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Cryptobiotic Soil: The dark crust of earth depicted in the first two images on this page is composed of slow growing bacteria, algae, moses, and lichens. These organisms bind the soil together, capture water, and provide nitrogen for other plants growing nearby. Criptobiotic soil literally makes life possible in the desert. When hiking in the desert it is important to stay on the trail and to avoid walking on this natural treasure. It is very fragile. Once destroyed it takes many decades to re-establish itself.
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