{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.1007/s10021-020-00497-5", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:15:46Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-03-30", "title": "Biocrusts Modulate Responses of Nitrous Oxide and Methane Soil Fluxes to Simulated Climate Change in a Mediterranean Dryland", "description": "Little is known about the role of biocrusts in regulating the responses of N2O and CH4 fluxes to climate change in drylands. Here, we aim to help filling this knowledge gap by using an 8-year field experiment in central Spain where temperature and rainfall are being manipulated (~\u20091.9\u00b0C warming, 33% rainfall reduction and their combination) in areas with and without well-developed biocrust communities. Areas with initial high cover of well-developed biocrusts showed lower N2O emissions, enhanced CH4 uptake and higher abundances of functional genes linked to N2O and CH4 fluxes compared with areas with poorly developed biocrusts. Moreover, biocrusts modulated the responses of gases emissions and related functional genes to warming and rainfall reductions. Specifically, we found under rainfall exclusion and its combination with warming a sharp reduction in N2O fluxes (~\u200996% and ~\u2009197%, respectively) only under well-developed biocrust cover. Warming and its combination with rainfall exclusion reduced CH4 consumption in areas with initial low cover of well-developed biocrust, whereas rainfall exclusion enhanced CH4 uptake only in areas with high initial cover of well-developed biocrusts. Similarly, the combination of warming and rainfall exclusion increased the abundance of the nosZ gene compared to the rainfall exclusion treatment and increased the abundance of the pmoA gene compared to the control, but only in areas with low biocrust cover. Taken together, our results indicate that well-developed biocrust communities could counteract the impact of warming and altered rainfall patterns on soil N2O and CH4 fluxes, highlighting their importance and the need to preserve them to minimize climate change impacts on drylands. A. L. is supported by a FPI fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2014-067831). M.D-B. acknowledges support from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-MSCA-IF-2016 under REA Grant Agreement No. 702057 (CLIMIFUN) and the BES Grant Agreement No. LRA17 1193 (MUSGONET). J.D acknowledges support from the Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia (IF/00950/2014) and the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and COMPETE 2020 (UID/BIA/04004/2013). This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC Grant Agreements 242658 [BIOCOM] and 647038 [BIODESERT]), by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BIOMOD project, ref. CGL2013-44661-R and AGL2015-64582-C3-3-R project) and by the Comunidad de Madrid and European Structural and Investment Funds (AGRISOST-CM S2013/ABI-2717). F.T.M. acknowledges support from Generalitat Valenciana (BIOMORES project, ref. CIDEGENT/2018/041). B.K.S research on the topic of biodiversity and ecosystem functions is funded by Australian Research Council (DP170104634).", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "0303 health sciences", "arid regions", "Nitrous oxide", "nitrous oxide", "Mediterranean Region", "methane", "Ecolog\u00eda", "15. Life on land", "climatic changes", "Dryland", "03 medical and health sciences", "Methanotrophs", "13. Climate action", "XXXXXX - Unknown", "Biocrust", "crust vegetation", "Denitrifiers", "denitrifying bacteria", "Methane"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10021-020-00497-5.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-020-00497-5"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecosystems", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s10021-020-00497-5", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s10021-020-00497-5", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s10021-020-00497-5"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-03-30T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1007/s10021-022-00779-0", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:15:46Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-09-27", "title": "Biocrusts Modulate Climate Change Effects on Soil Organic Carbon Pools: Insights From a 9-Year Experiment", "description": "Abstract<p>Accumulating evidence suggests that warming associated with climate change is decreasing the total amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) in drylands, although scientific research has not given enough emphasis to particulate (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) pools. Biocrusts are a major biotic feature of drylands and have large impacts on the C cycle, yet it is largely unknown whether they modulate the responses of POC and MAOC to climate change. Here, we assessed the effects of simulated climate change (control, reduced rainfall (RE), warming (WA), and RE\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89WA) and initial biocrust cover (low (&lt;\uffe2\uff80\uff8920%) versus high (&gt;\uffe2\uff80\uff8950%)) on the mineral protection of soil C and soil organic matter quality in a dryland ecosystem in central Spain for 9\uffc2\uffa0years. At low initial biocrust cover levels, both WA and RE\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89WA increased SOC, especially POC but also MAOC, and promoted a higher contribution of carbohydrates, relative to aromatic compounds, to the POC fraction. These results suggest that the accumulation of soil C under warming treatments may be transitory in soils with low initial biocrust cover. In soils with high initial biocrust cover, climate change treatments did not affect SOC, neither POC nor MAOC fraction. Overall, our results indicate that biocrust communities modulate the negative effect of climate change on SOC, because no losses of soil C were observed with the climate manipulations under biocrusts. Future work should focus on determining the long-term persistence of the observed buffering effect by biocrust-forming lichens, as they are known to be negatively affected by warming.</p", "keywords": ["Carbon cycling", "2. Zero hunger", "Soil organic matter", "Particulate-associated organic carbon", "particulate-associated organic carbon", "carbon cycling", "Qu\u00edmica", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "Article", "Nuclear magnetic resonance", "nuclear magnetic resonance", "climate change", "mineral-associated organic carbon", "13. Climate action", "soil organic matter", "Climate change", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Mineral-associated organic carbon", "Biocrusts", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-022-00779-0"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecosystems", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1007/s10021-022-00779-0", "name": "item", "description": "10.1007/s10021-022-00779-0", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1007/s10021-022-00779-0"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-09-27T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107947", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:18:32Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-08-15", "title": "Nitrogen inputs may improve soil biocrusts multifunctionality in dryland ecosystems", "description": "Open AccessSoil biocrusts (communities of cyanobacteria, algae, mosses, lichens, and heterotrophs living at the soil surface) are fundamental components of dryland ecosystems worldwide. There is increasing concern over the potential for increasing nitrogen (N) inputs to affect biocrusts. This is of special concern in Mediterranean Basin drylands that face the threat of increased N inputs however, the effect on biocrusts remains poorly studied. We evaluated the potential effects of increased N inputs on biocrust structure and functioning in surrounding Mediterranean shrublands in the seventh year of a N-manipulation field experiment. We tracked the N-driven changes in biotope (changes in bare soil and in the non-legume and the legume occupation areas, and the percentage of radiation intercepted by plant canopies), evaluated biocrust functional traits (based on pigments) and measured biocrust functioning in terms of C and N cycling, soil fertility (macro and micronutrients) and biodiversity, and integrated these multiple soil functions simultaneously (i.e. soil multifunctionality) Biocrust pigment concentration was significantly influenced by both plant legacy and N input. Biocrust pigments revealed a clear functional shift from: i) biocrusts dominated by photosynthetically inactive cyanobacteria that fix N and are mostly committed to photoprotection at the expense of N-containing pigments under low N inputs; into ii) biocrusts more evenly composed of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, which are more photosynthetically active, but less committed to photoprotection and N fixation under exposure to increased N inputs. The N-driven functional and structural changes in biocrusts resulted in trade-offs in biocrust functioning and processes (only N fixation was affected) and an overall improvement in biocrust multifunctionality. By itself, biocrust pigment evenness accounted for ~50% of the observed variation in biocrust multifunctionality. The biocrust pigment functional approach we adopted to study the effects of increased N inputs from patchy developed anthropogenic landscapes provides novel and critical knowledge of biocrusts community and functioning, which may be used as a tool in biodiversity conservation strategies, ecosystem functions and ecological modelling.", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "0303 health sciences", "03 medical and health sciences", "Biocrust functioning", "13. Climate action", "Plant species legacy", "Biological soil crusts", "Biocrust pigments", "15. Life on land", "Increased N inputs", "Pigment functional traits"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107947"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Biology%20and%20Biochemistry", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107947", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107947", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107947"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-10-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10835/7551", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:29:10Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-06-06", "title": "Spectral Response Analysis: An Indirect and Non-Destructive Methodology for the Chlorophyll Quantification of Biocrusts", "description": "<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><article><p>Chlorophyll a concentration (Chla) is a well-proven proxy of biocrust development, photosynthetic organisms\u2019 status, and recovery monitoring after environmental disturbances. However, laboratory methods for the analysis of chlorophyll require destructive sampling and are expensive and time consuming. Indirect estimation of chlorophyll a by means of soil surface reflectance analysis has been demonstrated to be an accurate, cheap, and quick alternative for chlorophyll retrieval information, especially in plants. However, its application to biocrusts has yet to be harnessed. In this study we evaluated the potential of soil surface reflectance measurements for non-destructive Chla quantification over a range of biocrust types and soils. Our results revealed that from the different spectral transformation methods and techniques, the first derivative of the reflectance and the continuum removal were the most accurate for Chla retrieval. Normalized difference values in the red-edge region and common broadband indexes (e.g., normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) were also sensitive to changes in Chla. However, such approaches should be carefully adapted to each specific biocrust type. On the other hand, the combination of spectral measurements with non-linear random forest (RF) models provided very good fits (R2 &gt; 0.94) with a mean root mean square error (RMSE) of about 6.5 \u00b5g/g soil, and alleviated the need for a specific calibration for each crust type, opening a wide range of opportunities to advance our knowledge of biocrust responses to ongoing global change and degradation processes from anthropogenic disturbance.</p></article>", "keywords": ["chlorophyll quantification", "remote sensing", "hyperspectral", "13. Climate action", "Science", "Q", "Biocrusts; biological soil crust; chlorophyll quantification; hyperspectral; random forest; remote sensing", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "random forest", "Biocrusts", "biological soil crust"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/11/1350/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/11/1350/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10835/7551"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Remote%20Sensing", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10835/7551", "name": "item", "description": "10835/7551", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10835/7551"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-06-05T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/nph.18631", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-27T16:21:07Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-11-22", "title": "A research agenda for nonvascular photoautotrophs under climate change", "description": "Summary<p>Nonvascular photoautotrophs (NVP), including bryophytes, lichens, terrestrial algae, and cyanobacteria, are increasingly recognized as being essential to ecosystem functioning in many regions of the world. Current research suggests that climate change may pose a substantial threat to NVP, but the extent to which this will affect the associated ecosystem functions and services is highly uncertain. Here, we propose a research agenda to address this urgent question, focusing on physiological and ecological processes that link NVP to ecosystem functions while also taking into account the substantial taxonomic diversity across multiple ecosystem types. Accordingly, we developed a new categorization scheme, based on microclimatic gradients, which simplifies the high physiological and morphological diversity of NVP and world\uffe2\uff80\uff90wide distribution with respect to several broad habitat types. We found that habitat\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific ecosystem functions of NVP will likely be substantially affected by climate change, and more quantitative process understanding is required on: (1) potential for acclimation; (2) response to elevated CO2; (3)\uffc2\uffa0role of the microbiome; and (4) feedback to (micro)climate. We suggest an integrative approach of innovative, multimethod laboratory and field experiments and ecophysiological modelling, for which sustained scientific collaboration on NVP research will be essential.</p", "keywords": ["epiphytes", "nonvascular vegetation", "0106 biological sciences", "model\u2013data integration", "Lichens", "Climate Change", "biocrusts", "Bryophyta", "Plants", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "climate change", "lichens and bryophytes", "13. Climate action", "biocrusts; climate change; ecosystem services; epiphytes; functional traits; lichens and bryophytes; model-data integration; nonvascular vegetation", "functional traits", "ecosystem services", "biocrusts; climate change; ecosystem services; epiphytes; functional traits; lichens and bryophytes; model-data integration; nonvascular vegetation.", "Ecosystem", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://iris.unige.it/bitstream/11567/1100674/2/New%20Phytologist%20-%202023%20-%20Porada%20-%20A%20research%20agenda%20for%20nonvascular%20photoautotrophs%20under%20climate%20change.pdf"}, {"href": "https://cris.unibo.it/bitstream/11585/917373/2/New%20Phytologist%20-%202022%20-%20Porada%20-%20A%20research%20agenda%20for%20nonvascular%20photoautotrophs%20under%20climate%20change.pdf"}, {"href": "https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.18631"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18631"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/New%20Phytologist", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/nph.18631", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/nph.18631", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/nph.18631"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-12-13T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/oik.08809", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:21:08Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-12-20", "title": "Climate change and biocrust disturbance synergistically decreased taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in annual communities on gypsiferous soils", "description": "<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><article><p>Rainfall and biocrusts are important sources of temporal and spatial environmental heterogeneity and niche differentiation for annual plants, a major component of diversity in drylands. Therefore, global change processes comprising shifts in rainfall timing and drought exacerbation, together with biocrust disturbance may affect species coexistence and result in disrupted diversity patterns. In this study, we experimentally evaluated the effects of the rainfall amount and timing as well as physical biocrust disturbance and their interaction on the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of annual plant communities on gypsum soil drylands. All diversity estimates were determined at different times during community development in each experimental unit (\u03b1), as the contribution of each experimental unit to the total diversity in each treatment (\u03b2) and as the total diversity in each treatment (\u03b3). Rainfall timings led to changes in all diversity dimensions, with higher diversity under the typical timing. The community was quite resilient to moderate reductions in rainfall, but extreme droughts decreased the alpha and beta taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversities. In addition, the simultaneous occurrence of biocrust disturbance and extreme drought led to consistent collapses in all diversity dimensions, probably because the effects of water shortage were exacerbated. Observations of the community at different times during its development highlighted the importance of regenerative strategies for niche differentiation and species coexistence, and their strong dependence on global change drivers. Indeed, our experimental study demonstrated that rainfall patterns and biocrusts are key factors related to the maintenance of diversity in semiarid annual plant communities. In particular, our results highlight the key role of biocrusts in modulating the effects of drought on plant diversity and the need for integrative approaches that consider both plants and biocrusts in order to elucidate the influence of climate change on the diversity of drylands.</p></article>", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "annual plants", "regeneration niche", "biocrusts", "drought", "15. Life on land", "diversity loss", "01 natural sciences", "6. Clean water", "climate change", "gypsum soil", "rainfall timing", "13. Climate action", "Mediterranean ecosystems"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/oik.08809"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.08809"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Oikos", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/oik.08809", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/oik.08809", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/oik.08809"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-12-20T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.19080/ARTOAJ.2018.18.556046", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-27T16:22:16Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-03-13", "title": "Soil Inoculation with Cyanobacteria: Reviewing Its\u2019 Potential for Agriculture Sustainability in Drylands", "description": "In the last decades, there has been a huge expansion of intensive agriculture crops to attend the enormous demand of food needs with increasing population. Intensive agriculture is highly dependent on chemicals, which has caused numerous environmental problems such as contamination of aquifers, soils and air, with serious consequences on human health. A challenge in the next decades will be the development of economically viable methods to enhance productivity, at the same time that conservation of natural resources, protection of environment and production of healthy agricultural products are ensured. Sustainable agriculture requires management of a healthy living soil. Use of microorganisms such as cyanobacteria appears as a real alternative to achieve more sustainable managements. In this review, we briefly discuss the roles of cyanobacteria in the improvement of soil stability, soil nutrient and moisture status, organic matter content, microbial activities, and the growth and productivity of crops. Application of cyanobacteria is especially promising in croplands from dryland regions where high tolerance of these organisms to harsh environmental conditions converts them into viable alternatives or complements to more widespread conservation practices based on vegetation covers.", "keywords": ["Biocrust; Fertility; Carbon sequestration; Soil erosion; Cropland", "0301 basic medicine", "03 medical and health sciences", "01 natural sciences", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://flore.unifi.it/bitstream/2158/1138562/1/Agricultural%20Res%20Technol%202018.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.19080/ARTOAJ.2018.18.556046"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Agricultural%20Research%20%26amp%3B%20Technology%3A%20Open%20Access%20Journal", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.19080/ARTOAJ.2018.18.556046", "name": "item", "description": "10.19080/ARTOAJ.2018.18.556046", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.19080/ARTOAJ.2018.18.556046"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-09-28T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10451/49705", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-27T16:29:04Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-08-15", "title": "Nitrogen inputs may improve soil biocrusts multifunctionality in dryland ecosystems", "description": "Open AccessSoil biocrusts (communities of cyanobacteria, algae, mosses, lichens, and heterotrophs living at the soil surface) are fundamental components of dryland ecosystems worldwide. There is increasing concern over the potential for increasing nitrogen (N) inputs to affect biocrusts. This is of special concern in Mediterranean Basin drylands that face the threat of increased N inputs however, the effect on biocrusts remains poorly studied. We evaluated the potential effects of increased N inputs on biocrust structure and functioning in surrounding Mediterranean shrublands in the seventh year of a N-manipulation field experiment. We tracked the N-driven changes in biotope (changes in bare soil and in the non-legume and the legume occupation areas, and the percentage of radiation intercepted by plant canopies), evaluated biocrust functional traits (based on pigments) and measured biocrust functioning in terms of C and N cycling, soil fertility (macro and micronutrients) and biodiversity, and integrated these multiple soil functions simultaneously (i.e. soil multifunctionality) Biocrust pigment concentration was significantly influenced by both plant legacy and N input. Biocrust pigments revealed a clear functional shift from: i) biocrusts dominated by photosynthetically inactive cyanobacteria that fix N and are mostly committed to photoprotection at the expense of N-containing pigments under low N inputs; into ii) biocrusts more evenly composed of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, which are more photosynthetically active, but less committed to photoprotection and N fixation under exposure to increased N inputs. The N-driven functional and structural changes in biocrusts resulted in trade-offs in biocrust functioning and processes (only N fixation was affected) and an overall improvement in biocrust multifunctionality. By itself, biocrust pigment evenness accounted for ~50% of the observed variation in biocrust multifunctionality. The biocrust pigment functional approach we adopted to study the effects of increased N inputs from patchy developed anthropogenic landscapes provides novel and critical knowledge of biocrusts community and functioning, which may be used as a tool in biodiversity conservation strategies, ecosystem functions and ecological modelling.", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "0303 health sciences", "03 medical and health sciences", "Biocrust functioning", "13. Climate action", "Plant species legacy", "Biological soil crusts", "Biocrust pigments", "15. Life on land", "Increased N inputs", "Pigment functional traits"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://repositorio.ulisboa.pt/bitstream/10451/49705/1/Nitrogen%20inputs%20may%20improve%20soil%20biocrusts%20multifunctionality%20in%20dryland%20ecosystems.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10451/49705"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Biology%20and%20Biochemistry", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10451/49705", "name": "item", "description": "10451/49705", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10451/49705"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-10-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3389/fenvs.2018.00049", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-27T16:23:16Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-06-11", "title": "Cyanobacteria Inoculation Improves Soil Stability and Fertility on Different Textured Soils: Gaining Insights for Applicability in Soil Restoration", "description": "Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous components of biocrust communities and the first colonizers of terrestrial ecosystems. They play multiple roles in the soil by fixing C and N and synthesizing exopolysaccharides, which increase soil fertility and water retention and improve soil structure and stability. Application of cyanobacteria as inoculants to promote biocrust development has been proposed as a novel biotechnological technique for restoring barren degraded areas and combating desertification processes in arid lands. However, previous to their widespread application under field conditions, research is needed to ensure the selection of the most suitable species. In this study, we inoculated two cyanobacterial species, Phormidium ambiguum (non N-fixing) and Scytonema javanicum (N-fixing), on different textured soils (from silt loam to sandy), and analyzed cyanobacteria biocrust development and evolution of physicochemical soil properties for 3 months under laboratory conditions. Cyanobacteria inoculation led to biocrust formation in all soil types. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed contrasting structure of the biocrust induced by the two cyanobacteria. The one from P. ambiguum was characterized by thin filaments that enveloped soil particles and created a dense, entangled network, while the one from S. javanicum consisted of thicker filaments that grouped as bunches in between soil particles. Biocrust development, assessed by chlorophyll a content and crust spectral properties, was higher in S. javanicum-inoculated soils compared to P. ambiguum-inoculated soils. Either cyanobacteria inoculation did not increase soil hydrophobicity. S. javanicum promoted a higher increase in total organic C and total N content, while P. ambiguum was more effective in increasing total exopolysaccharide (EPS) content and soil penetration resistance. The effects of cyanobacteria inoculation also differed among soil types and the highest improvement in soil fertility compared to non-inoculated soils was found in sandy and silty soils, which originally had lowest fertility. On the whole, the improvement in soil fertility and stability supports the viability of using cyanobacteria to restore degraded arid soils.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Exopolysaccharides", "Soil nitrogen", "exopolysaccharides", "organic carbon", "soil nitrogen", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "biocrust development", "Soil degradation", "01 natural sciences", "6. Clean water", "Environmental sciences", "soil degradation", "Biocrust development", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "GE1-350", "autotrophic organisms", "Autotrophic organisms", "Autotrophic organisms; Biocrust development; Exopolysaccharides; Organic carbon; Soil degradation; Soil nitrogen", "Organic carbon", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://flore.unifi.it/bitstream/2158/1131521/1/Frontiers%20Env%20Science%20June%202018.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2018.00049"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Environmental%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/fenvs.2018.00049", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fenvs.2018.00049", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fenvs.2018.00049"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-06-11T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/jof8040333", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:23:35Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-03-24", "title": "Non-Toxic Increases in Nitrogen Availability Can Improve the Ability of the Soil Lichen Cladonia rangiferina to Cope with Environmental Changes", "description": "<p>Climate change and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on drylands are greatly threatening these especially vulnerable areas. Soil biocrust-forming lichens in drylands can provide early indicators of these disturbances and play a pivotal role, as they contribute to key ecosystem services. In this study, we explored the effects of different long-term water availability regimes simulating climate changes and their interaction with N addition on the physiological response of the soil lichen Cladonia rangiferina. Three sets of this lichen were subjected to control, reduced watering, and reduced watering and N addition (40 kg NH4NO3 ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 year\uffe2\uff88\uff921) treatments for 16 months. Finally, all samples were subjected to daily hydration cycles with N-enriched water at two levels (40 and 80 kg NH4NO3 ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 year\uffe2\uff88\uff921) for 23 days. We found that reduced watering significantly decreased the vitality of this lichen, whereas N addition unexpectedly helped lichens subjected to reduced watering to cope with stress produced by high temperatures. We also found that long-term exposure to N addition contributed to the acclimation to higher N availability. Overall, our data suggest that the interactions between reduced watering and increased N supply and temperature have an important potential to reduce the physiological performance of this soil lichen.</p>", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "drylands", "0303 health sciences", "QH301-705.5", "; global change", "15. Life on land", "soil lichens; soil biocrust; global change; climate change; biomonitoring; synergetic effects; reduced watering; aridity; drylands; Mediterranean ecosystems", "synergetic effects", "01 natural sciences", "soil lichens", "Article", "03 medical and health sciences", "climate change", "aridity", "13. Climate action", "Mediterranean ecosystems", "biomonitoring", "soil biocrust", "Biology (General)", "reduced watering", "global change", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/8/4/333/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/8/4/333/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8040333"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20Fungi", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/jof8040333", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/jof8040333", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/jof8040333"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-03-23T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/rs11111350", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:23:44Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-06-06", "title": "Spectral Response Analysis: An Indirect and Non-Destructive Methodology for the Chlorophyll Quantification of Biocrusts", "description": "<p>Chlorophyll a concentration (Chla) is a well-proven proxy of biocrust development, photosynthetic organisms\uffe2\uff80\uff99 status, and recovery monitoring after environmental disturbances. However, laboratory methods for the analysis of chlorophyll require destructive sampling and are expensive and time consuming. Indirect estimation of chlorophyll a by means of soil surface reflectance analysis has been demonstrated to be an accurate, cheap, and quick alternative for chlorophyll retrieval information, especially in plants. However, its application to biocrusts has yet to be harnessed. In this study we evaluated the potential of soil surface reflectance measurements for non-destructive Chla quantification over a range of biocrust types and soils. Our results revealed that from the different spectral transformation methods and techniques, the first derivative of the reflectance and the continuum removal were the most accurate for Chla retrieval. Normalized difference values in the red-edge region and common broadband indexes (e.g., normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) were also sensitive to changes in Chla. However, such approaches should be carefully adapted to each specific biocrust type. On the other hand, the combination of spectral measurements with non-linear random forest (RF) models provided very good fits (R2 &gt; 0.94) with a mean root mean square error (RMSE) of about 6.5 \uffc2\uffb5g/g soil, and alleviated the need for a specific calibration for each crust type, opening a wide range of opportunities to advance our knowledge of biocrust responses to ongoing global change and degradation processes from anthropogenic disturbance.</p>", "keywords": ["chlorophyll quantification", "remote sensing", "hyperspectral", "13. Climate action", "Science", "Q", "Biocrusts; biological soil crust; chlorophyll quantification; hyperspectral; random forest; remote sensing", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "random forest", "Biocrusts", "biological soil crust"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/11/1350/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/11/1350/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11111350"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Remote%20Sensing", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/rs11111350", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/rs11111350", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/rs11111350"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-06-05T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10451/52117", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:29:05Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-03-23", "title": "Non-Toxic Increases in Nitrogen Availability Can Improve the Ability of the Soil Lichen Cladonia rangiferina to Cope with Environmental Changes", "description": "<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><article><p>Climate change and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on drylands are greatly threatening these especially vulnerable areas. Soil biocrust-forming lichens in drylands can provide early indicators of these disturbances and play a pivotal role, as they contribute to key ecosystem services. In this study, we explored the effects of different long-term water availability regimes simulating climate changes and their interaction with N addition on the physiological response of the soil lichen Cladonia rangiferina. Three sets of this lichen were subjected to control, reduced watering, and reduced watering and N addition (40 kg NH4NO3 ha\u22121 year\u22121) treatments for 16 months. Finally, all samples were subjected to daily hydration cycles with N-enriched water at two levels (40 and 80 kg NH4NO3 ha\u22121 year\u22121) for 23 days. We found that reduced watering significantly decreased the vitality of this lichen, whereas N addition unexpectedly helped lichens subjected to reduced watering to cope with stress produced by high temperatures. We also found that long-term exposure to N addition contributed to the acclimation to higher N availability. Overall, our data suggest that the interactions between reduced watering and increased N supply and temperature have an important potential to reduce the physiological performance of this soil lichen.</p></article>", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "QH301-705.5", "Synergetic effects", "soil lichens; soil biocrust; global change; climate change; biomonitoring; synergetic effects; reduced watering; aridity; drylands; Mediterranean ecosystems", "01 natural sciences", "Article", "03 medical and health sciences", "Climate change", "Reduced watering", "Biology (General)", "Global change", "global change", "Aridity", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "0303 health sciences", "Drylands", "15. Life on land", "synergetic effects", "soil lichens", "6. Clean water", "climate change", "13. Climate action", "biomonitoring", "Biomonitoring", "Mediterranean ecosystems", "Soil lichens", "soil biocrust", "Soil biocrust"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/8/4/333/pdf"}, {"href": "https://repositorio.ulisboa.pt/bitstream/10451/52117/1/jof-08-00333-v2.pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/8/4/333/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10451/52117"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Journal%20of%20Fungi", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10451/52117", "name": "item", "description": "10451/52117", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10451/52117"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-03-23T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5061/dryad.66t1g1k7n", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-27T16:24:17Z", "type": "Dataset", "created": "2023-12-05", "title": "Biotic and abiotic properties of biocrus", "description": "unspecifiedEukaryotic algae, as the primary group of photosynthetic autotrophs, exert  a significant influence on the development and functions of biological  crusts in dryland ecosystems. Despite their importance, there are  substantial knowledge gaps on the composition of eukaryotic algal  communities and their effects on the distributions of bacteria and fungi  in dryland soils. This study examined the eukaryotic algal community along  a successional sequence of biocrusts in the Gurbantunggut desert, while  also investigating their patterns of co-occurrence with bacteria and fungi  through high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic analyses. The results  showed that nitrogen and phosphorus levels played a crucial role in the  regulation of changes in the abundance and composition of the algal  community. In particular, changes in the structure of the algal community  arise primarily from fluctuations in the main species, rather than from  loss and appearance of species during the biocrust succession. The  accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus in the biocrust led to increases  in the relative abundance of algal species in the Chlorophyta. The results  also indicated that eukaryotic algae played an important role in affecting  bacterial and fungal communities and significantly improved the stability  of the microbial community, reflected by the robustness of co-occurrence  networks. The network analysis further indicated that eukaryotic algae  affected the stability of microbial co-occurrence networks either by  acting as keystone taxa or associating with the keystone bacterial and  fungal taxa. These findings reveal a clear mechanism by which soil  nitrogen and phosphorus levels affected the composition of eukaryotic  algae communities and further regulated bacterial and fungal communities  during biocrust development, providing valuable information on the  development and functional execution of biocrusts in dryland ecosystems.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Microbial ecology", "Succession of biocrusts", "13. Climate action", "Physicochemical properties", "15. Life on land", "FOS: Natural sciences"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Zhao, Kang", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.66t1g1k7n"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5061/dryad.66t1g1k7n", "name": "item", "description": "10.5061/dryad.66t1g1k7n", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5061/dryad.66t1g1k7n"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-12-12T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.10707514", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:25:03Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-12-20", "title": "Climate change and biocrust disturbance synergistically decreased taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in annual communities on gypsiferous soils", "description": "<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><article><p>Rainfall and biocrusts are important sources of temporal and spatial environmental heterogeneity and niche differentiation for annual plants, a major component of diversity in drylands. Therefore, global change processes comprising shifts in rainfall timing and drought exacerbation, together with biocrust disturbance may affect species coexistence and result in disrupted diversity patterns. In this study, we experimentally evaluated the effects of the rainfall amount and timing as well as physical biocrust disturbance and their interaction on the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of annual plant communities on gypsum soil drylands. All diversity estimates were determined at different times during community development in each experimental unit (\u03b1), as the contribution of each experimental unit to the total diversity in each treatment (\u03b2) and as the total diversity in each treatment (\u03b3). Rainfall timings led to changes in all diversity dimensions, with higher diversity under the typical timing. The community was quite resilient to moderate reductions in rainfall, but extreme droughts decreased the alpha and beta taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversities. In addition, the simultaneous occurrence of biocrust disturbance and extreme drought led to consistent collapses in all diversity dimensions, probably because the effects of water shortage were exacerbated. Observations of the community at different times during its development highlighted the importance of regenerative strategies for niche differentiation and species coexistence, and their strong dependence on global change drivers. Indeed, our experimental study demonstrated that rainfall patterns and biocrusts are key factors related to the maintenance of diversity in semiarid annual plant communities. In particular, our results highlight the key role of biocrusts in modulating the effects of drought on plant diversity and the need for integrative approaches that consider both plants and biocrusts in order to elucidate the influence of climate change on the diversity of drylands.</p></article>", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "annual plants", "regeneration niche", "biocrusts", "drought", "15. Life on land", "diversity loss", "01 natural sciences", "6. Clean water", "climate change", "gypsum soil", "rainfall timing", "13. Climate action", "Mediterranean ecosystems"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/oik.08809"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10707514"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Oikos", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.10707514", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.10707514", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.10707514"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-12-20T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "1959.7/uws:56895", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:29:38Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-03-30", "title": "Biocrusts Modulate Responses of Nitrous Oxide and Methane Soil Fluxes to Simulated Climate Change in a Mediterranean Dryland", "description": "Little is known about the role of biocrusts in regulating the responses of N2O and CH4 fluxes to climate change in drylands. Here, we aim to help filling this knowledge gap by using an 8-year field experiment in central Spain where temperature and rainfall are being manipulated (~\u20091.9\u00b0C warming, 33% rainfall reduction and their combination) in areas with and without well-developed biocrust communities. Areas with initial high cover of well-developed biocrusts showed lower N2O emissions, enhanced CH4 uptake and higher abundances of functional genes linked to N2O and CH4 fluxes compared with areas with poorly developed biocrusts. Moreover, biocrusts modulated the responses of gases emissions and related functional genes to warming and rainfall reductions. Specifically, we found under rainfall exclusion and its combination with warming a sharp reduction in N2O fluxes (~\u200996% and ~\u2009197%, respectively) only under well-developed biocrust cover. Warming and its combination with rainfall exclusion reduced CH4 consumption in areas with initial low cover of well-developed biocrust, whereas rainfall exclusion enhanced CH4 uptake only in areas with high initial cover of well-developed biocrusts. Similarly, the combination of warming and rainfall exclusion increased the abundance of the nosZ gene compared to the rainfall exclusion treatment and increased the abundance of the pmoA gene compared to the control, but only in areas with low biocrust cover. Taken together, our results indicate that well-developed biocrust communities could counteract the impact of warming and altered rainfall patterns on soil N2O and CH4 fluxes, highlighting their importance and the need to preserve them to minimize climate change impacts on drylands. A. L. is supported by a FPI fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BES-2014-067831). M.D-B. acknowledges support from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-MSCA-IF-2016 under REA Grant Agreement No. 702057 (CLIMIFUN) and the BES Grant Agreement No. LRA17 1193 (MUSGONET). J.D acknowledges support from the Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia (IF/00950/2014) and the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and COMPETE 2020 (UID/BIA/04004/2013). This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC Grant Agreements 242658 [BIOCOM] and 647038 [BIODESERT]), by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BIOMOD project, ref. CGL2013-44661-R and AGL2015-64582-C3-3-R project) and by the Comunidad de Madrid and European Structural and Investment Funds (AGRISOST-CM S2013/ABI-2717). F.T.M. acknowledges support from Generalitat Valenciana (BIOMORES project, ref. CIDEGENT/2018/041). B.K.S research on the topic of biodiversity and ecosystem functions is funded by Australian Research Council (DP170104634).", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "0303 health sciences", "arid regions", "Nitrous oxide", "nitrous oxide", "Mediterranean Region", "methane", "Ecolog\u00eda", "15. Life on land", "climatic changes", "Dryland", "03 medical and health sciences", "Methanotrophs", "13. Climate action", "XXXXXX - Unknown", "Biocrust", "crust vegetation", "Denitrifiers", "denitrifying bacteria", "Methane"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10021-020-00497-5.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/1959.7/uws:56895"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecosystems", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "1959.7/uws:56895", "name": "item", "description": "1959.7/uws:56895", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/1959.7/uws:56895"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-03-30T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.7717/peerj.6169", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:28:39Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-01-03", "title": "Polyphasic evaluation of key cyanobacteria in biocrusts from the most arid region in Europe", "description": "<p>Cyanobacteria are key microbes in topsoil communities that have important roles in preventing soil erosion, carbon and nitrogen fixation, and influencing soil hydrology. However, little is known regarding the identity and distribution of the microbial components in the photosynthetic assemblages that form a cohesive biological soil crust (biocrust) in drylands of Europe. In this study, we investigated the cyanobacterial species colonizing biocrusts in three representative dryland ecosystems from the most arid region in Europe (SE Spain) that are characterized by different soil conditions. Isolated cyanobacterial cultures were identified by a polyphasic approach, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing, phylogenetic relationship determination, and morphological and ecological habitat assessments. Three well-differentiated groups were identified: heterocystous-cyanobacteria (Nostoc commune,Nostoc calcicola,Tolypothrix distortaandScytonema hyalinum), which play an important role in N and C cycling in soil; nonheterocystous bundle-forming cyanobacteria (Microcoleus steenstrupii,Trichocoleus desertorum, andSchizothrixcf. calcicola); and narrow filamentous cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbya frigidaandOculatella kazantipica), all of which are essential genera for initial biocrust formation. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of cyanobacterial species composition in biocrusts from important and understudied European habitats, such as the Mediterranean Basin, a hotspot of biodiversity, where these species are keystone pioneer organisms.</p>", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "0303 health sciences", "QH301-705.5", "R", "Biological soil crust", "Soil cyanobacteria", "Biodiversity", "15. Life on land", "Biolog\u00eda y Biomedicina / Biolog\u00eda", "03 medical and health sciences", "13. Climate action", "Medicine", "16S rRNA gene", "Biology (General)", "Phylogenetic relationships", "Biocrusts"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://peerj.com/articles/6169.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6169"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PeerJ", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.7717/peerj.6169", "name": "item", "description": "10.7717/peerj.6169", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.7717/peerj.6169"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-01-03T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10115/18610", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:28:48Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-12-20", "title": "Climate change and biocrust disturbance synergistically decreased taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in annual communities on gypsiferous soils", "description": "<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><article><p>Rainfall and biocrusts are important sources of temporal and spatial environmental heterogeneity and niche differentiation for annual plants, a major component of diversity in drylands. Therefore, global change processes comprising shifts in rainfall timing and drought exacerbation, together with biocrust disturbance may affect species coexistence and result in disrupted diversity patterns. In this study, we experimentally evaluated the effects of the rainfall amount and timing as well as physical biocrust disturbance and their interaction on the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of annual plant communities on gypsum soil drylands. All diversity estimates were determined at different times during community development in each experimental unit (\u03b1), as the contribution of each experimental unit to the total diversity in each treatment (\u03b2) and as the total diversity in each treatment (\u03b3). Rainfall timings led to changes in all diversity dimensions, with higher diversity under the typical timing. The community was quite resilient to moderate reductions in rainfall, but extreme droughts decreased the alpha and beta taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversities. In addition, the simultaneous occurrence of biocrust disturbance and extreme drought led to consistent collapses in all diversity dimensions, probably because the effects of water shortage were exacerbated. Observations of the community at different times during its development highlighted the importance of regenerative strategies for niche differentiation and species coexistence, and their strong dependence on global change drivers. Indeed, our experimental study demonstrated that rainfall patterns and biocrusts are key factors related to the maintenance of diversity in semiarid annual plant communities. In particular, our results highlight the key role of biocrusts in modulating the effects of drought on plant diversity and the need for integrative approaches that consider both plants and biocrusts in order to elucidate the influence of climate change on the diversity of drylands.</p></article>", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "annual plants", "regeneration niche", "biocrusts", "drought", "15. Life on land", "diversity loss", "01 natural sciences", "6. Clean water", "climate change", "gypsum soil", "rainfall timing", "13. Climate action", "Mediterranean ecosystems"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/oik.08809"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10115/18610"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Oikos", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10115/18610", "name": "item", "description": "10115/18610", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10115/18610"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-12-20T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10261/336363", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-27T16:28:56Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-07-15", "title": "Biocrust science and global change", "description": "Open AccessPeer reviewed", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts", "Lichens", "Climate", "Climate Change", "Publications", "Bryophytes", "Biological soil crusts", "15. Life on land", "Cyanobacteria", "01 natural sciences", "Virtual", "Soil", "13. Climate action", "Global environmental change", "http://metadata.un.org/sdg/13", "Desert Climate", "Ecosystem", "Biocrusts", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10261/336363"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/New%20Phytologist", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10261/336363", "name": "item", "description": "10261/336363", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10261/336363"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-07-15T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10486/690821", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:29:06Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-01-03", "title": "Polyphasic evaluation of key cyanobacteria in biocrusts from the most arid region in Europe", "description": "<p>Cyanobacteria are key microbes in topsoil communities that have important roles in preventing soil erosion, carbon and nitrogen fixation, and influencing soil hydrology. However, little is known regarding the identity and distribution of the microbial components in the photosynthetic assemblages that form a cohesive biological soil crust (biocrust) in drylands of Europe. In this study, we investigated the cyanobacterial species colonizing biocrusts in three representative dryland ecosystems from the most arid region in Europe (SE Spain) that are characterized by different soil conditions. Isolated cyanobacterial cultures were identified by a polyphasic approach, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing, phylogenetic relationship determination, and morphological and ecological habitat assessments. Three well-differentiated groups were identified: heterocystous-cyanobacteria (Nostoc commune,Nostoc calcicola,Tolypothrix distortaandScytonema hyalinum), which play an important role in N and C cycling in soil; nonheterocystous bundle-forming cyanobacteria (Microcoleus steenstrupii,Trichocoleus desertorum, andSchizothrixcf. calcicola); and narrow filamentous cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbya frigidaandOculatella kazantipica), all of which are essential genera for initial biocrust formation. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of cyanobacterial species composition in biocrusts from important and understudied European habitats, such as the Mediterranean Basin, a hotspot of biodiversity, where these species are keystone pioneer organisms.</p", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "0303 health sciences", "QH301-705.5", "R", "Biological soil crust", "Soil cyanobacteria", "Biodiversity", "15. Life on land", "Biolog\u00eda y Biomedicina / Biolog\u00eda", "03 medical and health sciences", "13. Climate action", "Medicine", "16S rRNA gene", "Biology (General)", "Phylogenetic relationships", "Biocrusts"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://peerj.com/articles/6169.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10486/690821"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PeerJ", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10486/690821", "name": "item", "description": "10486/690821", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10486/690821"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-01-03T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10486/713764", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-27T16:29:06Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-09-27", "title": "Biocrusts Modulate Climate Change Effects on Soil Organic Carbon Pools: Insights From a 9-Year Experiment", "description": "Abstract<p>Accumulating evidence suggests that warming associated with climate change is decreasing the total amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) in drylands, although scientific research has not given enough emphasis to particulate (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) pools. Biocrusts are a major biotic feature of drylands and have large impacts on the C cycle, yet it is largely unknown whether they modulate the responses of POC and MAOC to climate change. Here, we assessed the effects of simulated climate change (control, reduced rainfall (RE), warming (WA), and RE\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89WA) and initial biocrust cover (low (&lt;\uffe2\uff80\uff8920%) versus high (&gt;\uffe2\uff80\uff8950%)) on the mineral protection of soil C and soil organic matter quality in a dryland ecosystem in central Spain for 9\uffc2\uffa0years. At low initial biocrust cover levels, both WA and RE\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89WA increased SOC, especially POC but also MAOC, and promoted a higher contribution of carbohydrates, relative to aromatic compounds, to the POC fraction. These results suggest that the accumulation of soil C under warming treatments may be transitory in soils with low initial biocrust cover. In soils with high initial biocrust cover, climate change treatments did not affect SOC, neither POC nor MAOC fraction. Overall, our results indicate that biocrust communities modulate the negative effect of climate change on SOC, because no losses of soil C were observed with the climate manipulations under biocrusts. Future work should focus on determining the long-term persistence of the observed buffering effect by biocrust-forming lichens, as they are known to be negatively affected by warming.</p", "keywords": ["Carbon cycling", "2. Zero hunger", "Soil organic matter", "Particulate-associated organic carbon", "particulate-associated organic carbon", "carbon cycling", "Qu\u00edmica", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "Article", "Nuclear magnetic resonance", "nuclear magnetic resonance", "climate change", "mineral-associated organic carbon", "13. Climate action", "soil organic matter", "Climate change", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Mineral-associated organic carbon", "Biocrusts", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10486/713764"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecosystems", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10486/713764", "name": "item", "description": "10486/713764", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10486/713764"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-09-27T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "11585/917373", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-27T16:29:23Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-11-22", "title": "A research agenda for nonvascular photoautotrophs under climate change", "description": "Summary<p>Nonvascular photoautotrophs (NVP), including bryophytes, lichens, terrestrial algae, and cyanobacteria, are increasingly recognized as being essential to ecosystem functioning in many regions of the world. Current research suggests that climate change may pose a substantial threat to NVP, but the extent to which this will affect the associated ecosystem functions and services is highly uncertain. Here, we propose a research agenda to address this urgent question, focusing on physiological and ecological processes that link NVP to ecosystem functions while also taking into account the substantial taxonomic diversity across multiple ecosystem types. Accordingly, we developed a new categorization scheme, based on microclimatic gradients, which simplifies the high physiological and morphological diversity of NVP and world\uffe2\uff80\uff90wide distribution with respect to several broad habitat types. We found that habitat\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific ecosystem functions of NVP will likely be substantially affected by climate change, and more quantitative process understanding is required on: (1) potential for acclimation; (2) response to elevated CO2; (3)\uffc2\uffa0role of the microbiome; and (4) feedback to (micro)climate. We suggest an integrative approach of innovative, multimethod laboratory and field experiments and ecophysiological modelling, for which sustained scientific collaboration on NVP research will be essential.</p", "keywords": ["epiphytes", "nonvascular vegetation", "0106 biological sciences", "model\u2013data integration", "Lichens", "Climate Change", "biocrusts", "Bryophyta", "Plants", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "climate change", "lichens and bryophytes", "13. Climate action", "biocrusts; climate change; ecosystem services; epiphytes; functional traits; lichens and bryophytes; model-data integration; nonvascular vegetation", "functional traits", "ecosystem services", "biocrusts; climate change; ecosystem services; epiphytes; functional traits; lichens and bryophytes; model-data integration; nonvascular vegetation.", "Ecosystem", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://iris.unige.it/bitstream/11567/1100674/2/New%20Phytologist%20-%202023%20-%20Porada%20-%20A%20research%20agenda%20for%20nonvascular%20photoautotrophs%20under%20climate%20change.pdf"}, {"href": "https://cris.unibo.it/bitstream/11585/917373/2/New%20Phytologist%20-%202022%20-%20Porada%20-%20A%20research%20agenda%20for%20nonvascular%20photoautotrophs%20under%20climate%20change.pdf"}, {"href": "https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.18631"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/11585/917373"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/New%20Phytologist", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "11585/917373", "name": "item", "description": "11585/917373", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/11585/917373"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-12-13T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2158/1131521", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-27T16:30:04Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-06-11", "title": "Cyanobacteria Inoculation Improves Soil Stability and Fertility on Different Textured Soils: Gaining Insights for Applicability in Soil Restoration", "description": "Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous components of biocrust communities and the first colonizers of terrestrial ecosystems. They play multiple roles in the soil by fixing C and N and synthesizing exopolysaccharides, which increase soil fertility and water retention and improve soil structure and stability. Application of cyanobacteria as inoculants to promote biocrust development has been proposed as a novel biotechnological technique for restoring barren degraded areas and combating desertification processes in arid lands. However, previous to their widespread application under field conditions, research is needed to ensure the selection of the most suitable species. In this study, we inoculated two cyanobacterial species, Phormidium ambiguum (non N-fixing) and Scytonema javanicum (N-fixing), on different textured soils (from silt loam to sandy), and analyzed cyanobacteria biocrust development and evolution of physicochemical soil properties for 3 months under laboratory conditions. Cyanobacteria inoculation led to biocrust formation in all soil types. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed contrasting structure of the biocrust induced by the two cyanobacteria. The one from P. ambiguum was characterized by thin filaments that enveloped soil particles and created a dense, entangled network, while the one from S. javanicum consisted of thicker filaments that grouped as bunches in between soil particles. Biocrust development, assessed by chlorophyll a content and crust spectral properties, was higher in S. javanicum-inoculated soils compared to P. ambiguum-inoculated soils. Either cyanobacteria inoculation did not increase soil hydrophobicity. S. javanicum promoted a higher increase in total organic C and total N content, while P. ambiguum was more effective in increasing total exopolysaccharide (EPS) content and soil penetration resistance. The effects of cyanobacteria inoculation also differed among soil types and the highest improvement in soil fertility compared to non-inoculated soils was found in sandy and silty soils, which originally had lowest fertility. On the whole, the improvement in soil fertility and stability supports the viability of using cyanobacteria to restore degraded arid soils.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "exopolysaccharides", "organic carbon", "soil nitrogen", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "biocrust development", "01 natural sciences", "6. Clean water", "Environmental sciences", "soil degradation", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "GE1-350", "autotrophic organisms", "Autotrophic organisms; Biocrust development; Exopolysaccharides; Organic carbon; Soil degradation; Soil nitrogen", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://flore.unifi.it/bitstream/2158/1131521/1/Frontiers%20Env%20Science%20June%202018.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2158/1131521"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Environmental%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2158/1131521", "name": "item", "description": "2158/1131521", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2158/1131521"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-06-11T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2158/1138562", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-27T16:30:04Z", "type": "Report", "title": "Soil Inoculation with Cyanobacteria: Reviewing Its\u2019 Potential for Agriculture Sustainability in Drylands", "description": "In the last decades, there has been a huge expansion of intensive agriculture crops to attend the enormous demand of food needs with increasing population. Intensive agriculture is highly dependent on chemicals, which has caused numerous environmental problems such as contamination of aquifers, soils and air, with serious consequences on human health. A challenge in the next decades will be the development of economically viable methods to enhance productivity, at the same time that conservation of natural resources, protection of environment and production of healthy agricultural products are ensured. Sustainable agriculture requires management of a healthy living soil. Use of microorganisms such as cyanobacteria appears as a real alternative to achieve more sustainable managements. In this review, we briefly discuss the roles of cyanobacteria in the improvement of soil stability, soil nutrient and moisture status, organic matter content, microbial activities, and the growth and productivity of crops. Application of cyanobacteria is especially promising in croplands from dryland regions where high tolerance of these organisms to harsh environmental conditions converts them into viable alternatives or complements to more widespread conservation practices based on vegetation covers.", "keywords": ["Biocrust; Fertility; Carbon sequestration; Soil erosion; Cropland"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Sonia Chamizo, Emilio Rodri\u0301guez-Caballero, Yolanda Canto\u0301n, Roberto De Philippis,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://flore.unifi.it/bitstream/2158/1138562/1/Agricultural%20Res%20Technol%202018.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2158/1138562"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2158/1138562", "name": "item", "description": "2158/1138562", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2158/1138562"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-01-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2907281909", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:30:25Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-01-03", "title": "Polyphasic evaluation of key cyanobacteria in biocrusts from the most arid region in Europe", "description": "<p>Cyanobacteria are key microbes in topsoil communities that have important roles in preventing soil erosion, carbon and nitrogen fixation, and influencing soil hydrology. However, little is known regarding the identity and distribution of the microbial components in the photosynthetic assemblages that form a cohesive biological soil crust (biocrust) in drylands of Europe. In this study, we investigated the cyanobacterial species colonizing biocrusts in three representative dryland ecosystems from the most arid region in Europe (SE Spain) that are characterized by different soil conditions. Isolated cyanobacterial cultures were identified by a polyphasic approach, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing, phylogenetic relationship determination, and morphological and ecological habitat assessments. Three well-differentiated groups were identified: heterocystous-cyanobacteria (Nostoc commune,Nostoc calcicola,Tolypothrix distortaandScytonema hyalinum), which play an important role in N and C cycling in soil; nonheterocystous bundle-forming cyanobacteria (Microcoleus steenstrupii,Trichocoleus desertorum, andSchizothrixcf. calcicola); and narrow filamentous cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbya frigidaandOculatella kazantipica), all of which are essential genera for initial biocrust formation. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of cyanobacterial species composition in biocrusts from important and understudied European habitats, such as the Mediterranean Basin, a hotspot of biodiversity, where these species are keystone pioneer organisms.</p", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "0303 health sciences", "QH301-705.5", "R", "Biological soil crust", "Soil cyanobacteria", "Biodiversity", "15. Life on land", "Biolog\u00eda y Biomedicina / Biolog\u00eda", "03 medical and health sciences", "13. Climate action", "Medicine", "16S rRNA gene", "Biology (General)", "Phylogenetic relationships", "Biocrusts"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://peerj.com/articles/6169.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2907281909"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PeerJ", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2907281909", "name": "item", "description": "2907281909", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2907281909"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-01-03T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2954192991", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:30:28Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-06-06", "title": "Spectral Response Analysis: An Indirect and Non-Destructive Methodology for the Chlorophyll Quantification of Biocrusts", "description": "<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><article><p>Chlorophyll a concentration (Chla) is a well-proven proxy of biocrust development, photosynthetic organisms\u2019 status, and recovery monitoring after environmental disturbances. However, laboratory methods for the analysis of chlorophyll require destructive sampling and are expensive and time consuming. Indirect estimation of chlorophyll a by means of soil surface reflectance analysis has been demonstrated to be an accurate, cheap, and quick alternative for chlorophyll retrieval information, especially in plants. However, its application to biocrusts has yet to be harnessed. In this study we evaluated the potential of soil surface reflectance measurements for non-destructive Chla quantification over a range of biocrust types and soils. Our results revealed that from the different spectral transformation methods and techniques, the first derivative of the reflectance and the continuum removal were the most accurate for Chla retrieval. Normalized difference values in the red-edge region and common broadband indexes (e.g., normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) were also sensitive to changes in Chla. However, such approaches should be carefully adapted to each specific biocrust type. On the other hand, the combination of spectral measurements with non-linear random forest (RF) models provided very good fits (R2 &gt; 0.94) with a mean root mean square error (RMSE) of about 6.5 \u00b5g/g soil, and alleviated the need for a specific calibration for each crust type, opening a wide range of opportunities to advance our knowledge of biocrust responses to ongoing global change and degradation processes from anthropogenic disturbance.</p></article>", "keywords": ["chlorophyll quantification", "remote sensing", "hyperspectral", "13. Climate action", "Science", "Q", "Biocrusts; biological soil crust; chlorophyll quantification; hyperspectral; random forest; remote sensing", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "random forest", "Biocrusts", "biological soil crust"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/11/1350/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/11/1350/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/2954192991"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Remote%20Sensing", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2954192991", "name": "item", "description": "2954192991", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2954192991"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-06-05T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "2960475767", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-27T16:30:29Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-07-15", "title": "Biocrust science and global change", "description": "Open AccessPeer reviewed", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts", "Lichens", "Climate", "Climate Change", "Publications", "Bryophytes", "Biological soil crusts", "15. Life on land", "Cyanobacteria", "01 natural sciences", "Virtual", "Soil", "13. Climate action", "Global environmental change", "http://metadata.un.org/sdg/13", "Desert Climate", "Ecosystem", "Biocrusts", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/2960475767"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/New%20Phytologist", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "2960475767", "name": "item", "description": "2960475767", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/2960475767"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-07-15T00:00:00Z"}}], "links": [{"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "This document as GeoJSON", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Biocrust&f=json", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "alternate", "type": "text/html", "title": "This document as HTML", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Biocrust&f=html", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection URL", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"type": "application/geo+json", "rel": "first", "title": "items (first)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Biocrust&", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "last", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "items (last)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=Biocrust&offset=26", "hreflang": "en-US"}], "numberMatched": 26, "numberReturned": 26, "distributedFeatures": [], "timeStamp": "2026-06-27T23:12:02.480198Z"}