Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are communities of soil organisms often targeted to assist in the achievement of multiple ecological restoration goals. In drylands, benefits conferred from biocrust and AM fungal inoculation, such as improved native plant establishment and soil stabilization, have primarily been studied separately. However, comparisons between these two types of soil inoculants and investigations into potential synergies between them, particularly at the plant community scale, are needed to inform on‐the‐ground management practices in drylands. We conducted two full‐factorial experiments—one in greenhouse mesocosms and one in field plots—to test the effects of AM fungal inoculation, biocrust inoculation, and their interaction on multiple measures of dryland restoration success. Biocrust inoculation promoted soil stabilization and plant drought tolerance, but had mixed effects on native plant diversity (positive in greenhouse, neutral in field) and productivity (negative in greenhouse, neutral in field). In greenhouse mesocosms, biocrust inoculation reduced plant biomass, which was antagonistic to % root length colonized by AM fungi. Inoculation with native or commercial AM fungi did not influence plant establishment, drought tolerance, or soil stabilization in either study, and few synergistic effects of simultaneous inoculation of AM fungi and biocrusts were observed. These results suggest that, depending on the condition of existing soil communities, inoculation with AM fungi may not be necessary to promote dryland restoration goals, while inoculation with salvaged biocrust inoculation may be beneficial in some contexts.

中文翻译：

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土壤接种剂会促进旱地恢复吗？同时评估生物结皮和菌根真菌

生物土壤结皮（生物结皮）和丛枝菌根（AM）真菌是土壤生物的群落，通常旨在帮助实现多个生态恢复目标。在干旱地区，主要研究了生物结壳和AM真菌接种所带来的好处，例如改良本地植物的生长和土壤稳定性。但是，需要对这两种土壤孕育剂进行比较并进行调查，以研究二者之间的潜在协同作用，尤其是在植物群落规模上，以为旱地的地面管理实践提供依据。我们进行了两个全要素实验（一个在温室中型环境中，一个在田地中），以测试AM真菌接种，生物结壳接种及其相互作用对旱地恢复成功的多种措施的影响。生物结皮接种促进了土壤稳定和植物抗旱性，但对本地植物多样性（温室中呈阳性，田间为中性）和生产力（温室中呈阴性，田间为中性）产生了不同的影响。在温室中，生物结皮接种减少了植物生物量，这与AM真菌定殖的根长％拮抗。在任何一项研究中，接种天然或商业AM真菌均不会影响植物的建立，耐旱性或土壤稳定性，并且几乎没有发现同时接种AM真菌和生物结皮的协同作用。这些结果表明，根据现有土壤群落的状况，可能不需要接种AM真菌来促进旱地恢复目标，