Do we rely on Haloxylon ammodendron to find water, fix sand and strengthen virility?

Because of the Ant Forest, Haloxylon ammodendron may have become the most familiar desert control plant to us. People even attribute the Haloxylon ammodendron to the functions of finding water and strengthening virility . Are these claims really reliable? Is desert control as simple as sowing seeds?

A Haloxylon ammodendron forest in Shanshan, Xinjiang | Anagoria / wiki commons

Amaranth's Hard Brother

Haloxylon ammodendron, this name has gradually become known to everyone with the desertification control. In fact, its relatives are all around us . The red amaranth in the vegetable market, the gray-gray vegetables on the roadside, and the Kochia scoparia tied into brooms are all distant relatives of Haloxylon ammodendron, but these plants are far less tall than Haloxylon ammodendron. Among the Amaranthaceae family and desert plants, Haloxylon ammodendron, which can grow into shrubs or small trees (up to 9 meters high), is already considered a big guy.

The delicious and beautiful amaranth is a distant relative of Haloxylon ammodendron | David J. Stang / wiki commons

There are 11 species of Haloxylon ammodendron in the world, and their main habitats are the arid areas from the Mediterranean to Central Asia. There are two species of Haloxylon ammodendron distributed in China, namely Haloxylon persicum and H. ammodendron . H. persicum is mainly distributed in Xinjiang, while H. ammodendron is distributed in Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia.

Haloxylon ammodendron can survive in places with an annual rainfall of 50 mm and a relative humidity of less than 40%. It has its own survival secrets. In addition to the thick epidermis common to desert plants, Haloxylon ammodendron also has a unique summer dormancy characteristic . During this period, the concentrations of proline and abscisic acid in Haloxylon ammodendron will increase. The former will increase the osmotic pressure of cells and help Haloxylon ammodendron retain precious water; the latter will allow the plant to hibernate appropriately and improve its ability to survive in difficult times.

Haloxylon ammodendron｜Abodi009 / Wikimedia Commons

Haloxylon ammodendron is closely tied to desert and drought, and even more so to the source of life - water. When talking about plant adaptability in ecology, the example often cited is the well-developed root system of desert plants . It is fine to say "these roots are born for drinking water", but in many cases, it is interpreted as "you can find water by following the roots of desert plants". Is this correct?

Can you find water by digging the soil along the roots?

In the online drama "The Mysterious City", the protagonist Hu Bayi once talked about a method of finding water with Haloxylon ammodendron, which is to dig a hole where Haloxylon ammodendron grows, dig to a depth of one meter after the end of the root system, and then cover the hole with plastic sheeting. When the water vapor in the hole evaporates and meets the plastic sheeting, it will condense into water droplets. Collecting these water droplets can quench your thirst. Many survival guides will introduce similar methods , so it is better to introduce them in detail.

I can only say that this method looks beautiful .

New Haloxylon ammodendron plants | Anagoria / wiki commons

The roots of Haloxylon ammodendron usually go three or four meters deep underground, and the deepest can reach five meters. After digging through it, you need to dig another meter, which is equivalent to the height of a two-story building . Not to mention whether the travelers who are exhausted due to lack of water can complete such a huge project, how to ensure that the pit with loose sand and soil does not collapse is also a problem.

Well, how about other desert plants? Unfortunately, the roots of poplar and tamarisk can reach 10 meters deep, and the roots of camel thorn can reach 20 meters. If you happen to encounter a super drought with low water levels, digging for water like this is undoubtedly a suicidal act . It is better to give up this typical idea that can compete for the Darwin Award as soon as possible.

Haloxylon ammodendron in the Gobi Desert. If you want to rely on it to find water, you'd better give up the idea as soon as possible | He-ba-mue / wiki commons

If you want to find water in the wild by relying on plants, a more reliable way is to look for plants that like shade and moisture , such as the spring grass. Digging a hole under these plants will increase the chance of finding a water source. Of course, the best way is to bring enough drinking water, do what you can , and don't gamble your life. If you don't commit suicide, you won't die . This rule will not change.

Haloxylon ammodendron

Haloxylon ammodendron has attracted increasing attention because people believe that the Cistanche deserticola that parasitizes it is a "virility enhancer" . As a typical parasitic plant, Cistanche deserticola has given up chloroplasts and photosynthesis and relies entirely on the host's nutrition.

The foreground is Cistanche deserticola parasitic on the roots of Haloxylon ammodendron | Xu R, et al. / Genetic resources and crop evolution (2009)

Such a seemingly evil creature has attracted the attention of the human health care product market. Why is Cistanche deserticola tied to so-called special effects? It is still the so-called "like cures like". In essence, this is the result of the traditional way of understanding plants.

Cistanche deserticola being harvested for medicinal use | Inner Path

In fact, modern medicine has not found any clear evidence that Cistanche deserticola can improve sexual performance. Sometimes, many dysfunctions are actually psychological, and it is possible that people can "regain their sexual performance" because of the placebo effect (believing that the things they take have magical effects and relieve symptoms).

Good flower pots for sand fixation

The main contribution of Haloxylon ammodendron is to sand control. People use the grass to make square grids, which looks like playing house. You may have doubted whether such small grids can prevent the raging of sandstorms.

Straw grid sand barriers of different materials (straw, shrub branches, stones and shrubs, plastic) | Guo Z et al. / Sustainability (2014)

Don't think that controlling sandstorms is as simple as sowing seeds in the desert . If there is no stable supply of water and soil, no matter how many seeds there are, they will not turn green. In fact, in the process of sandstorm control, how to form a microhabitat is very important. The purpose of tying grass grids and planting Haloxylon ammodendron is not to press down on the sand dunes to prevent the sandstorms from moving, but to create a microhabitat.

The dead branches and leaves accumulated at the roots are like natural flower pots. The shelter of the branches and leaves makes this "flower pot" much more comfortable than the open Gobi Desert - it is not exposed to the sun during the day, and it can play a certain role in heat preservation at night, thus ensuring a relatively stable temperature. The gradually accumulated plant seeds and fallen leaves, together with the dense moss on them, can also store some water, providing favorable conditions for the growth of plant seedlings. In time, these grass grids will become a paradise for organisms.

Landscape of Haloxylon ammodendron-fixed dunes | Gertrud and Helmut Denzau

This is Haloxylon ammodendron, a plant that is closely tied to life and the legend of life. Strip away the so-called magical effects, it can indeed provide us with protection and support. What more could we ask for?

Author: Shi Jun

Cover image source: Gertrud and Helmut Denzau

This article comes from GuokrNature (ID: GuokrNature)

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