A spatiotemporal framework reveals contrasting factors shape biocrust microbial and microfaunal communities in the Chihuahuan Desert

Biocrusts are soil-surface communities composed of autotrophic and heterotrophic microbiota that affect nutrient cycling, plant performance, soil hydrology and stability within drylands. Biocrust community composition is mostly thought to be driven by abiotic factors, but the structure of the bacteria, fungi, protist, and microfauna taxa are rarely documented simultaneously or over time. In this study, we examined the composition, abundance, and...