It’s alive! The hidden microbial communities below our feet

Easily missed, biocrusts are ecosystem engineers in the soil. Here’s why we need to watch where we step.

Placidum lichen growing around quartz with some patches of cyanobacteria. Photo: Brianne Palmer

By guest writer, Brianne Palmer

California’s deserts are harbors of biodiversity — filled with blossoming wildflowers, charismatic animals, and imperceptible…