TY - JOUR
T1 - Restoring post-fire ecosystems with biocrusts
T2 - Living, photosynthetic soil surfaces
AU - Muñoz-Rojas, Miriam
AU - Machado de Lima, Nathali Maria
AU - Chamizo, Sonia
AU - Bowker, Matthew A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2021/10
Y1 - 2021/10
N2 - Changes in climate are expected to alter fire regimes, with critical implications in soils and ecosystems. Biological soil crusts or biocrusts are communities of photosynthetic organisms (cyanobacteria, bryophytes, lichens, and/or microalgae) and associated bacteria, archaea, and fungi that have important ecological and biological roles. Recent research has demonstrated that biocrust cyanobacteria and fire mosses can ameliorate some of the most serious problems in burned areas - soil erosion, hydrological dysfunction, and flooding soils. Novel approaches for ex-situ cultivation and inoculation are now being developed, opening untapped possibilities for using these communities in large-scale post-fire restoration. In this review, we highlight the important roles of biocrusts and discuss their potential for improving soil fertility and stability in post-fire ecosystems.
AB - Changes in climate are expected to alter fire regimes, with critical implications in soils and ecosystems. Biological soil crusts or biocrusts are communities of photosynthetic organisms (cyanobacteria, bryophytes, lichens, and/or microalgae) and associated bacteria, archaea, and fungi that have important ecological and biological roles. Recent research has demonstrated that biocrust cyanobacteria and fire mosses can ameliorate some of the most serious problems in burned areas - soil erosion, hydrological dysfunction, and flooding soils. Novel approaches for ex-situ cultivation and inoculation are now being developed, opening untapped possibilities for using these communities in large-scale post-fire restoration. In this review, we highlight the important roles of biocrusts and discuss their potential for improving soil fertility and stability in post-fire ecosystems.
KW - Biological soil crust
KW - Bryophytes
KW - Burnt soil
KW - Cyanobacteria
KW - Fire moss
KW - Soil erosion
KW - Wildfire
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U2 - 10.1016/j.coesh.2021.100273
DO - 10.1016/j.coesh.2021.100273
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85107642499
SN - 2468-5844
VL - 23
JO - Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health
JF - Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health
M1 - 100273
ER -