Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2017-430
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2017-430
16 Nov 2017
 | 16 Nov 2017
Status: this preprint was under review for the journal BG. A revision for further review has not been submitted.

Aerobiology and passive restoration of biological soil crusts

Steven D. Warren, Larry L. St. Clair, and Steven D. Leavitt

Abstract. Biological soil crusts (BSCs) commonly occupy the surface of many arid and semiarid soils, and disturbed soils in more mesic environments. BSCs perform many essential ecological services. Substantial resources have been invested trying to restore BSCs that have been damaged by anthropogenic disturbances, largely to no avail. The nexus of science related to crust restoration and to aerobiology strongly suggests that crusts can become reestablished via naturally occurring processes. Propagules of BSC organisms are found naturally in the atmosphere, and are transported long distances. Whether restoration occurs naturally in this way, or by costly attempts to produce and disseminate artificial inoculants, success is ultimately moderated and governed by the timing and frequency of adequate precipitation relative to the arrival of viable propagules on suitable substrate at an appropriate time of the year. For greatest ecological benefit, efforts should focus primarily on minimizing the scope and scale of anthropogenic disturbance of BSCs in arid ecosystems.

Steven D. Warren, Larry L. St. Clair, and Steven D. Leavitt
 
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
 
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
Status: closed (peer review stopped)
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
Steven D. Warren, Larry L. St. Clair, and Steven D. Leavitt
Steven D. Warren, Larry L. St. Clair, and Steven D. Leavitt

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Latest update: 28 Mar 2024
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Short summary
Biological soil crusts (BSCs), common features of arid soils, are consortia of cyanobacteria, algae, fungi, lichens, and mosses. They control soil hydrology and stability, concentrate essential nutrients, and influence vascular plant survival. BSCs are easily disturbed and slow to recover. Mechanisms of recovery are poorly understood. From the field of aerobiology, we find that BSC organisms are carried airborne between areas, continents, and even hemispheres.
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