biocrusts

A closeup photo of a layer of biocrust, a thin layer separated from the soil underneath by about an inch
Posted inNews

The Dirt on Biocrusts: Why Scientists Are Working to Save Earth’s Living Skin

by Jude Coleman 23 September 20242 October 2024

Think twice before stepping on that crunchy top layer of soil. It may be a vital ecosystem—one that you can help protect.

A scientist wearing a safety vest and a blue hard hat squats alongside a stream, taking notes in a notebook. The stream cuts through a glacier covered in dark gray sediment.
Posted inNews

Microbe Goo Could Help Guide the Search for Life on Mars

by Grace van Deelen 8 December 20238 December 2023

Sticky substances secreted by microbes may help create landforms on Earth. And new research shows that these substances are more preserved in iron-rich sediment. Mars is decidedly iron-rich (it’s the Red Planet, after all), so the new study adds to evidence that microbe goo could help researchers explain landform creation there. “I think this is […]

Close-up of star moss on a black rock
Posted inNews

Mosses Play Key Roles in Ecosystems from Tropics to Tundra

by Carolyn Wilke 29 June 202329 June 2023

A global survey of mosses growing on soil found that the somewhat underappreciated plants cover a vast area and perform tasks such as sequestering carbon.

Photograph of a soil surface
Posted inNews

Solar Panels Nurse Desert Soil Back to Life

Jenessa Duncombe, Staff Writer by Jenessa Duncombe 12 May 202330 May 2023

Cultivating delicate soil crust in the shade of solar panels might boost the recovery of arid land.

Biocrusts abundant in lichens grow on the soil surface in the Colorado Plateau.
Posted inNews

Climate Change Leads to Decline in Lichen Biocrusts

by Derek Smith 26 May 202226 May 2022

As summer temperatures continue to rise, important biocrust-forming organisms in the American Southwest may be lost.

Biocrust in Australia’s Diamantina National Park
Posted inResearch Spotlights

Biological Crusts Affected by Drought Can Still Stabilize Soils

by Terri Cook 17 March 202225 May 2022

Results of in situ experiments on natural microbial communities suggest that biological crusts can protect soils from erosion, but their protective role could be compromised under predicted future climate scenarios.

Biocrust composed of mosses, lichens, and cyanobacteria
Posted inNews

Biocrust “Probiotics” Can Aid Dryland Restoration Efforts

by Derek Smith 10 January 202225 May 2022

Bacteria can speed up the growth of biocrust-forming organisms in nurseries, providing more material for restoration of degraded dryland soil.

Posted inResearch Spotlights

Soil Crusts Play a Dual Role in Desertification

by L. Strelich 16 February 201615 February 2023

Rain falling on bare soil can form a hard crust that prevents further infiltration. But do these crusts worsen land degradation or help to prevent it?

A view of a Washington, D.C., skyline from the Potomac River at night. The Lincoln Memorial (at left) and the Washington Monument (at right) are lit against a purple sky. Over the water of the Potomac appear the text “#AGU24 coverage from Eos.”

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