Assessing the Crucial Role of Marine Fog in Early Soil Development and Biocrust Dynamics in the Atacama Desert

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dc.catalogadorjlo
dc.contributor.authorFernández-Murillo, María del Pilar
dc.contributor.authorCifuentes, Erasmo
dc.contributor.authorBeggs, Antonia
dc.contributor.authorManzano, Marlene
dc.contributor.authorGutiérrez-Cortés, Ignacio
dc.contributor.authorVargas Vásquez, Constanza Giovanna
dc.contributor.authorDel Rio, López Camilo
dc.contributor.authorAlfaro, Fernando D.
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-21T18:14:54Z
dc.date.available2026-01-21T18:14:54Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.description.abstractMarine fog is a key non-rainfall water source that sustains microbial activity and transports dissolved nutrients inland, influencing early soil development in hyperarid ecosystems. However, the mechanisms through which sustained fog inputs drive soil surface modification and biocrust formation remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the effects of long-term fog augmentation on soil surface development, biocrust dynamics, and associated microbial communities in the Atacama Desert. We implemented a four-year fog addition field experiment with three sampling times (T0, T24, T48) to assess changes in soil physicochemical properties, biocrust composition, and the integrated multi-diversity of archaea, bacteria, fungi and protist. Sustained fog input transformed bare soils into biological soil crusts, particularly lichen- and moss-dominated stages. This transition was accompanied by increases in soil nitrogen, variations in organic matter accumulation, a shift from alkaline to near-neutral pH, and improvements in soil stability and water retention. Multi-diversity increased over time and was positively associated with ecosystem variables linked to water availability, structural stabilization, and decomposition. These functions, integrated into an ecosystem multifunctionality index, also increased under prolonged fog input, revealing a positive relationship between multifunctionality and multi-diversity. Overall, the results demonstrate that sustained fog input strongly enhances early soil surface development and biocrust establishment, highlighting the ecological importance of marine fog in shaping biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in hyperarid landscapes.
dc.fechaingreso.objetodigital2026-01-21
dc.format.extent16 páginas
dc.fuente.origenORCID
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/soilsystems10010012
dc.identifier.issn2571-8789
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems10010012
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/107820
dc.information.autorucInstituto de Geografía; Vargas Vásquez, Constanza Giovanna; S/I; 187045
dc.information.autorucInstituto de Geografía; Del Rio, López Camilo; S/I; 17960
dc.language.isoen
dc.nota.accesocontenido completo
dc.revistaSoil systems
dc.rightsacceso abierto
dc.subjectAridity
dc.subjectBiocrust
dc.subjectEcosystem functions
dc.subjectMultifunctionality
dc.subject.ddc900
dc.titleAssessing the Crucial Role of Marine Fog in Early Soil Development and Biocrust Dynamics in the Atacama Desert
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen10
sipa.codpersvinculados187045
sipa.codpersvinculados17960
sipa.trazabilidadORCID;2026-01-19
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