TY - JOUR
T1 - The Microbiology of Biological Soil Crusts
AU - Garcia-Pichel, Ferran
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Annual Reviews Inc.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2023/9/15
Y1 - 2023/9/15
N2 - Biological soil crusts are thin, inconspicuous communities along the soil atmosphere ecotone that, until recently, were unrecognized by ecologists and even more so by microbiologists. In its broadest meaning, the term biological soil crust (or biocrust) encompasses a variety of communities that develop on soil surfaces and are powered by photosynthetic primary producers other than higher plants: cyanobacteria, microalgae, and cryptogams like lichens and mosses. Arid land biocrusts are the most studied, but biocrusts also exist in other settings where plant development is constrained. The minimal requirement is that light impinge directly on the soil; this is impeded by the accumulation of plant litter where plants abound. Since scientists started paying attention, much has been learned about their microbial communities, their composition, ecological extent, and biogeochemical roles, about how they alter the physical behavior of soils, and even how they inform an understanding of early life on land. This has opened new avenues for ecological restoration and agriculture.
AB - Biological soil crusts are thin, inconspicuous communities along the soil atmosphere ecotone that, until recently, were unrecognized by ecologists and even more so by microbiologists. In its broadest meaning, the term biological soil crust (or biocrust) encompasses a variety of communities that develop on soil surfaces and are powered by photosynthetic primary producers other than higher plants: cyanobacteria, microalgae, and cryptogams like lichens and mosses. Arid land biocrusts are the most studied, but biocrusts also exist in other settings where plant development is constrained. The minimal requirement is that light impinge directly on the soil; this is impeded by the accumulation of plant litter where plants abound. Since scientists started paying attention, much has been learned about their microbial communities, their composition, ecological extent, and biogeochemical roles, about how they alter the physical behavior of soils, and even how they inform an understanding of early life on land. This has opened new avenues for ecological restoration and agriculture.
KW - arid lands
KW - biogeochemistry
KW - cyanobacteria
KW - desiccation
KW - extreme environments
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U2 - 10.1146/annurev-micro-032521-015202
DO - 10.1146/annurev-micro-032521-015202
M3 - Review article
C2 - 37068777
AN - SCOPUS:85164583986
SN - 0066-4227
VL - 77
SP - 149
EP - 171
JO - Annual review of microbiology
JF - Annual review of microbiology
ER -