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As much as a quarter of California is desert landscape, according to the Mojave Desert Land Trust . That landscape includes the iconic Joshua tree, pictured center, with its unusual shape. But the desert ecosystem is facing increased threats from climate change, including wildfires and invasive species. The race to preserve the desert inspired the idea of a seed bank project at MDLT. Look through the gallery to learn more about how the seed bank works.
“There’s so much life here,” Asbell says, “but it’s easy to not realize that when you’re in the desert.” so when we protect these plants, we’re protecting everything that depends on them, like desert tortoise, burrowing owls and pollinators.”In an ever-changing climate, the seed bank was just the type of “proactive” idea the organization was looking for, says Kelly Herbinson, executive director of MDLT.
They then go into paper bags on racks to dry out, before going into jars in the refrigerators for long-term storage. “You can’t just throw any seeds on the ground … You need to know where that seed has come from, what population, what elevation, and make sure that it’s the right seed for the right place. Those are things that we are able to do through the work that we’re doing.”There is an increased urgency to that work.
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