Biological soil crusts as sentinels of ecosystem health and function in central and Mediterranean Europe (CrustHealth)

The CrustHealth project investigates the role of biological soil crusts as indicators of soil health and functioning across different European climatic contexts. The research will analyze how abiotic stressors such as salinity, microplastics, and trampling affect the biodiversity, structure, and functions of communities associated with biocrusts.Field surveys, physicochemical soil analyses, controlled experiments, DNA metabarcoding, metatranscriptomics, and bioinformatic analyses will be integrated. The aim is to understand the effects of these stressors on soil fertility, stability, and biodiversity, and to identify potential indicators useful for ecosystem monitoring and conservation...