Biological Crusts & Moss Forests
Photo by CSUMB Environmental Media Arts student Katherine Divas. With thanks to Christina McNew.
As we walk, we pass tiny, complicated, and beautiful worlds. Stop and take a close look at the ground and you may see tiny lichens, mosses, and mushrooms. These ecosystems are an important part of living soils, often preventing erosion and encouraging biodiversity. They are also incredibly fun to see and find.
Below, you can see the scale.
Taking photographs with our phones or other devices can help us understand these miniature marvels. My college students went on a biotic crust hunt and created a series of photos depicting ecosystems that they had passed many times without noticing.
