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Biocrust and soil quality in semi-arid zones: a strategy in the face of climate change and desertification
Costra biológica y la calidad de suelo en zonas semiáridas: estrategia ante el cambio climático y la desertificación
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15446/rfnam.v79.130527Keywords:
Biological soil crusts, Desertification, Soil quality, Soil degradation, Climate change, Sustainable land management (en)Costras biológicas del suelo, Desertificación, Calidad del suelo, Degradación del suelo, Cambio climático, Ordenación sostenible de tierras (es)
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The presence of biocrust (BSC) is associated with greater carbon input and nutrient availability; it is an indicator of the stability of global semi-arid ecosystems, as it is linked to the maintenance of the physical, chemical, and biological quality of the soil. Despite its importance in these ecosystems, its distribution has been threatened by anthropogenic intervention and climate change, which increase the risks of land degradation and desertification. The systematic review conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and based on 42 studies retrieved from OpenAlex (2006–2026), examines therefore reviews research conducted in arid zones from various regions of the world, with emphasis on deserts in North America, Asia, South America, Africa. This review conducted in arid zones from various regions of the world, have demonstrated the role of the crust in the mineralization of organic matter, nitrogen fixation, P solubilization, greater biological activity, and nutrient accumulation, as well as the factors affecting its distribution in these ecosystems. This review also describes the impact that BSC has had on changes in soil quality in arid and semi-arid zones, finding that in areas where BSC predominates, better soil quality is observed. It is therefore concluded that its preservation is associated with soil stability, and that the success of its inoculation in degraded soils could be an efficient biofertilizer or soil bioremediation practice.
La presencia de costra biológica del suelo (CBS) está asociada a un mayor aporte de carbono y disponibilidad de nutrientes, la misma es un indicador de la estabilidad de los ecosistemas semiáridos globales dado que está asociado al mantenimiento de la calidad física, química y biológica del suelo, no obstante su importancia en estos ecosistemas su distribución ha sido amenazada por la intervención antrópica y el cambio climático que aumentan los riesgos de degradación de tierras y desertificación, es por ello que se hace una revisión de investigaciones en zonas áridas de diversas regiones del mundo. Para ello una revisión sistemática fue realizada siguiendo las directrices PRISMA 2020 y basada en 42 estudios recuperados de OpenAlex (2006–2026), examina y revisa la investigación realizada en zonas áridas de varias regiones del mundo, con énfasis en los desiertos de América del Norte, Asia, América del Sur, África, de Norteamérica, Asia, Sudamérica, África y Australia, que han demostrado el papel de la costra en la mineralización de materia orgánica, fijación de nitrógeno, solubilización de P, mayor actividad biológica y acumulación de nutrientes, así como los factores que afectan su distribución en estos ecosistemas. Así mismo, se describe en esta revisión el impacto que ha tenido la CBS sobre los cambios en la calidad de suelos en zonas áridas y semiáridas, encontrando que las áreas donde domina la CBS se observa una mejor calidad de suelo, por lo que se concluye que la preservación de esta está asociada a la estabilidad de suelo, unido a que el éxito de la inoculación de esta en suelos degradado podría ser una práctica eficiente de biofertilizantes o biorremediación de suelos.
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