PubMed · 2026-04-16
Fog and dew, though small parts of total rainfall, play outsized roles in keeping plants and soil microbes alive in dry ecosystems. This review calls for better monitoring and deeper research into how these moisture sources will be affected by climate change.
Fog and dew do more than add water directly — they reshape local microclimates and redistribute moisture near canopies and soil surfaces, amplifying their impact beyond simple precipitation totals.
Biological soil crusts (communities of algae, fungi, and bacteria on the soil surface) rely heavily on fog and dew, making these moisture sources critical for dryland soil health and stability.
Major knowledge gaps remain: there is a global scarcity of fog and dew monitoring data, and the quantitative role of these inputs in reducing plant water stress is still poorly understood.