Species-specific nitrogenase activity in lichen-dominated biological soil crusts from the Colorado Plateau, USA

摘要

Background and aim Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) play numerous crucial roles in drylands, which comprise over 40% of Earth's terrestrial surface. Among these key contributions is the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. Yet, relatively little is known about the N-2 fixation capabilities of different lichen species that are found in late successional biocrust communities across drylands globally.