Cyanobacteria also stabilize desert substrates and enhance
moisture retention, combating wind erosion and evapotranspiration,
respectively. The efficiency of intact cyanobacterial soil crust
to decrease wind erosion is similar to that of physical soil crusts and
rock material. Extracellular polysaccharides combine with surrounding
sand grains to form extensive and resilient matrices that
resist erosion. The role of such polysaccharides is paramount as
demonstrated by the wind stability of chemically killed soil crusts
in which the polysaccharide matrix is left intact