Biological soil crusts

Abstract

Biological soil crusts (BSC) live in the upper millimeters of the soil and are composed of bacteria, algae, fungi, lichens, and bryophytes in different proportions. They occur in arid environments of the Earths or wherever an arid microclimate is realized. BSCs increase soil stability, resistance to erosion, and soil fertility. While for single groups of soil inhabiting cryptogams (including bacteria) a number of studies exist, the concept of biological soil crusts is not well established for Antarctica yet. Here we summarize knowledge about Antarctic BSCs from our own work and from literature, the latter being especially searched for descriptions of photoautotrophic communities that can be interpreted as BSCs.