Biological Soil Crusts are Ecohydrological Hotspots in Dryland and Subhumid Regions

Abstract:

Dry and subhumid lands cover ~41% of Earth’s terrestrial surface and biocrusts are often a dominant lifeform in these regions. These soil surface communities are known to be critical component in determining dryland hydrologic cycles by altering infiltration, runoff and evaporation processes; thus, they create a hotspot for ecohydrologic processes. Biocrust properties, such as micro-topography and the spatial distribution of overall cover and individual species, are believed to be the most influential; these properties vary with climate. Across the gradient from higher potential evapo-transpiration (PET; lower rainfall/higher temperatures such as hyper-arid deserts) to lower PET (higher rainfall/lower temperature such as semi-arid steppe), the external morphology of biocrusts generally goes from very smooth to highly roughened, with water residence time thus increasing as well. This change in PET is also accompanied by increasing species number and biomass; while these changes increase water absorption, they also clogs soil pores. It has long been believed that as biocrust roughness, species, and biomass increases, so does water infiltration and retention. However, the majority of these studies have occurred at a very small (< 2m²) spatial scale. Interesting, when done at the small scale, the current dogma holds: smooth biocrusts with low biomass decrease infiltration and increase runoff, whereas roughened ones with higher biomass increase infiltration. However, studies done at larger spatial scales across a gradient of roughness, species composition, and biomass, show biocrusts almost always increase infiltration and decrease runoff, regardless of biocrust characteristics. This finding runs counter to long-held views regarding the role of biocrusts in hydrologic cycles. These findings have large implications for modelling of soil moisture cycles in drylands under current and future conditions and the concept of ecohydrologic hotspots and hot moments in drylands.