Biological soil crusts host a distinct microbiome within the soils of a sandy, coastal dune ecosystem

Biological soil crusts (or biocrusts) are considered critical ecosystem engineers throughout global drylands, yet they remain understudied within temperate biomes. This study aimed to characterize the microbiome of biocrusts within a temperate coastal dune ecosystem (Indiana Dunes National Park). Additionally, the biocrust microbiome was compared to that of the surrounding soils (biocrust sub-surface and bare soil samples) in order to elucidate how biocrusts impact the structure and functional potential of the soil microbiome.