Desert Ecosystem Services

Deserts provide critical services that are rarely acknowledged. Desert soils hold vast amounts of inorganic carbon — calcium carbonate deposits that lock away carbon for the long term. Their dry, stable conditions also preserve fossils and archaeological remains that would rot in wetter climates.

Desert biological crusts — thin layers of algae, fungi, and bacteria on soil surfaces — are critical for preventing erosion, fixing nitrogen, and retaining moisture. A single footstep can destroy a crust that took decades to form, making desert ecosystems far more fragile than they appear.