microbiotic crust

microbiotic crust
   A thin, surface layer (crust) of soil particles bound together primarily by living organisms and their organic byproducts; thickness can range up from < 1 cm up to 10 cm; aerial coverage of the ground surface can range from 10 to 100 %. Crusts stabilize loose earthy material. Other types of surface crusts include chemical crusts (e.g., salt crusts) and physical crusts (e.g., raindrop-impact crust).
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Glossary of landform and geologic terms. 2013.

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  • cryptogamic crust —    A type of microbiotic crust consisting of a thin, biotic layer at the ground surface composed predominantly of cryptogams (i.e., algae, lichen, mosses, lichens and liverworts); most commonly found in semiarid or arid environments.    Compare:… …   Glossary of landform and geologic terms

  • Cryptobiotic soil — in Hovenweep National Monument …   Wikipedia

  • Soil science — is the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to the use and… …   Wikipedia

  • sabkha —    A flat area of eolian sedimentation and erosion formed under semiarid or arid conditions in: 1) interior areas (e.g. on basin floors slightly above playa lake beds (e.g., playa step), or: 2) along coastal areas (e.g., just above intertidal… …   Glossary of landform and geologic terms

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