The barren land of Rajasthan, known as the Desert State of India, has been destroyed by over-farming and is often ignored in ecological restoration. But, thanks to a groundbreaking seed bank project, life is now returning to the sands. In the Thar Desert, brown, thorny trees are growing out of the soil, along with clusters of stubby shrubs and tall grasses. All of these native desert-living plants are shaped by their environment: their seeds, leaves and stems have evolved in a certain way that helps them withstand and even thrive in these harsh conditions. The desert forests are a complex region ...

 

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