DOI: 10.5061/dryad.qz612jmsp
title: Data from: Vascular plants promote moss crust restoration by softening the microenvironment near soil surface in dryland ecosystems

description: Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are crucial for maintaining the
 ecosystem health and stability in drylands. Although artificial
 restoration has emerged as a viable strategy for biocrust rehabilitation,
 the role of vascular plants, which is of great concern in this process,
 has rarely been studied. This study analyzed the effects of plants
 (Caragana korshinskii) with four phenotypic traits on the restoration of
 artificial moss crusts in the Loess Plateau region of China. We monitored
 the microenvironment under the canopy and measured moss plant density and
 coverage in the northwest (NW) and southeast (SE) orientations during both
 artificial cultivation and natural development periods. Our key findings
 were as follows: (1) Plants significantly reduced wind speed, soil
 temperature (ST), and soil water loss rate (SMLR) while extending the
 suitable durations of optimal temperature and moisture conditions for moss
 growth during daylight hours (p &lt; 0.05). (2) Plant cover promoted
 moss crust restoration under the canopy, and this degree was related to
 the phenotypic traits and orientations of the plants. Four months after
 inoculation, moss plant densities in the NW, SE, and control treatments
 were 22.9, 14.9 and 7.6 plants·cm-2, and the corresponding coverage was
 57.2%, 27.8%, and 15.0%, respectively. (3) The facilitative effects of
 plants on moss crusts varied significantly across the different
 restoration periods (p &lt; 0.05). Compared to the artificial
 cultivation period, plants showed more pronounced effects on moss
 restoration during the natural development period, with plant density and
 coverage increased by 0.4-1.7 times and 0.8-1.5 times, respectively. (4)
 SMLR and ST were the primary determining factors for moss crust
 restoration. This study provides novel insights into the relationship
 between plants and biocrusts. The results highlight the importance of
 plants for biocrust restoration and offer scientific support for
 rehabilitation strategies in the shrub-grass communities of dryland
 ecosystems.
description: # Data from: Vascular plants promote moss crust restoration by softening
 the microenvironment near soil surface in dryland ecosystems
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qz612jmsp](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.qz612jmsp) ## Description of the data and file structure Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are crucial for maintaining the ecosystem health and stability in drylands. Although artificial restoration has emerged as a viable strategy for biocrust rehabilitation, the role of vascular plants, which is of great concern in this process, has rarely been studied. This study analyzed the effects of plants (*Caragana korshinskii*) with four phenotypic traits on the restoration of artificial moss crusts in the Loess Plateau region of China. We monitored the microenvironment under the canopy and measured moss plant density and coverage in the northwest (NW) and southeast (SE) orientations during both artificial cultivation and natural development periods. ## Description of the figures **Fig. 2.** Differences in the microenvironment in different directions under the shrub canopies. **Fig. 3.** Microenvironment differences in NW under different shrub treatments. **Fig. 4.** Effects of shrubs on the early-stage development of moss crusts at different directions (a, c) and treatments (b, d) during the artificial cultivation period. **Fig. 5.** Effects of shrubs on the early-stage development of moss crusts at different locations (a, c) and treatments (b, d) during the natural development period. **Fig. 6.** Relative changes in moss crusts at different directions (a) and treatments (b) during the natural development period compared to the artificial cultivation period. **Fig. 7.** Structural equation model of the influence mechanism of the shrub canopy on moss crusts. ### Abbreviations * SE: Southeast; * NW: Northwest;  * CA: Canopy area (m^2^); * AT: Air temperature (℃); * AH: Air humidity (%); * PAR: Photosynthetically active radiation (µmol·m^-2^·s^-1^); * ST: Soil temperature (℃); * SWLR: Soil water loss rate (%·h^-1^); * WS: Wind speed (m·s^-1^); * MC: Moss crust coverage (%).