Solutions Under solar panels, desert restoration gets a leg up Delicate biocrusts are used to restore drylands; instead of cultivating them in high-tech greenhouses, researchers are growing them under solar farms.
Impacts The desert’s ‘skin’ is disappearing—tiny lab-grown plants could save it Biocrusts form a critical living layer on barren desert, preventing ruinous dust storms and anchoring plants. Scientists are trying to grow the complex systems and transplant them.
