I’ve often seen signs that say, “Stay on designated trails.” I’ve also come across people who say, “Hike on durable surfaces”. I’ve often thought to myself, “What’s the big deal”. Does it really matter if a few blades of grass get bent a little? I want to check out that cool thing over there. I’ve seen on T.V. where they torch whole sections of forest. What I’m doing can’t possibly compare to that. In some cases this may be true, but most people aren’t land preservation experts and don’t know when it will make a difference or not. Let’s take the case of the cryptobiotic crust.

For those of you not familiar with it is one of the building blocks of life in desert regions. These collections of organisms provide vital functions to the desert such as retaining water and stabilizing sand and dirt. Many studies have shown that there are increases in survival for crust covered environments as opposed to bare soil.

What is interesting about these organisms is that they are capable of living and thriving in extreme desert conditions. Unfortunately, they do not do well when faced with pressure such as a footprint. In fact, it can take up to 50 years for crust thickness to go back to its previous level once disturbed.

Most of us would probably be hard pressed to know all the different types of plants and crust formations. That is why it is simper for us to stick with basic advice. If you tell yourself to stay on designated trails or hard rock formations it is hard to go wrong. You wouldn’t want to accidentally disturb a cryptobiotic crust that has been working hard for the last century.