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Agriculture & Environment

Definitions

List of terms for Desert science

Producing enough food for a rapidly growing population, and taking care of our planet are two of the world's biggest challenges.

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A

Animal life

Deserts and drylands teem with biological life, particularly insects, reptiles and small mammals in addition to camels. Animals are often nocturnal and avoid excessive water loss during the day by finding shelter underground. Strategies employed to obtain water include using night-time dew, as well as condensed fog.

Aquifer

A layer of underground rock that contains water. Water from aquifers is used for domestic consumption as well as in agriculture and industry.

Arid

A climate or habitat that receives less than 250 millimetres of annual rainfall and has high rates of evaporation and sparse vegetation. Semi-arid regions receive between 280 and 400 millimetres of annual rainfall and support limited agriculture.

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Information Services

China's Olympian pollution problem

Beijing's air pollution monitoring will be watched during the Olympics and beyond

Beating the
food price hikes

Using scientific methods to raise yields can combat rising food prices for the rural poor