A substantial community: the key role of soil crusts in the earth system
They are often overshadowed by the plant world: lichens, fungi, mosses and bacteria, which form unique communities on rocks and trees or as soil crusts. Bettina Weber from the University of Graz is bringing this biological alliance into the research spotlight. Her research shows that these communities form an essential part of the Earth’s critical zone and play a key role in the interactions between land and atmosphere. Bettina Weber was honoured by the European Geosciences Union for her groundbreaking research at the beginning of May.