It’s alive! The hidden microbial communities below our feet

California’s deserts are harbors of biodiversity — filled with blossoming wildflowers, charismatic animals, and imperceptible microorganisms. Walk through a desert and you might see a vast vista of protruding peaks speckled with desert scrub. Look a little closer and you might see pops of color, fragrant forbs scattered across the soil. Easily missed, biocrusts are ecosystem engineers in the soil. Here’s why we need to watch where we step.