Biological soil crusts<span> are communities of living organisms on the </span>soil<span> surface in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. They are found throughout the world with varying species composition and cover depending on topography, </span>soil<span> characteristics, climate, plant community, microhabitats, and disturbance regimes.</span>
The surface tension of a liquid results from an imbalance of intermolecular attractive forces, the cohesive forces between molecules: A molecule in the bulk liquid experiences cohesive forces with other molecules in all directions. A molecule at the surface of a liquid experiences only net inward cohesive forces.
