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

国际土壤结皮组织（SCIN）的目标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、更简单的土壤保护措施和政策来增加价值。BSCs是在开阔地区自然形成的经生物修饰的土壤表面。它们通常由不同数量的蓝藻、藻类、微真菌、地衣和苔藓植物组成，可能是干旱和半干旱地区（如炎热和寒冷的沙漠或干热草原植被）唯一的植被覆盖。BSCs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定植对土壤特性产生重大影响。据认为，BSCs贡献了全球每年6%的二氧化碳固结量和全球每年10-40%的氮输入到地球生态系统中。尽管这些非常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保护和管理当局的充分了解，也没有得到很好的重视，他们错过了在土地保护领域改进政策和行动的机会。从最恶劣的沙漠到高山生态系统，SCIN项目将大大提高对欧洲平衡计分卡功能的理解。对年生产力的估计将通过与详细的光合作用测量相联系的BSC活动的持续原位监测来实现。将确定变化率和恢复率，从而得出敏感性指数。这些功能研究将得到详细的生物多样性评估的支持，旨在揭示在广泛的纬度、海拔和气候范围内，平衡生态系统中发挥作用的关键生物。生理和遗传学上的局部适应将被确定为恢复项目的重要帮助。通过一系列的咨询和报告，包括高度可视化的材料，将信息传递给利益相关者，如地方保护和土地管理当局，以及政策制定者，以支持这些组织的工作。将调查在教育中使用BSCs作为范例的情况。每年将举行小型当地研讨会，将科学与利益相关者联系起来。科学转移将通过定期在同行评审的期刊上发表和在项目的第二年举办国际研讨会来实现。欧洲的附加值不仅要通过政策和保护来实现，还要通过以生物干细胞为目标的不同团体的合作来提高科学水平。这将为向年轻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）沿气候梯度有多普遍？关键问题：它们的分类组成如何？平衡记分卡本身的多样性如何？多样性和生产力是如何联系在一起的？它们在参考生态系统中的作用（如N + C输入、土壤稳定、促进演替）是什么？它们对生态系统的二氧化碳固定/氮输入有什么贡献？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.