Dark Secrets of the Cryptobiotic Crust

Dark Secrets of the Cryptobiotic Crust

Think of a desert and you probably picture dry, dead dirt. If so, surprise! Much of the world’s most arid ground is alive with a tiny ecosystem, no more than a few inches thick. It’s so tiny, in fact—so thin and delicate, so apparently parched and lifeless—that this secretly living” layer of soil is called a cryptobiotic crust. So what other secrets is it keeping?

Read More