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Living soil crusts glue desert dust into fragile biological skins

Nature Deserts
www.daily-feeds.com

Living soil crusts glue desert dust into fragile biological skins

Shahzad Mahota Published By Shahzad Mahota @shahzad-mahota

Living soil crusts glue desert dust into fragile biological skins

Cyanobacteria, lichens, mosses, and fungi weave cryptobiotic crusts across many arid soils, binding dust and sand into a dark, bumpy skin.

The crust fixes nitrogen, holds moisture, and stops wind from lifting fine particles — yet a single footprint can break decades of growth.

Tiny architects run the surface. Protecting desert crusts protects air quality and the seedbeds that restart plant life after rain.
Nature Deserts Wildlife Habitats Earth Science Biodiversity
Shahzad Mahota Shahzad Mahota @shahzad-mahota

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Living soil crusts glue desert dust into fragile biological skins