Cyanobacteria and cyanolichen are able to live on almost- barren ground because they can fix nitrogen. They can make their own fetilizer! Cryptobiotic crusts appear to be the dominant source of nitrogen in cold desert, piñon-juniper lands, and grassland ecosystems. And in sparsely vegetated areas like the Cerrillos Hills these soil crusts are also an important source of fixed carbon.

Plants growing on crusted soil often show higher concentrations and/or greater total accumulation of essential nutrients compared to plants growing on adjacent uncrusted soil. Other growing things are demonstrably healthier if they live in the vicinity of cryptobiota.

Refer to the first paragraph. Cryptobiotic life does not tolerate being walked upon. The easiest and simplest and most productive thing that you can do is to stay on the designated trails. This page is not meant to be a sermon, but if you remember only one thing it is to STAY ON THE TRAILS! Now you know the reason. Now you know why this is posted everywhere. Where there are trails there will not be cryptobiota, but everywhere else this extremely important living thing will survive. Give it, and the rest of the life in the hills, a chance.

And when you meet someone considering walking off the trail, tell them, in a nice and reasonable way, why it's not such a good idea. You'll probably impress them, too, by the way such phrases as "cryptobiotic crust" and "cyanobacteria and cyanolichen" roll off your tongue.