Biological soil crusts, known also as biocrusts, provide valuable ecosystem services,
especially in arid and semiarid regions. They may affect geomorphological (stability) …

Lichens are mutually symbiotic systems consisting of fungal and algal symbionts. While
diverse lichen-forming fungal species are known, limited species of algae form lichens …

Despite the important role that biocrust communities play in maintaining ecosystem structure
and functioning in drylands world‐wide, few studies have evaluated how climate change will …

In recent years, inoculating sand surfaces with biocrust organisms has become one of the
most promising biotechnological strategies for controlling and reversing land degradation in …

This study analyses the interactions among crustose and lichenicolous lichens growing on
gypsum biocrusts. The selected community was composed of Acarospora nodulosa …

Gypsum covers a vast area of the Iberian Peninsula, making Spain a leader in its production.
Gypsum is a fundamental raw material for modern societies. However, gypsum quarries …

Aims A possible approach to restore drylands is to recover biocrusts by inoculating
cyanobacteria. Many studies have demonstrated the ability of cyanobacteria to successfully …

The inoculation of cyanobacteria for enriching soil nutrients and forming biological soil
crusts (BSCs) is considered an effective means to restore degraded soil. However, there are …

Understanding patterns of habitat natural recovery after human-made disturbances is critical
for the conservation of ecosystems under high environmental stress, such as drylands. In …

In dryland ecosystems, land degradation and erosion pose severe threats to ecosystem
productivity and human well‐being. Bio‐inoculation of degraded soils with native biological …