1.8 billion previously unknown single trees discovered!

The Sahara Desert is one of the hottest and driest places on our planet. where it may not rain for several years. It is for this reason that we are talking about one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. However, contrary to what one might think, the Sahara is not just a vast ocean of sand and dunes, gently stretching from the shores of the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.

The landscapes of the Sahara Desert are constantly changing. from sandy deserts such as those of Algeria, Mali and Libya, to areas characterized by hard rocks and gravel, such as southern Algeria or Morocco, to regions characterized by imposing mountain ranges, often the remains of ancient volcanic systems, now extinct, whose peaks reach more than 3000 meters above sea level.

An inhospitable place for trees and vegetation.

In recent years, a number of studies and studies carried out by a group of international scientists have shown how the Sahara Desert, despite the progression of climate change, managed to save some surprises for the researchers themselves.

Extremely high temperatures, extremely dry climate, constant and intense solar radiation. making the place uninhabitable for all forms of life, especially plants.

However, recent studies using satellite imagery have shown that there are more trees and shrubs growing in the Sahara than previously thought.

The growth of vegetation is noticeable even in the desert. in areas where only a few years ago there was no trace of trees or thorny bushes, between sand dunes and vast expanses of rock.

A discovery that surprised scientists

Thanks to the development of new technologies and the help of satellite images, we know much more about the Sahara Desert. In the largest desert on the planet, it was noticed that there were more trees than expected.

Especially, The Sahel region, on the southern edge of the Sahara, is home to more than 1.8 billion single trees. Some of them were discovered in very remote areas, difficult to reach even for humans.

This discovery was made thanks to a total of 11,000 images provided by NASA that were combined to reveal these trees. Similarly, artificial intelligence was used to detect and count trees in the Sahara Desert.

Technology has thus enabled a better understanding of the actual conditions of this largely unexplored area. The study was conducted by Martin Brandt, an academic at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

Solitary trees adapted to the extreme climate of the Sahara.

The tree species found in the Sahara were called solitary trees. These trees have achieved what was thought impossible: the tree has adapted to the extreme conditions of the Sahara Desert. Depending on the area where the tree is located, its foliage area is more or less large, approximately 3 to 12 m².

It should be noted that the trees considered in this study – these are those whose crown size is greater than or equal to 3 m². Other trees or small shrubs were not taken into account.

However, scientists say that, despite the pleasant surprise, it does not solve the problem of global deforestation. However, it highlights important considerations that can improve the future of the planet.

Research results

The results of these studies make it clear that we do not yet fully understand nature. In this sense, this discovery represents a revolution in the understanding of ecosystems.

With a better understanding of the planet’s trees and ecosystems, It may be possible to find solutions to a number of environmental problems and guarantee a better future for the environment and people.