Flowers bloom in the driest desert in the world

Flowers bloom in the driest desert in the world.

The Atacama Desert, Chile is the driest place in the world, but every few years, in the spring, a small area appears a carpet of eye-catching purple-yellow flowers.

Scientists are studying more of the phenomenon to learn how plants adapt to climate change. In fact, some parts of the desert can go years without rain.

However, the purple-yellow ananuca is among the 200 species that can bloom in harsh environments, where rainfall averages just 0.01 centimeters per year.

Yellow purple flowers bloom in the driest desert in the world

Vibrant purple and yellow flowers bloom in the Atacama desert as part of an irregular "desert bloom" phenomenon in northern Chile. The seeds endure the extremely dry weather of the Atacama Desert for many years until they accumulate enough water and flower in the spring.

"When there is a certain amount of rainfall, estimated at about 15 cubic millimeters, it triggers a large germination event," said biologist Andrea Loaiza from La Serena University.

Scientists liken this to a natural laboratory, located around the city of Copiapo, 800 kilometers north of Santiago. Here, scientists are studying how such species can adapt to extreme climates.

Purple flower carpet attracts tourists in the desert in Chile

In this case, the flower seed can lie dormant in the soil for decades, waiting for the necessary amount of rain to come back to life.

"This is a natural laboratory, allowing us to track how changes in rainfall affect plant diversity," says Andrea Loaiza.

Andrea Loaiza said the flowers bloom irregularly, most recently in 2017, usually every few years.

According to Andrea Loaiza, the ecosystem is "very fragile because it is already at its limit", revealing that "any disruption could disrupt that balance".

"To adapt to the climate crisis, we need to understand natural processes. We want to learn from plants like this flower, which exhibit these mechanisms," said geneticist Andres Zurita. different adaptations".

Conservationists are working, figuring out a way to protect the area from explorers who drive deep into the desert to witness the rare event with their own eyes. Some plant traders purposely target this rare flower that affects growth and too much traffic in the area which would confuse the terrain.