Ramsey Marieke L, Kollath Daniel R, Antoninka Anita J, Barker Bridget M
The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA.
School of Forestry Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA.
Geohealth. 2025 Jan 11;9(1):e2024GH001217. doi: 10.1029/2024GH001217. eCollection 2025 Jan.
Biological soil crusts (or biocrust) are diminutive soil communities with ecological functions disproportionate to their size. These communities are composed of lichens, bryophytes, cyanobacteria, fungi, liverworts, and other microorganisms. Creating stabilizing matrices, these microorganisms interact with soil surface minerals thereby enhancing soil quality by redistributing nutrients and reducing erosion by containment of soil particles. Climatic stressors and anthropogenic disturbances reduce the cover, abundance, and functions of these communities leading to an increase of aeolian dust, invasive plant establishment, reduction of water retention in the environment, and overall poor soil condition. Drylands are the most degraded terrestrial ecosystems on the globe and support a disproportionately large human population. Restoration of biocrust communities in semi-arid and arid ecosystems benefits ecosystem health while decreasing dust emissions. Dust abatement can improve human health directly but also indirectly by reducing pathogenic microbe load circulating in the ambient air. We hypothesize that biocrusts not only reduce pathogen load in the air column but also inhibit the proliferation of certain pathogenic microbes in the soil. We provide a review of mechanisms by which healthy biocrusts in dryland systems may reduce soil-borne pathogens that impact human health. Ecologically sustainable mitigation strategies of biocrust restoration will not only improve soil conditions but could also reduce human exposure to soil-borne pathogens.
生物土壤结皮（或生物结皮）是一种小型土壤群落，其生态功能与其规模不相称。这些群落由地衣、苔藓植物、蓝细菌、真菌、叶苔和其他微生物组成。这些微生物形成稳定基质，与土壤表面矿物质相互作用，从而通过重新分配养分和抑制土壤颗粒侵蚀来提高土壤质量。气候压力源和人为干扰会减少这些群落的覆盖范围、丰度和功能，导致风沙扬尘增加、入侵植物滋生、环境保水能力下降以及土壤整体状况变差。旱地是全球退化最严重的陆地生态系统，却养活了数量极多的人口。恢复半干旱和干旱生态系统中的生物结皮群落有利于生态系统健康，同时减少沙尘排放。减少沙尘不仅可以直接改善人类健康，还能通过降低环境空气中循环的致病微生物负荷间接改善人类健康。我们假设生物结皮不仅能降低气柱中的病原体负荷，还能抑制土壤中某些致病微生物的繁殖。我们综述了旱地系统中健康生物结皮可能减少影响人类健康的土壤传播病原体的机制。生物结皮恢复的生态可持续缓解策略不仅能改善土壤条件，还可以减少人类接触土壤传播病原体的机会。
