Environment & Energy

Uncle Joe

(61,274 posts) Tue Mar 11, 2025, 02:52 PM Mar 11

Turning Desert into Rainforest: A Soil Expert's Secret Method

Mar 10, 2025

Working with nature, using natural processes, a rainforest was created in a rapidly desertifying landscape.
https://www.waterstories.com/story/de...

Storing water in the earth was a first critical step, and enhancing the cycling of that water through a misting system. Planting pioneer species was also essential, as they sheltered the ground and created a microclimate. The pioneer trees also produced leaf litter and organic matter. The misting system facilitated the growth of fungi, who converted this organic matter into rich sponge-like soil. This sponge-like soil infiltrates more water and holds it longer into the dry times.

“This rainforest was created not by adding more water, but it was certainly done by enhancing the water cycling.”

Control Site vs Rainforest
The control site for the project shows what the valley was like previously. The rainforest is not only much more productive but it is also a cooler environment that is more buffered against extremes. While the surrounding landscape was unbearably hot and dry, the rainforest was still cool and moist.

Ground temperatures in the Rainforest rarely exceed 25c 77f.
Ground temperatures in the control site regularly exceed 40c 104f

Fungi or Fire
The fungi play a key role in this story, partnering with this kingdom was essential to the project's success. Because the moisture levels were maintained at the forest floor, the fungi were able to break down the organic material. This process produced rich sponge-like soil that also holds moisture much longer into the dry times. When the fungi can’t get active, all of that material dries out and builds up as fuel, leading to the extreme and catastrophic wildfires we have been experiencing.

Water and Climate
70 to 95 percent of the global heat dynamics of Earth are regulated by the water cycle. Over the last 10,000 years humans have desertified ⅓ of Earth’s land. This is the root cause behind the drought, flood, and fire we have been experiencing with increasing regularity and severity. Water Cycle Disturbance is directly leading to the worst impacts of climate change. By working with water and nature we can create a prosperous future.

“95% of that 342 watts is regulated through hydrology, through a whole sequence of hydrological processes, about 4%, less than 4% is driven by the co2 component of the greenhouse effect.”

“Both the formation of clouds and the formation of raindrops again is governed biologically, to a large extent, by the production of what we call precipitation nuclei. Water can’t come out of the air just by itself, it needs to be nucleated and precipitate around a droplet that’s big enough and heavy enough to fall out under gravity. And these hygroscopic precipitation nuclei are then critical in creating these clouds, and rain. And guess what - Over half of the earth’s rainfall and clouds are driven biologically by precipitation nuclei produced by vegetation.”

Learn how to create water wealth and security and restore ecosystems through the Water Stories Core Course. Whether you seek to become a professional in this field, implement this work on your own land, or become an advocate for water, this course prepares you with the skills, experience, and confidence you need to succeed.

Learn to implement decentralized water retention in order to reverse drought, reduce flood and fire, and create healthy and abundant environments. Throughout the course we prepare you to bring water back to your land and community with a general approach that works everywhere, and real world case studies to provide examples.

Together we can restore the health of our planet by reviving watersheds worldwide. Water Stories is a community committed to water cycle restoration with films, videos, articles, webinars, live events, and a whole training program for those ready to become practitioners.
https://www.waterstories.com/core-course