Can deserts be reclaimed?

Question

Pardon my ignorance, I have no clue at all as to the answer of this question. If the answer is yes, how would you do it? Are there fertile soil under those layers of sand? Or can you turn the sand into soil by er... the word escapes me... say 'coagulating' it with humus and the like? You understand what I mean. Also, I wasn't thinking specifically about reclaiming it for agricultural use, suppose I have a billion dollars, and I feel like turning a desert into a patch of green.

Answer 1

DESERT TO JUNGLE

The reason a lot of desserts exist is because deforestation occurs under a very hot sun near the equator

AND THE SOIL HAS BEEN REMOVED BY WIND EROSION OR HAS BEEN KILLED BY FERTILIZERS OR COMPACTED BY OVER GRAZING

And it becomes next to impossible to replant because all new growth is burned instantly during the day or freezes at night

So if we can counter act these two reasons we can reclaime desserts

There is an implement that goes behind a tractor that punches pyramid shaped holes in to the hard ground
This creates a micro climate that condenses one drop of water every early morning enough to feed one seed of grass.

The ground has to be mulched heavily to contain the humidity and temperature

We can dig shallow dams and line them with plastic ,then return the soil and plant in these dams
the plastic will hold the ground humid at root level
But water is needed and must be pumped for .

And as much land as is possible should be under heavy shade netting.

The first type of trees that need to be planted is for a high shade to start blockin out the sun ,such as Date palms
and underneeth that hardy dryland bushes

As the shade increases with growth more and more stuff can be planted underneath .

But Water has to be brought in continuesly
although this should decrease with growth that condenses water .
the bigger the leaves the more is the condensation

Rocks also condense water and trees planted with a meter high cirlce of rocks around will survive on just that

Read Bill Mollisons book . the chapter on Dryland strategies it gives a lot of information that has been susesfull on the edges of the Sahara and in Nevada .
The Permaculture Designers Manual
tagiari publishing, [e-mail])
there is a university of Permaculture in Australia.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aj.oT1zdecU1TTtztHkTjBfsy6IX?qid=20070621234541AAcarVJ

The fertility of the soil is relatively unimportant
i have made many gardens on gravel and sand ,and one place even on Bare bedrock
the ground should be heavily mulched
and we should plant for mulch

Cover the ground with anything organic you can get hold of
and add all waste growth as you go along

Dont be afraid to trim strongly and use the leaves for mulch
bring in tons of leaves and manure
and

,Here in my garden in mexico ,which was gravel and sand ,we have build a reasonable layer of black top soil with in 5 years .

A tree will build its own soil from birth so in theory if you plant in a flowerpot with compost ,the organic build up of the trees waste foilage keeps pace with the trees devellopment
and when the tree is big
so is its patch of soil

Answer 2

A billion dollars is a good start. The attempts so far have had mixed success. In Africa and China, attempts to reclaim the desert by planting trees and other vegetation have had little success, primarily because they rely on natural rainfall which is too sparse in those regions. A contrary example exists in the Imperial Valley of California, where massive irrigation and fertilization have turned a former desert into one of the world's most productive agricultural areas. The sand doesn't really matter, as the application of water is enough to allow some plants to grow, and these will in time create more organic material in the soil to accommodate other plants. You can, of course, shorten the process by applying fertilizer. But even if you can find sufficient water, which is of course a problem in most desert areas, there is often an accumulation of salts and other toxins caused by the irrigation, and the runoff of salt- and fertilizer-laden water (and maybe pesticides too) creates big headaches downstream. In California they address this by flushing with more and more water, but many other areas have been abandoned after a failed attempt.

Still, deserts are spreading on our planet, and the population is growing. This is an area that will need more attention. Maybe you'll be the one to come up with a solution.

Answer 3

Reclaiming desert has been done in Israel back in the 1940s and 1950s and possibly still ongoing.

To start, a special grass is grown in squares. This anchors the sand. Once this is established, desert shrubs are introduced around the edges of what will be the new field.

These anchor the sand even more.

From there it's just a matter of adding water and seeds and eventually a crop is possible. Sometimes such as olive trees are planted or citrus trees, oranges, lemons, limes etc.

It is often said of the desert, that you only need to add water for it to come to life. This is certainly true in some deserts because in the Spring there is often a spectacular display of wild flowers. these of course only bloom for a few days, just long enough to germinate. Then it's back to desert once more.

Answer 4

One of my favourite places in the world is Broken Hill, NSW. It's a mining town.. but I can forgive that because you don't go there to see the town..... (actually I do.. but that's because it has lovely corrugated iron buildings that have metal facades that are pressed to look like sandstone and brick Victorian Workers cottages ~ fascinating really) .... It has a most peculiar landscape all its own. I travel there after it has rained to see the flowers. It's about 12 - 15 hours drive due west from Sydney and it looks like this .... .http://www.filmbrokenhill.com/locations.asp

Members of my family reclaimed it a while ago now... some say around 40,000 years ago actually... so it is possible to re-claim the desert.. not sure about it being green... but hey... every colour in the rainbow exists there if you look hard enough.

Answer 5

Excellent question. Byderule is correct. These are not just ideas. This is actually happening and there are lots and lots of examples of this being done. You can watch some of the examples on Youtube. The desert naturally becomes less salty too.

But it is not just deserts that can be turned into a patch of green that produces food, shade and a habitat. We can use the same Permaculture principles on lots of different areas anything from schools to agriculture, to shopping centers, to gardens to balconies of high rise flats. Bill Mollison (the man who invented permaculture) suggests that a couple can produce one fifth of their food needs on a small balcony of a flat.

If you look through my past questions and answers there are lots and lots of different references and video links. Have a look at 'Greening the Desert' on Youtube first.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Greening+the+desert&search=

Answer 6

The Israelis ARE doing it. It produces crops where there was once none. It also creates a very difficult to solve ecological problem, so the good news might not be so good after all - it probably is not sustainable.

"Composting" is probably the word you are looking for. It won't turn sand into soil, but it can create new soil, or fertilize existing soil.

Answer 7

The deserts harbor fragile, extensive, complex ecosystems all their own.

They don't need reclaiming. They need to be left the hell alone. By reclaimers, by farmers, by cattle men, by government, and by greenies.

Answer 8

Of course. We're already doing it. We're irrigating large parts of California and Utah to grow crops.

Answer 9

yes you can, but the point in doing so is arguable.