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Biological Soil Crusts as Soil Stabilizers

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Biological Soil Crusts: An Organizing Principle in Drylands

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 226))

Abstract

Soil erosion is of particular concern in dryland regions, as the sparse cover of vascular plants results in large interspaces unprotected from the erosive forces of wind and water. Thus, most of these soil surfaces are stabilized by physical or biological soil crusts. However, as drylands are extensively used by humans and their animals, these crusts are often disturbed, compromising their stabilizing abilities. As a result, approximately 17.5 % of the global terrestrial lands are currently being degraded by wind and water erosion. All components of biocrusts stabilize soils, including green algae, cyanobacteria, fungi, lichens, and bryophytes, and as the biomass of these organisms increases, so does soil stability. In addition, as lichens and bryophytes live atop the soil surface, they provide added protection from raindrop impact that cyanobacteria and fungi, living within the soil, cannot. Much research is still needed to determine the relative ability of individual species and suites of species to stabilize soils. We also need a better understanding of why some individuals or combinations of species are better than others, especially as these organisms become more frequently used in restoration efforts.

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Acknowledgment

JB thanks the USGS Ecosystems and Climate and Land Use Change programs for funding. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Geological Survey, Canyonlands Research Station, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2290 S. West Resource Blvd, Moab, UT, 84532, USA

    Jayne Belnap

  2. Plant Ecology and Systematics, Department of Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, 3049, 67653, Kaiserslautern, Germany

    Burkhard Büdel

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  1. Jayne Belnap
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  2. Burkhard Büdel
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Correspondence to Jayne Belnap .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Plank Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany

    Bettina Weber

  2. Plant Ecology and Systematics, Department of Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany

    Burkhard Büdel

  3. Southwest Biological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Moab, Utah, USA

    Jayne Belnap

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Belnap, J., Büdel, B. (2016). Biological Soil Crusts as Soil Stabilizers. In: Weber, B., Büdel, B., Belnap, J. (eds) Biological Soil Crusts: An Organizing Principle in Drylands. Ecological Studies, vol 226. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30214-0_16

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