Prolonged droughts followed by sudden bursts of rainfall -- how do desert soil bacteria manage to survive such harsh conditions? This long-debated question has now been answered by microbiologists.

This is a preview. Log in through your library . Abstract (1) A simple computer model was developed to predict soil-water potential at a Sonoran Desert site in the south-western U.S.A. The variability ...

The foundation of any happy garden is the soil. In fact, some might argue that a gardener’s job isn’t to grow plants but to cultivate healthy soil. In our desert, we are lucky to have plenty of ...

Aims Nutrient uptake by ephemerals is a key element of nutrient retention in some hardwood forests. However, little information is available regarding the role of ephemerals and soil microbes in ...

Perhaps the hardiest assemblage of lichens and other fungi and algae yet found has been hiding in plain sight in northern Chile’s Atacama Desert. This newly discovered “grit-crust,” as ecologists have ...

A new study published in The Innovation has revealed the microstructure and expansion mechanism of cyanobacteria-dominated biological soil crusts (BSCs). By employing micro-scale X-ray computed ...

The animals help redistribute calcium and phosphorous by crunching bones. This is an Inside Science story. The crushing jaws of hyenas may act as a kind of nutrient blender, grinding out calcium and ...

First authors Stefanie Imminger and Dimitri Meier sampling biocrusts in the Negev Desert, Israel. Credit: S. Imminger und D.V. Meier First authors Stefanie Imminger and Dimitri Meier sampling ...