When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: helivideo / Getty Images Many parts of Earth are covered and protected by a layer of ...

Biocrust in Utah Nihonjoe via Wikipedia under CC By-SA 3.0 Under the dry, piercing heat of the Utah sun, Sasha Reed is growing plots of plants—and bacteria, lichen and fungi, too. But Reed is no ...

Biocrusts play a crucial role in maintaining soil health and ecosystem sustainability, but they are currently under assault. Human activities including agriculture, urbanization, and off-road vehicle ...

Soil is more than just dirt; it contains many nutrients and microorganisms that maintain the foundation of an ecosystem. In arid and semi-arid climes, soils have biocrusts, which are communities of ...

Plant and Soil, Vol. 462, No. 1/2 (May 2021), pp. 311-329 (19 pages) Purpose Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are commonly found in semi-arid ecosystems and complete biological nitrogen (N) fixation ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Using a novel method to detect microbial activity in biological soil crusts, or biocrusts, after they are wetted, a Penn State-led research team in a new study uncovered clues ...

Scott Ferrenberg, who earned his Ph.D. in biology from CU-Boulder, is shown near Moab, Utah, where he and CU alumna Sasha Reed conducted a groundbreaking study on biocrust. Photo courtesy of Scott ...

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Biological soil crusts, known as biocrusts, are lichens, algae, mosses, fungi, and cyanobacteria common on the soil surface.[i]They are critical to arid ecosystems, where they help to reduce soil ...

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. These soil surfaces ...

In the arid regions of the American Southwest, an unseen world lies beneath our feet. Biocrusts, or biological soil crusts, are communities of living organisms. These industrious microbes include ...

Using a novel method to detect microbial activity in biological soil crusts, or biocrusts, after they are wetted, a research team in a new study uncovered clues that will lead to a better ...