Biological soil crust from mesic forests. SoilCrust_Biodiv_Exploratories

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) harbor a diverse community of various microorganisms with microalgae as primary producers and bacteria living in close association. In mesic regions, biocrusts emerge rapidly on disturbed surface soil in forest, typically after clear cut or wind fall. The bacterial community in the biocrust represents a subset of the community of the neighboring soil. It seems that the bacterial community of the biocrust is recruited from the local soil, resulting in specific bacterial communities in different geographic regions.