Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are a global phenomenon and have been called the “living skin of the earth” and one can find them on every single continent. Ecology PhD student Brianne Palmer joins treehugger podcast to discuss how this complex and beautiful suite of diverse organisms live in direct contact with the soil surface – yet are distinct from the soil below the crust. Brianne's research is focused on understanding how biocrusts recover after fire, how they interact with other plants, and their potential uses for dryland restoration.

You can follow Brianne on her website at briannepalmer.weebly.com/ and Twitter at @briecology