Researchers at the Shapotu Desert Experimental Research Station in China have developed a revolutionary approach to reverse desertification and transform barren land, turning sand into fertile land, within just 10 months. Using cyanobacteria, which are specialized, photosynthetic microorganisms, researchers have created layers of organic soil that form a living layer on the surface of the dunes that is constantly changing. When layers of organic clay are spread and applied to the sand, they cause cyanobacteria to secrete sugar-based glue-like substances that bind the individual sand particles into a stable, solid mass. This process significantly reduces the time required for natural soil formation as it rapidly increases the levels of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. As a result, these organic soil layers stabilize the sand on the desert floor and retain moisture in the sand, thus providing a cost-effective, environmentally sustainable basis for successful plant growth in extremely dry environments around the world.
The research team in China is changing desert sand In fertile soil in 10 months
Cyanobacteria are microorganisms that can be grown in laboratories and added to deserts as a way to improve desert ecosystems. These organisms can withstand extreme dryness; When water is present, they grow rapidly and form a layer that protects against wind erosion and provides nutrients for shrubs and grasses to take root. This eliminates the primary challenges in establishing vegetation in unstable, nutrient-poor deserts.
How artificial layers overtake natural recovery
According to the study Soil Biology and Biochemistry, biological soil crusts (BSCs) are living, thin layers of soil that are formed from soil particles adhering to the polysaccharide excreta of cyanobacteria. They serve as the basis for ecological recovery. Studies show that implementing these microbial communities will accelerate the rate of organic carbon accumulation by 3.2 times and nitrogen accumulation by approximately 15 times compared to the rate of natural crust formation. Creating a stable ‘sand bed’ rapidly through chemical and physical processes will facilitate the establishment of many more complex organisms (e.g., lichens and mosses), as research at PMC-NIH has shown.
biological soil science
Beyond initial stabilization, this technique allows a practical and low-maintenance approach to traditional, labor-intensive methods used for desert reclamation, such as hand-planting. The use of drought-resistant strains developed in the laboratory means that this method can be adapted to many dry climates outside China. As reported in research published on PMC-NIH, ongoing research on ‘synthetic microbial communities’ supports the ability to adapt specific bacterial strains to improve efficiency with crust formation, thus providing a basis for developing global large-scale desertification control systems through automation.
