For years scientists have wondered how the desert rhubarb manages to grow leaves that reach a diameter of up to one meter while other desert plant species typically have small and spiky leaves. Now, ...

Whenever the topic of plant-derived biofuels is raised, the issue of turning valuable arable land over to the task of growing feedstock is generally not far behind. A discovery by the Sustainable ...

Scientists are investigating how a Madagascan plant could be used to help produce crops in harsh environmental conditions. The plant, Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi, is unique because, unlike normal plants, ...

For the past 15 years, Philip Rundel has been developing this book through his long-term relationship and travels in deserts of the Southwestern United States, northern Chile and southern Africa. His ...

Every April for the past decade, systems biologist Rodrigo Gutiérrez has driven 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to reach one of the driest places on Earth: Chile’s Atacama Desert, parts of which ...

At the helm of Wilder California, Bay Area photographer Jane Wilder often finds herself in Southern California to capture the flora and fauna dotting the desert. Her prints can be seen in the ...

An American desert icon is dying off in the southwestern United States. Experts say record-setting summers and intense droughts in Arizona are causing a well-known succulent to struggle. The saguaro ...

The desert biome is characterized by low precipitation, a high rate of evaporation (seven to fifty times as much as precipitation), and a wide daily range in temperature. The dramatic temperature ...