Drylands encompass over 40% of terrestrial ecosystems and face significant anthropogenic
degradation causing a loss of ecosystem integrity, services, and deterioration of social …

Biological soil crusts, known also as biocrusts, provide valuable ecosystem services,
especially in arid and semiarid regions. They may affect geomorphological (stability) …

Gypsum covers a vast area of the Iberian Peninsula, making Spain a leader in its production.
Gypsum is a fundamental raw material for modern societies. However, gypsum quarries …

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are communities of microorganisms, fungi, algae, lichens
and mosses inhabiting on the soil surface and within the uppermost soil millimetres. They …

Dryland degradation is a global problem, destabilizing ecosystems and disrupting coupled
human‐natural systems in arid regions. Degradation, caused by livestock grazing, wildfire …

Biocrusts and plants are the main ground cover and provide multiple ecosystem functions in
arid and semiarid areas. As land degradation worsens and waste management is ever more …

Arctic biocrust loss due to industrial activity can have long‐lasting ecological impacts,
highlighting the importance of restoring disturbed tundra environments. This research …

Globally, most bare-looking areas in dryland regions are covered by biocrusts which play a
crucial role in modifying several soil surface properties and driving key ecosystem …

Background The deforestation caused by road construction is one of the main drivers for
both biodiversity and function loss in tropical ecosystems. Terricolous cryptogams are …

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) play an important ecological role in arid and semi-arid
ecosystems. So far, most studies on BSCs have focused on deserts, while rarely examining …