How Climate Change is Threatening the 'Living Skin' of the Desert

Communities of tiny plants and organisms protect arid landscapes. Now their survival is threatened.

By Katherine Mast
Jun 12, 2017 12:00 PMApr 22, 2020 1:24 AM
Desert Biocrust
Desert locales rely on biocrusts — lichens, mosses, fungi — which take years to grow. (Credit: Jeff Mitton/University of Colorado)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

On a cool September morning, a caravan of international scientists rumbles past the iconic formations of Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Over the eons, wind and water have carved this landscape into a maze of stunning red sandstone arches and spires. The researchers marvel at the formations, so different from their own backyards — places as distant as China, Niger, Australia and Spain. But when they pull into the parking lot for a short hike to Pothole Point, their attention goes straight toward their feet.

A thick, bumpy film covers large patches of the giant sandstone slabs. The patches resemble burnt soil, as if a fire left behind only these charred remains. Up close, the spots mimic the Canyonlands’ topography on a tiny scale: Centimeter-tall towers rise above a network of valleys. These dark, crusty soils span the arid Colorado Plateau in the Four Corners region.

Here, the ground is alive.

Biological soil crusts, or biocrusts, are crammed with communities of tiny photosynthetic organisms and other life-forms. Biocrusts in some parts of the world are mostly cyanobacteria, one of the oldest microorganisms on Earth. Other biocrust communities, like these on the Colorado Plateau, include mosses, lichens and fungi. The first scientists to study them called these living crusts “cryptogamic” — Greek for “hidden marriage” — because their inner workings were still mysterious. And while they might seem secretive, biocrusts are critical to healthy drylands around the world. But now, ecologists are worried that a changing climate will put them in jeopardy.

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.