Soil Crust InterNational (SCIN) - Understanding and valuing biological soil protection of disturbed and open land surfaces

SCIN（国际土壤结皮）的目的是更好地了解欧洲生物土壤结皮的功能和重要性，并通过促进制定更好和更简单的土壤保护做法和政策来增加价值。BSC是在开放地区自然形成的生物改性土壤表面。它们通常由数量不等的蓝细菌、藻类、微型真菌、地衣和苔藓组成，可能是干旱和半干旱地区唯一的植被，如炎热和寒冷的沙漠或干热草原植被。生物多样性干细胞有助于多种生态服务。它们也是扰动土壤的第一批殖民者，并通过稳定、限制侵蚀和促进高等植物的殖民对土壤性质产生重大影响。生物质干细胞被认为贡献了每年全球二氧化碳固定的6%和每年全球氮输入到地球生态系统的10-40%。尽管这些极其重要的特性为大片地区，特别是边缘地区提供了保护，但土壤结壳既没有得到养护和管理当局的充分理解，也没有得到他们的充分重视，他们正在失去改善土地保护领域政策和行动的机会。SCIN是一个项目，将提供一个更好的了解BSC的功能在欧洲，从最干旱的沙漠到高山生态系统。年生产力的估计将通过连续的，原位的，并与详细的光合测量BSC活动的监测。将确定变化率和恢复率，从而得出敏感性指数。功能研究将得到详细的生物多样性评估的支持，旨在揭示BSC中的关键生物在广泛的纬度，海拔和气候范围内发挥作用。在生理学和遗传学上的地方适应将被确定为恢复项目的重要帮助。将通过一系列磋商和报告，包括支持这些组织工作的高度视觉化的材料，向利益相关者（如地方保护和土地管理当局）和决策者传递信息。将调查在教育中使用BSC作为例子。每年将举办小型的地方研讨会，将科学与利益相关者联系起来。科学转让将通过定期在同行评审的期刊上发表文章和在项目第二年举办国际研讨会来实现。欧洲的附加值将不仅通过政策和保护，而且通过针对BSC的不同团体的合作来提高科学卓越性。这将为向青年科学家传授技能和知识提供一个独特的机会。生物土壤结皮（BSC）沿着气候梯度有多普遍。关键问题：它们的分类组成如何，BSC本身的多样性如何。多样性和生产力是如何联系在一起的？它们在所指生态系统中的作用是什么（例如N + C输入、土壤稳定、增强演替）。它们对生态系统的CO2固定/N输入有何贡献？不同地点的关键物种有多独特。

The aim of SCIN (Soil Crust InterNational) is to achieve both better appreciation of the functioning and importance of biological soil crusts (BSCs) in Europe and to add value by contributing to the development of better and simpler soil protection practices and policies. BSCs are the biologically modified soil surface that form naturally in open areas. They are typically composed of cyanobacteria, algae, micro fungi, lichens and bryophytes in varying amounts and can be the only vegetation cover in arid and semi-arid regions such as hot and cold deserts or xerothermic steppe vegetation. BSCs contribute to several ecological services. They are also the first colonizers of disturbed soils and have major impacts on the soil properties through stabilization, erosion limitation, and facilitation of colonization by higher plants. BSCs are thought to contribute as much as 6% of the annual global CO2-fixation and 10-40% of the annual global nitrogen input into the earth’s ecosystems. Despite these immensely important properties that provide protection to large, particularly marginal areas, soil crusts are neither well understood nor well appreciated by conservation and regularity authorities who are missing opportunities for improved policies and actions in the area of land protection. SCIN is a project that will provide a much improved understanding of BSC functionality in Europe, from the severest desert to the alpine ecosystems. Estimates of annual productivity will be achieved through continual, in situ, and monitoring of BSC activity linked to detailed photosynthetic measurements. Rates of change and recovery will be determined leading to indices of sensitivity. The functional studies will be backed by detailed biodiversity assessments that aim to reveal the key organisms in BSC functioning over a wide latitudinal, altitudinal and climatic range. Local adaptations in physiology and genetics will be determined as an important help in restoration projects. Information transfer to stakeholders such as local conservation and land management authorities, and to policy makers will be achieved through a series of consultations and reports including highly visual material that will support the work of these organisations. The use of BSCs as examples in education will be investigated. Small local workshops will be held each year to link the science to stakeholders. Scientific transfer will be achieved by regular publication in peer reviewed journals and the holding of an international workshop in Year 2 of the project. European added value will not only be through policy and protection but by improved scientific excellence through the collaboration of diverse groups targeting BSCs. This will provide a unique opportunity for the transfer of skills and knowledge to young scientists. How common are Biological Soil Crusts (BSC) along the climatic gradient. Key questions: How is their taxonomic composition and how diverse are the BSC itself. How is diversity and productivity linked? What is their role in the referring ecosystems (e.g. N + C input, soil stabilization, enhancement of succession). What do they contribute to the ecosystems CO2-fixation/N-input? How unique are the key species at the different sites.