Soil Crust InterNational (SCIN) - Understanding and valuing biological soil protection of disturbed and open land surfaces

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Burkhard Büdel
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: from 2011 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 207251478

The aim of SCIN (Soil Crust InterNational) is to achieve both better appreciation of the functioning and importance of biological soil crusts (BSCs) in Europe and to add value by contributing to the development of better and simpler soil protection practices and policies. BSCs are the biologically modified soil surface that form naturally in open areas. They are typically composed of cyanobacteria, algae, micro fungi, lichens and bryophytes in varying amounts and can be the only vegetation cover in arid and semi-arid regions such as hot and cold deserts or xerothermic steppe vegetation. BSCs contribute to several ecological services. They are also the first colonizers of disturbed soils and have major impacts on the soil properties through stabilization, erosion limitation, and facilitation of colonization by higher plants. BSCs are thought to contribute as much as 6% of the annual global CO2-fixation and 10-40% of the annual global nitrogen input into the earth’s ecosystems. Despite these immensely important properties that provide protection to large, particularly marginal areas, soil crusts are neither well understood nor well appreciated by conservation and regularity authorities who are missing opportunities for improved policies and actions in the area of land protection. SCIN is a project that will provide a much improved understanding of BSC functionality in Europe, from the severest desert to the alpine ecosystems. Estimates of annual productivity will be achieved through continual, in situ, and monitoring of BSC activity linked to detailed photosynthetic measurements. Rates of change and recovery will be determined leading to indices of sensitivity. The functional studies will be backed by detailed biodiversity assessments that aim to reveal the key organisms in BSC functioning over a wide latitudinal, altitudinal and climatic range. Local adaptations in physiology and genetics will be determined as an important help in restoration projects. Information transfer to stakeholders such as local conservation and land management authorities, and to policy makers will be achieved through a series of consultations and reports including highly visual material that will support the work of these organisations. The use of BSCs as examples in education will be investigated. Small local workshops will be held each year to link the science to stakeholders. Scientific transfer will be achieved by regular publication in peer reviewed journals and the holding of an international workshop in Year 2 of the project. European added value will not only be through policy and protection but by improved scientific excellence through the collaboration of diverse groups targeting BSCs. This will provide a unique opportunity for the transfer of skills and knowledge to young scientists. How common are Biological Soil Crusts (BSC) along the climatic gradient. Key questions: How is their taxonomic composition and how diverse are the BSC itself. How is diversity and productivity linked? What is their role in the referring ecosystems (e.g. N + C input, soil stabilization, enhancement of succession). What do they contribute to the ecosystems CO2-fixation/N-input? How unique are the key species at the different sites.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria, Spain, Sweden
• Participating Persons: Professor Dr. Allan Thomas George Green; Professor Dr. Martin Grube; Professor Dr. Thomas Peer; Dr. Mats Wedin