ScienceDaily: Desert News

Sahara olive tree: Genetic heritage to be preserved

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:47:47 EDT

The Saharan cousin of Mediterranean olive trees remains largely unknown. However, this subspecies (called the Laperinne's olive tree) is of great interest for several reasons. Researchers have shown that its longevity is ensured by its original vegetative reproduction. Extremely drought-resistant, this "relict" tree could act as a genetic resource to improve its domestic counterparts, provided conservation actions are implemented to prevent its disappearance.

How to clean seaweed from beaches: Dry it and use the biomass for energy

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:41:41 EDT

Scientists have developed an algae removal and treatment system that turns this underused residue into a renewable source of energy: biomass. The process involves several stages of washing, drying and compacting without leaving the beach. The system is cheaper, more efficient and more environmentally friendly than the procedure commonly followed now.

High salt levels in Saharan groundwater endanger oases farming

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:38:38 EDT

For more than 40 years, snowmelt and runoff from Morocco's High Atlas Mountains has been dammed and redirected hundreds of kilometers to the south to irrigate oases farms in the arid, sub-Saharan Draa Basin. But a new study finds that far from alleviating water woes for the six farm oases in the basin, the inflow of imported water has exacerbated problems by dramatically increasing the natural saltiness of their groundwater.

Study predicts lag in summer rains over parts of US and Mexico

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:39:39 EDT

A delay in the summer monsoon rains that fall over the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico is expected in the coming decades according to a new study. The North American monsoon delivers as much as 70 percent of the region's annual rainfall, watering crops and rangelands for an estimated 20 million people.

Early warning system provides four-month forecast of malaria epidemics in northwest india

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:48:48 EST

Sea surface temperatures in the tropical South Atlantic Ocean can be used to accurately forecast, by up to four months, malaria epidemics thousands of miles away in northwestern India, theoretical ecologists have found.

Security risks of extreme weather and climate change

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:50:50 EST

A new study, conducted specifically to explore the forces driving extreme weather events and their implications for national security planning over the next decade, finds that the early ramifications of climate extremes resulting from climate change are already upon us and will continue to be felt over the next decade, directly impacting US national security interests.

Cotton with special coating collects water from fogs in desert

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 08:30:30 EST

Researchers have developed a special treatment for cotton fabric that allows the cotton to absorb exceptional amounts of water from misty air: 340% of its own weight. What makes this 'coated cotton' so interesting is that the cotton releases the collected water by itself, as it gets warmer. This property makes of the coated cotton materials a potential solution to provide water to the desert regions, for example for agricultural purposes.

Low extinction rates made California a refuge for diverse plant species

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:59:59 EST

The remarkable diversity of California's plant life is largely the result of low extinction rates over the past 45 million years, according to a new study. Although many new species have evolved in California, the rate at which plant lineages gave rise to new species has not been notably higher in California than elsewhere, researchers found.

Unlocking sorghum's gene bank

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:20:20 EST

Climate change poses a major challenge to humanity’s ability to feed its growing population. But a new study of sorghum promises to make this crop an invaluable asset in facing that challenge.

Scientists 'surprised' to discover very early ancestors survived on tropical plants, new study suggests

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:09:09 EST

Between three million and 3.5 million years ago, the diet of our very early ancestors in central Africa is likely to have consisted mainly of tropical grasses and sedges, new research suggests.

Dust's warming counters half of its cooling effect

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:42:42 EDT

Dust that routinely rises above the world's deserts causes a more significant localized warming effect than previously thought, a new study based on NASA field research shows.

Demographic miracle in the deserts: Some plants in arid regions benefit from climate change

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 10:16:16 EDT

Dryland ecosystems cover 41% of the Earth’s land surface. These ecosystems are highly vulnerable to global environmental change and desertification. But climate change seems to have a positive impact on some plants.

Southern hemisphere becoming drier: Decline in April-May rainfall over south-east Australia

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 19:51:51 EDT

A decline in April-May rainfall over south-east Australia is associated with a southward expansion of the subtropical dry-zone.

My life on Mars: Engineering student experiences life on the Red Planet

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:15:15 EDT

As NASA's Curiosity rover scours the surface of Mars and beams pictures of the stark and desolate landscape back to Earth, we've begun to paint a picture of what living on the red planet might actually be like. Ashley Dale, a Ph.D. student at the University of Bristol, brings this image to life by giving his account of the two weeks he spent living in the Utah desert as part of a simulated Mars mission.

New clues about ancient water cycles shed light on U.S. deserts

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:42:42 EDT

The deserts of Utah and Nevada have not always been dry. Now a researcher has found a new water cycle connection between the U.S. southwest and the tropics, and understanding the processes that have brought precipitation to the western US will help scientists better understand how the water cycle might be perturbed in the future.

Native landscaping in urban areas can help native birds

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 18:41:41 EDT

The study is one of the first to use quantitative measures and a systematic approach, with 24-hour video monitoring, to assess and compare foraging behavior of common backyard birds in yards in Phoenix, at the northern edge of the Sonoran Desert.

Drastic desertification: Researchers study Dead Sea climate past, finding dramatic results

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 09:40:40 EDT

The Dead Sea, a salt sea without an outlet, lies over 400 meters below sea level. Tourists like its high salt content because it increases their buoyancy. "For scientists, however, the Dead Sea is a popular archive that provides a diachronic view of its climate past," says Prof. Dr. Thomas Litt from the Steinmann-Institute for Geology, Mineralogy and Paleontology at the University of Bonn.

Climate warming refuted as reason for plant shifts in high-profile 2008 study

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:14:14 EDT

The simple model of how plants handle climate change doesn't always explain what's going on.

Key to life in the desert: What new research reveals about the importance of soil crusts

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:34:34 EDT

Biological soil crust organisms found to play an active role in the development of soil structures and the allocation of water and nutrients.

Rio+20 Summit: Earth observation for us and our planet

Sat, 23 Jun 2012 09:43:43 EDT

The Rio+20 summit on promoting jobs, clean energy and a more sustainable use of our planet's resources closed today after three days of talks. During the summit, the role of Earth observation in sustainable development was highlighted.

Why the vibrant city of Palmyra was located in the middle of what is now the Syrian Desert

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:31:31 EDT

Norwegian archaeologists have solved one of the great puzzles of the Roman Empire: Why was the vibrant city of Palmyra located in the middle of the Syrian Desert?

Good news on using recycled sewage treatment plant water for irrigating crops

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:32:32 EDT

A new study eases concerns that irrigating crops with water released from sewage treatment plants -- an increasingly common practice in arid areas of the world -- fosters emergence of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause thousands of serious infections each year.

Genes culled from desert soils suggest potential medical resource

Sun, 27 May 2012 11:50:50 EDT

Despite their ecologic similarity, soils from three geographically distinct areas of the American southwest harbor vastly different collections of small, biosynthetic genes, a finding that suggests the existence of a far greater diversity of potentially useful products than was previously supposed.

Solar desalination system for arid land agriculture

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:39:39 EDT

A solar-powered system uses nanofiltration membranes to treat the local brackish water, resulting in high-quality desalinated irrigation water. The results indicate that irrigation with desalinated water yields higher productivity from water and inorganic fertilizers compared with current practices. Crops grown with desalinated water required 25 percent less irrigation and fertilizer than brackish water irrigation.

Dry lands getting drier, wet getting wetter: Earth's water cycle intensifying with atmospheric warming

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:46:46 EDT

A clear change in salinity has been detected in the world's oceans, signaling shifts and an acceleration in the global rainfall and evaporation cycle. The patterns are not uniform, with regional variations agreeing with the 'rich get richer' mechanism, where wet regions get wetter and dry regions drier.

Water usage far exceed sustainability level in the desert southwest, US

Thu, 10 May 2012 22:44:44 EDT

The American West has a 'drinking problem'. On farms and in cities, we are guzzling water at an alarming rate. Scientists say that to live sustainably, we should use no more than 40 percent of the water from the Colorado River Basin. As it is now, we use 76 percent.

Dry rivers, vibrant with culture and life

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:23:23 EDT

Dry rivers are more than mere desiccated shells of their robustly flowing incarnations, say Australian ecologists. They have qualities and inhabitants distinct from their adjacent riversides wet-phase communities. They are places of isolation and re-connection, and oases for humans and wildlife.

Past in monsoon changes linked to major shifts in Indian civilizations

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:58:58 EDT

A fundamental shift in the Indian monsoon has occurred over the last few millennia, from a steady humid monsoon that favored lush vegetation to extended periods of drought, researchers report. Their study has implications for our understanding of the monsoon's response to climate change.

Orientation of ants: Every cue counts

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:41:41 EST

Foraging desert ants always find their way back to the nest, even when it is only marked by a magnetic cue, vibration, or carbon dioxide.

Salty soil can suck water out of atmosphere: Could it happen on Mars?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:49:49 EST

The frigid McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica are a cold, polar desert, yet the sandy soils there are frequently dotted with moist patches in the spring despite a lack of snowmelt and no possibility of rain. A new study has found that that the salty soils in the region actually suck moisture out of the atmosphere, raising the possibility that such a process could take place on Mars or on other planets.

Microbial oasis discovered beneath the Atacama Desert

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:04:04 EST

Two meters below the surface of the Atacama Desert there is an 'oasis' of microorganisms. Researchers have found it in hypersaline substrates thanks to SOLID, a detector for signs of life which could be used in environments similar to subsoil on Mars.

Researchers uncover a mechanism to explain dune field patterns

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:43:43 EST

In a study of the harsh but beautiful White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, researchers have uncovered a unifying mechanism to explain dune patterns. The new work represents a contribution to basic science, but the findings may also hold implications for identifying when dune landscapes like those in Nebraska's Sand Hills may reach a "tipping point" under climate change, going from valuable grazing land to barren desert.

Biodiversity enhances ecosystem multifunctionality in global drylands

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:58:58 EST

Scientists have finished a global empirical study that suggests that preservation of plant biodiversity is crucial to buffer negative effects of climate change and desertification in drylands.

Diverse ecosystems are crucial climate change buffer

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:22:22 EST

Preserving diverse plant life will be crucial to buffer the negative effects of climate change and desertification in in the world's drylands, according to a new landmark study.

New theory emerges for where some fish became four-limbed creatures

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:26:26 EST

A small fish crawling on stumpy limbs from a shrinking desert pond is an icon of can-do spirit, emblematic of a leading theory for the evolutionary transition between fish and amphibians. This theorized image of such a drastic adaptation to changing environmental conditions, however, may, itself, be evolving into a new picture.

Literature review on solar energy and wildlife impacts research

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:02:02 EST

More peer-reviewed scientific studies of the effects on wildlife of large-scale solar energy developments and operations are needed to adequately assess their impact, especially in the desert Southwest.

Catching camels in the Gobi

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:45:45 EST

Veterinary scientists have successfully attached GPS satellite collars to endangered wild Bactrian camels in the Mongolian desert. Their efforts are part of the long-term Gobi Research Project on wild horses, Asiatic wild asses, and other animals that make this unique environment their home.

Researchers nurture innovative biofuel crops to reduce our carbon footprint

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:38:38 EDT

Researchers in Israel have found that forests of the hardy salt cedar tree, indigenous to old-world deserts, have the potential to significantly offset the amount of carbon dioxide that human communities produce. What's more, they can flourish when nourished with low-quality waste water, and the trees themselves can be used as "biofuel" crops to reduce dependence on traditional fossil fuels like coal.

Severe drought, other changes can cause permanent ecosystem disruption

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:52:52 EDT

An eight-year study has concluded that increasingly frequent and severe drought, dropping water tables and dried-up springs have pushed some aquatic desert ecosystems into "catastrophic regime change," from which many species will not recover.

Cloud formation: Insoluble dust particles can form cloud droplets that affect global and regional climate

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:38:38 EDT

New information on the role of insoluble dust particles in forming cloud droplets could improve the accuracy of regional climate models, especially in areas of the world that have significant amounts of mineral aerosols in the atmosphere.

New Saudi Arabias of solar energy: Himalaya Mountains, Andes, Antarctica

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:35:35 EDT

Mention prime geography for generation of solar energy, and people tend to think of hot deserts. But a new study concludes that some of the world's coldest landscapes -- including the Himalaya Mountains, the Andes, and even Antarctica -- could become Saudi Arabias of solar.

Taking the heat: Asian elephants simply 'ride out' high daytime heat load

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:16:16 EDT

Scientists in Austria have discovered the mechanism by which Asian elephants are able to tolerate hot daytime temperatures. Heterothermy is an adaptive mechanism by which body temperature fluctuates in response to environmental temperature, decreasing at night when it is cooler and increasing gradually in the daytime.

Tree frogs chill out to collect precious water

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:17:17 EDT

Australian green tree frogs survive the dry season with the help of the same phenomenon that fogs up eyeglasses in the winter, new research shows.

NASA Mars research helps find buried water on Earth

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:28:28 EDT

A NASA-led team has used radar sounding technology developed to explore the subsurface of Mars to create high-resolution maps of freshwater aquifers buried deep beneath an Earth desert, in the first use of airborne sounding radar for aquifer mapping.

Adaptation secrets of the 'desert bacterium'

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:26:26 EDT

Scientists have analyzed the genome of the bacterium Ramlibacter tataouinensis TTB310, also known as the "desert bacterium". Decoding of the genome revealed the presence of kaiC, a gene with a function that had previously been found only in certain photosynthetic bacteria.

Investments in pastoralism offer best hope for combating droughts in Africa's drylands

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:52:52 EDT

As hunger spreads among more than 12 million people in the Horn of Africa, a new study of the response to Kenya's last devastating drought, in 2008-2009, finds that investments aimed at increasing the mobility of livestock herders -- a way of life often viewed as "backward" despite being the most economical and productive use of Kenya's drylands -- could be the key to averting future food crises in arid lands.

Rising carbon dioxide could reverse drying effects of higher temperatures on rangelands

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:31:31 EDT

Rising carbon dioxide levels can reverse the drying effects of predicted higher temperatures on semi-arid rangelands, according to a new study by a team of US Department of Agriculture and university scientists.

NASA satellite tracks severity of African drought

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:02:02 EDT

Northeast Africa continues to reel from the effects of the worst drought to strike the region in decades.

Newly discovered gene sheds light on the evolution of life on Earth

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:15:15 EDT

A chance discovery of a genetic mutation in wild barley that grows in Israel's Judean Desert has led to an international study deciphering evolution of life on land.

Some desert birds less affected by wildfires and climate change

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:17:17 EDT

A new study has found that some bird species in the desert southwest are less affected, and in some cases positively influenced, by widespread fire through their habitat. In fact, the researchers say that fire actually helps some bird species because of the habitat that is formed after a fire is positive for the bird's prey needs.

The tallest tree in all the land

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:17:17 EDT

Knowing how tall trees can grow in any given region can give ecologists a wealth of information, from the potential density of a forest and size of its tree canopy to the amount of carbon stored in woodlands and the overall health of an ecosystem. Now scientists have come up with a simple model to predict the maximum tree height in different environments across the United States.

Rockin' tortoises: A 150-year-old new species

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:25:25 EDT

Researchers investigated a desert tortoise from the United States Southwest and northwestern Mexico. What was thought to be a simple problem in species identification turned out to be a very complex matter. Their investigations required forensic genetics and several other methods. In the end, they found it necessary to describe a new species. More than that, the discovery has very important implications for conservation and the development of the deserts of southern California.

Electrical water detection

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:27:27 EDT

A quick and easy way to detect groundwater in semi-arid hard rock areas that is also economical could improve the siting of borewells to improve clean water supply in the developing world.

New data reveals how storms are triggered in the Sahel

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:13:13 EDT

In the Sahel, the frequency of storms increases when soil moisture varies over a few kilometers. Such contrasts cause air circulation between dry and humid areas, contributing to the development of storms. For the first time, these contrasts have been studied on a small scale. The new data that should help researchers to address the issue of drought in the Sahel.

Earth's dust and plankton from space: New views from Envisat satellite

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 08:33:33 EDT

Europe's Envisat satellite has captured a new view of dust and sand from the Algerian Sahara Desert, located in northern Africa, blowing west across the Atlantic Ocean.

Sand drift in Norway caused by sea-level changes and human activity

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:32:32 EDT

The sand along the south-western coastal rim of Norway has drifted for more than 9000 calendar years. This was triggered by sea-level changes and human activities, new research has found.

Drier conditions projected to accelerate dust storms in the southwest

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:49:49 EST

Drier conditions projected to result from climate change in the Southwest will likely reduce perennial vegetation cover and result in increased dust storm activity in the future, according to a new study.

Jatropha: Green biodiesel from African tree

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:16:16 EST

Jatropha has been championed as a major environmental opportunity for developing countries with a semi-arid climate and marginal soil. Scientists have been investigating whether this small, hardy and relatively pest-free tree lives up to its billing.

Rare insect fossil reveals 100 million years of evolutionary stasis

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:37:37 EST

Researchers have discovered the 100 million-year-old ancestor of a group of large, carnivorous, cricket-like insects that still live today in southern Asia, northern Indochina and Africa. The new find corrects the mistaken classification of another fossil of this type and reveals that the genus has undergone very little evolutionary change since the Early Cretaceous Period, a time of dinosaurs just before the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana.

Agave fuels excitement as a bioenergy crop

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:11:11 EST

Agave, currently known for its use in the production of alcoholic beverages and fibers, thrives in semi-arid regions where it is less likely to conflict with food and feed production. Agave is a unique feedstock because of its high water use efficiency and ability to survive without water between rainfalls. Scientists found that in 14 independent studies, the yields of two Agave species greatly exceeded the yields of other biofuel feedstocks, such as corn, soybean, sorghum, and wheat.