The Atacama Desert, known as the driest place on Earth, amazed the world with an unexpected sight.
About This information was reported by livescience, reports URA-Inform.
It is reported that in the middle of winter its sands were covered with white and purple flowers. This rare occurrence was made possible by unusual autumn rains and morning fog, awakening vegetation that can lie dormant for up to 15 years.
Among the first flowers to bloom were bright pink “pata de guanaco” (Cistanthe grandiflora) and white “sighs of the field” (Nolana baccata). The bloom covered a large area, but was still smaller than the normal spring bloom, which occurs after winter rains and can extend over thousands of square kilometers.
Although winter blooms delight in their beauty, they also carry certain risks. Due to low temperatures, pollinators such as bees and butterflies do not emerge at the same time as the flowers. This can result in plants not being able to reproduce and their seeds not replenishing the «seed bank» deserts.
Climate change may lead to an increase in the frequency of anomalous phenomena such as winter blooms. This risks reducing the desert's biodiversity, as annual plants may not have time to reproduce, giving way to bulbous and invasive species.
Scientists continue to study this phenomenon to understand its long-term consequences for the Atacama Desert ecosystem. They note the importance of preserving this unique natural site and its biodiversity in the face of climate change.
We remind you that it was previously reported that the air temperature at which it is prohibited to work in Ukraine was named.