Abstract
Desert ecosystems are generally considered lifeless habitats characterised by extreme environmental conditions, yet they are successfully colonised by various biocrust nonvascular communities. A biocrust is not only an important ecosystem engineer and a bioindicator of desert ecological restoration but also plays a vital role in linking surficial abiotic and biotic factors. Thus, extensive research has been conducted on biocrusts in critical dryland zones. However, few studies have been conducted in the vast temperate deserts of China prior to the beginning of this century. We reviewed the research on biocrusts conducted in China since 2000, which firstly focused on the eco-physiological responses of biocrusts to species composition, abiotic stresses, and anthropological disturbances. Further, research on the spatial distributions of biocrusts as well as their succession at different spatial scales, and relationships with vascular plants and soil biomes (especially underlying mechanisms of seed retention, germination, establishment and survival of vascular plants during biocrust succession, and creation of suitable niches and food webs for soil animals and microorganisms) was analysed. Additionally, studies emphasising on the contribution of biocrusts to ecological and hydrological processes in deserts as well as their applications in the cultivation and inoculation of nonvascular plants for land degradation control and ecological restoration were assessed. Finally, recent research on biocrusts was evaluated to propose future emerging research themes and new frontiers.
Highlights
The term biological soil crust or biocrust was first used in the 1950s (Belnap, 2003) and is characterised by a complex consortium of cyanobacteria, green algae, lichens, mosses, and other microorganisms associated with surface soil particles, cemented via mycelia, rhizoids, and secretions (West, 1990; Li, 2012)
Biocrusts can rapidly cover on sand dunes by inoculating and cultivating related nonvascular species and their high tolerate to harsh conditions, including exposure to intense UV radiation, drought stress, and various biotic and abiotic disturbances
The research progresses during two decades since 2000 were reflected in research scales, FIGURE 4 | Cultivated non-vascular plants were employed to form biocrusts on dune surface provisionally fixed by the sand barrier using straw checkerboard [(A) strain isolation and purification; (B) industrial scaled-up cultivation; (C) field spray-inoculation; and (D) cyanobacteria dominated crust after 1 year in the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert]
Summary
The term biological soil crust or biocrust was first used in the 1950s (Belnap, 2003) and is characterised by a complex consortium of cyanobacteria, green algae, lichens, mosses, and other microorganisms associated with surface soil particles, cemented via mycelia, rhizoids, and secretions (West, 1990; Li, 2012). Wind and water erosion rate decrease with biocrust development from initial cyanobacteria dominated to the later lichen and moss dominated crusts via promoting shallow soil aggregate structure, organic matter, water-holding capacity, and biocrust thickness, cover, as well as biomass (Li, 2012).
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