Experiments were conducted indoor and outdoor to study the technology of artificial cultivation of biological soil crust(BSC).Infiltration rates for the soil with and without biological soil crust were measured and runoff coefficients of biological rainwater harvesting plots were determined.Results showed that after treated reasonably

a continuous BSC with > 90% coverage could be formed under 13%-20% relative air humidity

13%-20% substrate humidity

25℃-35℃

and 2500-12000 lx light intensity in 20-30 days.The cultivated BSC growing on an even

smooth

and soil-compressed slope can form an intact biological rainwater harvesting plot.Infiltration rate for the BSC was reduced by 50% compared to the CK and the rainwater harvesting coefficient of BSC rainwater harvesting plot was up to 60%.Moreover

the technology of the BSC cultivation can be used in the propagation of BSC to avoid the damage to environment caused by the over-collection of natural BSC in the establishment of a biological rainwater catchment.