Arid ecosystems cover∼ 40% of the Earth's terrestrial surface and store a high proportion of
the global nitrogen (N) pool. They are low-productivity, low-biomass, and polyextreme …

Microbial life permeates Earth's critical zone and has likely inhabited nearly all our planet's
surface and near subsurface since before the beginning of the sedimentary rock record …

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) play an important role in improving soil stability and
resistance to erosion by promoting aggregation of soil particles. During initial development …

Biocrusts are the living skin of drylands, comprising diverse microbial communities that are
essential to desert ecosystems. Despite there being extensive knowledge on biocrust …

In drylands, soil surfaces in interplant spaces are usually covered by biocrusts, which consist
of communities of heterotrophic and chemoautotrophic bacteria, cyanobacteria, mosses …

Although the phylum Chloroflexota is ubiquitous, its biology and evolution are poorly
understood due to limited cultivability. Here, we isolated two motile, thermophilic bacteria …

Recent studies show that different microorganisms, especially bacteria and fungi, exhibit
contrasting latitudinal, longitudinal, and altitudinal diversity patterns at a global scale, but …

Soil salinization and heavy metal (HM) pollution are global environmental problems.
Bioorganic fertilizers facilitate phytoremediation, but their roles and microbial mechanisms in …

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) constitute a crucial biological component of the soil surface
in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Understanding the variations in soil microbial community …

The central aim in ecometabolomics and chemical ecology is to pinpoint chemical features
that explain molecular functioning. The greatest challenge is the identification of compounds …