In the Namib Desert, and other hyper-arid coastal deserts of the world, there is an increasing need for detailed biodiversity studies to support environmentallysensitive land use planning, as human populations grow and industries such as tourism and mining further develop. Land use agendas require extensive ecological and geomorphological inputs in order to fulfil national and international commitments to biodiversity protection and combating desertification. A key component of arid land ecosystems is biological soil crusts. Previous studies in semi-arid and arid environments have found such crusts to be important contributors to nutrient cycling, slope hydrology, erosion control, and secondary habitat provision. This thesis research builds on previous work, looking at the nature, roles, and recovery potential of lichen-dominated soil crusts in the hyperarid, fog-driven Namib Desert. Central to this work is the aim to practically guide land management decisions by focusing on how human-induced activities affect aspects of lichen soil crust communities. Specifically, the thesis examines: lichen community compositions, distribution patterns, secondary production roles, recovery rates, and physiological responses to disturbance. The first significant finding of this research is that soil crusts in the northern Namib share many common species with those in the central and southern Namib Desert, but with considerably different distribution patterns. A total of 23 soil crust lichen species were recorded here, including several unclassified species and one newly recorded vagrant species. Distribution patterns were found to be most significantly associated with local scale variables (soil crust thickness, silt contents, and soil pH) rather than landscape scale variables such as fog. Secondary production, in the form of unique arthropod communities, was found to be encouraged by lichendominated soil crusts, especially where patchy lichen cover is found. Investigations of soil crust lichen recovery after vehicular disturbance showed total estimated recovery times of between 5 and 530 years, depending on the magnitude of the disturbance and the original community and soil crust types. Lichen community compositions in the disturbed sites were significantly different from their control communities, regardless of the recovery phase. The impacts of disturbance-induced microenvironmental changes (increased surface temperatures in tracks) on lichen productivity were assessed by measuring the photosynthetic activities of five common species. Desiccation rates of lichens in tracks were found to increase significantly, thus decreasing the durations of photosynthesis and overall productivity.