Microbiome‑Driven Geo‑Bio‑Morphogenesis: Tiny Landscape Engineers for Cities

This all-in-one guide proposes a low-cost, city-ready framework to reduce soil loss and reshape terrain using microbiome-driven geo-bio-morphogenesis. By pairing native plants with local microbial consortia—EPS-producing bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and biological soil crusts (biocrusts)—and layering biodegradable geotextiles, municipalities can stabilize riverbanks, slopes, dunes, and low-energy shorelines without heavy earthworks. We introduce HydroMesh, a biodegradable drip-geocell that provides distributed wetting and light confinement during establishment, then decomposes (≈18–36 months), leaving a strengthened, microbially enriched soil fabric. A multi-site BACI design (3 typologies × 3 treated + 3 control plots) measures seasonal (12-week) and program (6–12-month) effects with open KPIs: storm turbidity ΔΔ −10–15% (Season) and −15–30% (Program); near-surface shear strength (vane) ΔΔ +20–50% (Season) and +50–150% (Program); infiltration ΔΔ +10–30% (Season) and +25–50% (Program), acknowledging local trade-offs over early biocrust on fine textures. The playbook includes adaptive management rules, climate/soil adaptation, AI-assisted monitoring (phone/drone CV, tube-photo → NTU), and a full cost–benefit analysis (CBA) with a worked ROI example (illustrative payback <2 years). Safety/permits (HAB caution, sterile vetiver only), SOPs, BoQ, data dictionary, and a complete bibliography are provided. The package is designed for rapid pilots and scale-up by municipal teams and partner NGOs.