A Brief Analysis of Biological Soil Crust in the Management of Rocky Desertification

Karst rocky desertification is a geo-ecological problem in Southwest China because of nature and man-made factors, which restricts the development of local economic and social. Soil and water erosion is one of the most harmful form of rocky desertification, but the management methods still keep in the exploratory stage. Biological soil crust is the organic complexes of biotic components including bacteria, fungi, mosses, lichens, algae and liverworts with soil particles. The development of biological soil crust could effectively improve the soil physical and chemical properties, enhance the stability of surface soil, and reduce soil erosion. Biological soil crust is very common in rocky desertification areas, which is very useful in the soil and water conservation.