Call
Duration

2011-10-01 to 2014-09-30

Total Grant

€1 025 756

More information

Burkhard Büdel
buedel@rhrk.uni-kl.de

Partners of the project

University of Kaiserslautern, GERMANY, coordinator

Complutense University Madrid, SPAIN CSIC, SPAIN

Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, SWEDEN

University of Graz, AUSTRIA

University of Kiel, GERMANY

University of Salzburg, AUSTRIA

Understanding and valuing biological soil protection of disturbed and open land surfaces

Bare ground is not just bare ground; in fact, the soil surface in areas free of normal vegetation is often covered with a skin made up of a complex community of microorganisms, like cyanobacteria (blue- green algae), lichens and bryophytes – the biological soil crust (BSC). BSCs can be the only living cover in arid and semi-arid regions such as hot and cold deserts or xerothermic steppe vegetation. They are also the first colonisers of disturbed soils and have major impacts on the soil properties through stabilisation, erosion limitation, and facilitation of colonisation by higher plants. 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.
The aim of SCIN is to achieve both better appreciation of the functioning and importance of BSCs in Europe and to add value by contributing to the development of better and simpler soil protection practices and policies. SCIN will provide a much improved understanding of BSC functionality from the severest deserts to the alpine ecosystems.
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. Information transfer to stakeholders will be achieved through a series of consultations and reports including highly visual material supporting their work.