Effect of biocrusts on profile distribution of soil water content and salinity at different stages of evaporation

Artemisia sieberi dominated landscapes of Northeastern Iran host great diversity in lichen and annual plant species

“…Lichen composition of Alagol and Alikhani contained several similar species such as Collema tenax, Diploschistes diacapsis, Endocarpon pusillum, Gyalolechia desertorum, G. subbracteata and Psora decipiens. Most likely, soils with silty clay loams favored colonization of these species (Soleimanzadeh et al, 2019;Kakeh et al, 2021). Silty clay soil together with the highest values of precipitation of the studied sites, may have caused larger similarities between these two sites in comparison to the others.…”

Biocrust impacts on dryland soil water balance: A path toward the whole picture

“…It has also been hypothesized that the higher surface roughness of biocrusts compared to bare soil would increase surface area for evaporative losses and thereby increase the potential evaporation (Belnap et al, 2005). Due to these modifications of soil properties, biocrusts retain more water near the soil surface than bare soil, thus increasing the possibility of water loss through soil evaporation (Eldridge et al, 2020; Kakeh et al, 2021; Li, Bowker, Chamizo, et al, 2022).…”

Biocrust diversity enhances dryland saline soil multifunctionality

“…The positive association between biocrust species richness and soil hydrological functions (Figure 4a, b and Figure S4) reflects the role of mosses and lichens in reducing surface run‐off and promoting water infiltration in dryland soils (Figure S3; Kakeh, Gorji, Mohammadi, Asadi, Khormali, Sohrabi, & Eldridge, 2021). Biocrusts dominated by mosses enhance hydrological functions by increasing soil aggregation and porosity and providing infiltration islands; redistribution of water through soil profile then results in greater overall available soil water content (Figure S3; Chamizo et al, 2016; Eldridge, Reed, et al, 2020; Kakeh, Gorji, Mohammadi, Asadi, Khormali, & Sohrabi, 2021). In our study area, diverse biocrust communities included species of mosses (e.g., Tortula revolvens and Barbula trifaria ) and crustose or squamulose lichens (e.g., Diplochistes diacapsis , Diploschistes muscorum, Squamarina lentigeraand, and Buellia zoharyi ) with rootlike structures (rhizoids in mosses and rhizines in lichens) that create channels and micropores at the soil surface, which provide entry points for water into the upper soil layers (Garibotti et al, 2018; Kakeh, Gorji, Mohammadi, Asadi, Khormali, Sohrabi, & Eldridge, 2021).…”

“…3j) is likely due to reduced soil aggregate stability, increased surface sealing and run‐off, and consequently lower water holding capacity (Kakeh et al, 2018; Kakeh, Gorji, Mohammadi, Asadi, Khormali, Sohrabi, & Eldridge, 2021). We have previously demonstrated that salinity reduces infiltration rates and evaporation leads to salt accumulation, especially in bare clay soils, due to the strong capillary force of micropores between clay particles (Kakeh, Gorji, Mohammadi, Asadi, Khormali, & Sohrabi, 2021). Reduced infiltration rates can further enhance salt accumulation on the soil surface.…”