Molecular Soil Biology 2024, Vol.15, No.4, 193-204 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 202 Conservation efforts must address the challenges posed by human activities, climate change, and the increasing demand for land and food security. Understanding the ecological processes and improving knowledge of plant-soil biological interactions are essential for the successful restoration and revegetation of these fragile ecosystems. Desert food chains exhibit remarkable resilience and sustainability despite the extreme conditions they face. The interdependence of terrestrial and marine resources, as seen in the Peruvian coastal desert, highlights the complex interactions that sustain these ecosystems. The ability of desert species to adapt to limited water and nutrient availability underscores the importance of preserving these unique habitats. However, the sustainability of desert food chains is threatened by anthropogenic factors and environmental changes. Continued research and conservation efforts are necessary to ensure the long-term viability of desert ecosystems, which are crucial for maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance on a global scale. Acknowledgments The authors would like to thanks colleague Natasha Liu, for the inspiration and guidance on the manuscript of this study, and the valuable insights during academic discussions. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The authors affirm that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Alsharif W., Saad M., and Hirt H., 2020, Desert microbes for boosting sustainable agriculture in extreme environments, Frontiers in Microbiology, 11: 1666. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01666 Bai Y., She W., Zhang Y., Qiao Y., Fu J., and Qin S., 2019, N enrichment, increased precipitation, and the effect of shrubs collectively shape the plant community in a desert ecosystem in northern China, The Science of the Total Environment, 135379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135379 Baruch E., Harms T., Ruhí A., Lu M., Gaines-Sewell L., and Sabo J., 2023, Food web efficiency in desert streams, Limnology and Oceanography, 68(3): 723-734. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12305 Bay S., Waite D., Dong X., Gillor O., Chown S., Hugenholtz P., and Greening C., 2021, Chemosynthetic and photosynthetic bacteria contribute differentially to primary production across a steep desert aridity gradient, The ISME Journal, 15: 3339-3356. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-021-01001-0 Berdugo M., Delgado-Baquerizo M., Soliveres S., Hernández-Clemente R., Zhao Y., Gaitán J., Gross N., Saiz H., Maire V., Lehmann A., Rillig M., Solé R., and Maestre F., 2020, Global ecosystem thresholds driven by aridity, Science, 367: 787-790. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay5958 Crabtree S., Bird D., and Bird R., 2019, Subsistence transitions and the simplification of ecological networks in the western desert of Australia, Human Ecology, 47:165-177. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10745-019-0053-Z Crawford C., and Gosz J., 1982, Desert ecosystems: their resources in space and time, Environmental Conservation, 9: 181-195. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892900020397 Cross S., Craig M., Tomlinson S., and Bateman P., 2020, I don’t like crickets, I love them: invertebrates are an important prey source for varanid lizards, Journal of Zoology, 310: 323-333. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12750 D’Odorico P., Bhattachan A., Davis K., Ravi S., and Runyan C., 2013, Global desertification: drivers and feedbacks, Advances in Water Resources, 51: 326-344. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ADVWATRES.2012.01.013 Dabravolski S., and Isayenkov S., 2022, Metabolites facilitating adaptation of desert cyanobacteria to extremely arid environments, Plants, 11(23): 3225. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11233225 Díaz-Pereira E., Romero-Díaz A., and Vente J., 2020, Sustainable grazing land management to protect ecosystem services, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 25: 1461-1479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-020-09931-4 Eshel G., Araus V., Undurraga S., Soto D., Moraga C., Montecinos A., Moyano T., Maldonado J., Díaz F., Varala K., Nelson C., Contreras-López O., Pál-Gábor H., Kraiser T., Carrasco-Puga G., Nilo-Poyanco R., Zegar C., Orellana A., Montecino M., Maass A., Allende M., DeSalle R., Stevenson D., González M., Latorre C., Coruzzi G., and Gutiérrez R., 2021, Plant ecological genomics at the limits of life in the Atacama Desert, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(46): e2101177118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2101177118
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