Biocrust inoculation and seeding are necessary for restoration of Mojave desert gypsum soil habitats

Gypsum rich soils have unusual characteristics which make them a haven for rare and endemic species and a target for disturbance, such as mining.To restore habitat and determine best practices for native plant reestablishment, we conducted a factorial, randomized complete block experiment in disturbed areas with gypsum rich soils in the Mojave Desert, testing the interactive effect of seeding endemic plant species, out-planting shrubs grown with or without live native soil, biocrust inoculum, and psyllium husk as a soil stabilizer.Biocrust inoculation and seeding were both needed treatments to increase the abundance of native biota, increasing biocrust cover in inoculated plots 13 times more than uninoculated plots, and no passive recovery of the vascular plants; however these factors had no interactive effect after three years.Soil stability generally increased across all treatments through time, though soil resistance to shear stress was reduced by biocrust and soil aggregate stability was increased by psyllium.Shrub planting was unsuccessful, with near total mortality.Both seeding and biocrust inoculation were vital to increase the cover of perennial plants and biocrust organisms.This work reinforces the need for active restoration techniques in degraded dryland ecosystems.