Natures wonders: how bacteria help desert moisture (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, August 04, 2020, 01:36 (1571 days ago) @ David Turell

It seems there are many more ways bacteria show importance:

https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/earth-sciences/why-biocrust-is-useful-in-the-desert/?u...

"Miniscule plants and microscopic organisms growing on desert soils reduce water erosion by an average of 68% worldwide, a new study has found.

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"It found that while they reduce the infiltration of water into the soil, they tend to increase water storage in the uppermost layers.

“'Cyanobacteria in the crusts secrete organic gels and polysaccharides that help to bind small soil particles into stable surfaces,” says UNSW’s Samantha Travers. “Mosses in the crusts also trapped water and sediment on the soil surface, preventing the removal of soil particles.”

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"Lead author David Eldridge says while it was known biocrusts could fix large amounts of nitrogen and carbon, stabilise surface soils, and provide a home for soil organisms, until now scientists have had “a poor understanding” of how they influence hydrological cycles.

“'This upper layer is where most of the nutrients and microbes are found; it is a critical zone for plant production and stability in dryland soils,” he says. “More water in the upper layers means greater productivity and stability.”

"The findings are significant, he adds, because drylands cover almost half of Earth’s land surface and support nearly 40% of its human population.

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"The results will be incorporated into global water balance and soil loss models. The work is part of a larger study designed to predict the impacts of climate change on biological crust communities."

Comment: Bacteria were the start of evolution, and are still here contributing to the balance of nature in so many ways we have demonstrated here. No wonder they were kept around as the longest lasting organisms. I'm sure by God's design.