Many parts of Earth are covered and protected by a layer of organisms called a biocrust. The layer acts as a skin for the Earth, protecting landscapes and reducing long-term damage. But climate change ...

Orange bucket and pie server in hand, Jane Brady stopped. The ground inside Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve was littered with bleached-out rocks, speckled with clusters of black dirt. "Look at ...

In the high desert of Castle Valley outside of Moab, Utah, famous redrock spires and mesas tower against bright blue sky. Not everyone notices another set of strange formations stretching up from the ...

Across the semi-arid, windswept areas of the American West, as well as in dry places around the world, biological soil crust clings to the soil in places where vascular plants, like trees and grasses ...

Scott Ferrenberg, who earned his Ph.D. in biology from CU-Boulder, is shown near Moab, Utah, where he and CU alumna Sasha Reed conducted a groundbreaking study on biocrust. Photo courtesy of Scott ...

Soil is more than just dirt; it contains many nutrients and microorganisms that maintain the foundation of an ecosystem. In arid and semi-arid climes, soils have biocrusts, which are communities of ...

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. These soil surfaces ...

A cross-section of biocrust taken by confocal scanning laser microscopy. Soil particles are visible as various shades of gray, while the bundles of cyanobacterial filaments (fluorescent red) are ...

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Cyanobacteria are a key biotic component as primary producers in biocrusts, topsoil communities that have important roles in the functioning of drylands. Yet, major knowledge gaps exist regarding the ...