Hidden Life in Grand Canyon
Cryptobiotic soil forms dry desert areas like the Colorado Plateau, the Sonoran Desert, the Great Basin, and the inner Columbia Basin. Cryptobiotic means “hidden-life.” This top soil layer is composed of cyanobacteria, lichens, mosses, green algae, and microfungi. These living organisms jointly form a hard black crust enabling the soil to resist erosion, absorb rainfall, and provide nutrients and ground stability for neighboring plants. Over 70% of ground in the Southwestern United States is covered by this crust. Its depth can be 1–15 centimeters. Crusts in the upper
From Rim to River: Grand Canyon’s Vertical Habitats
From rim to river, the canyon is a living reminder that God is not only powerful enough to create. He is faithful enough to provide. Stand at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on a cool morning and the landscape below can look almost lifeless. The cliffs are dry, the slopes are steep, and the river is barely visible as a narrow thread winding through rock nearly a mile below. From that distance, the canyon seems like a monument made almost entirely of stone. Then you begin to descend,