Biochar coupled rehabilitation of cyanobacterial soil crusts: A sustainable approach in stabilization of arid and semiarid soils

Abstract

Cyanobacterial soil crusts (CSCs) are unique microhabitats in desert soil plays a significant role in stabilization of soil surface and provide favourable conditions for the establishment of vascular plants. The CSCs types and its distribution mainly depend up on the locality and climatic factors of the region. They help in retaining soil particles, nutrients, moisture and also add up carbon and nitrogen to the nutrient poor soils. The natural or anthropogenic intervention exerted immense pressure on the crusts community and diversity; leads to disturbed or distressed CSCs. Currently military use of the deserts have destroyed the fragile ecology of these CSCs and delay the time of recovery to reach functional state. To stabilize and rehabilitate the disturbed CSCs, a number of strategies successfully tested and implemented in small scale, some of them are artificial stabilization, resource augmentation and cyanobacterial inoculants. Biochar coupled rehabilitation of CSCs could be effective and sustainable approach for the stabilization of desert soils. Small scale biochar production would be helpful not only reducing the cost of rehabilitation but also help in providing livelihood to the local people.