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Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Restoring Biogeochemical Properties In Drylands And Exploring Functional Roles Of Biological Soil Crust, Kristina Young
Restoring Biogeochemical Properties In Drylands And Exploring Functional Roles Of Biological Soil Crust, Kristina Young
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Degradation in dryland regions is a persistent and accelerating problem. Though the mechanisms that initiate and maintain dryland degradation have been well studied, restoring productivity and function to degraded dryland ecosystems remains difficult. Here, I present three chapters that address gaps in our understanding of dryland functions and our ability to restore them. I begin by examining how dryland restoration research has addressed altered biogeochemical cycling in drylands and how to expand current understandings of dryland biogeochemistry into restoration. I then present two chapters that explore mechanistic and quantitative understandings of the contribution of biocrusts to soil nutrient cycling both …