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So many trees planted in Taklamakan Desert that it's turned into a carbon sink

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Re: So many trees planted in Taklamakan Desert that it's turned into a carbon sink

#11
post #7

I wonder how the albedo has changed, and evaporation of water there.

That was my thought too Is it possible the trees can change the climate in the region? Can trees dampen regional water flux, seed clouds down range?

Yes, they do, which has had implications for rainfall patterns:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/climate-change/china-accid...

(if that doesn't come up, search terms to find it were "news china rainfall forest tree planting change")

Re: So many trees planted in Taklamakan Desert that it's turned into a carbon sink

#13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you able to find it on Google Maps? Having a hard time locating it. "Based on the results of this study, the Taklamakan Desert, although only around its rim, represents the first successful model demonstrating the possibility of transforming a desert into a carbon sink," Yung said.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Taklamakan+Desert/@38.8709...

Maybe it's me but I couldn't see it.

Re: So many trees planted in Taklamakan Desert that it's turned into a carbon sink

#14

This is the way

Are you able to find it on Google Maps? Having a hard time locating it. "Based on the results of this study, the Taklamakan Desert, although only around its rim, represents the first successful model demonstrating the possibility of transforming a desert into a carbon sink," Yung said.

This? https://maps.app.goo.gl/kATdsjnKnkWACzoc6

Re: So many trees planted in Taklamakan Desert that it's turned into a carbon sink

#15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you able to find it on Google Maps? Having a hard time locating it. "Based on the results of this study, the Taklamakan Desert, although only around its rim, represents the first successful model demonstrating the possibility of transforming a desert into a carbon sink," Yung said.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Taklamakan+Desert/@38.8709...

I believe this is an example https://maps.app.goo.gl/aXtwERHb2pVxEVnV6

Those rows of greenery are the trees planted. They do a ton of this by hand, it's really fascinating.

Re: So many trees planted in Taklamakan Desert that it's turned into a carbon sink

#17

Alipay has a function called ant forest, you use the app more often, you get more credit. And when it reach certain amount, aliaba will plant a small tree in the desert. People used to be crazy about this shit, but not for now. I guess the main reason is that these effort are good activities, but it didn’t help that much, compared to the effort from the government. At least on the this topic, they did a pretty good j…

Projects around planting trees have often failed, in part from the choice of tree, in part because it takes more than just planting a tree to restore the habitat. It's generally better to work with the existing flora to promote growth and expansion, and/or help the stumps of trees that have been cut-down grow fresh again (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5g60g9vmlY)

Re: So many trees planted in Taklamakan Desert that it's turned into a carbon sink

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That was my thought too Is it possible the trees can change the climate in the region? Can trees dampen regional water flux, seed clouds down range?

Yes, they do, which has had implications for rainfall patterns: https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/climate-change/china-accid... (if that doesn't come up, search terms to find it were "news china rainfall forest tree planting change")

In fact as much as 50% of the Amazon's rain can be attributed to the trees themselves. Both through evapotranspiration strategies and increased cloud-seeding particles

However, I think the more relevant dynamic for this region is the water-holding capacity of the soil. If you get lost in a desert you are more likely to drown than to die of thirst because the water-holding capacity of the "soil" is almost nothing making flash floods likely. But soil that is at an advanced stage of ecological succession will be dominated by mycorrhizal fungi that produce glomalose. This type of soil can hold as much as 50x more water than "dead" soil

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