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Discovery tried this approach in their Project Earth show, http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/project-earth/lab-books/reforestation/reforestation-guide1.html http://ds

• electromagnetic 16y ago
  Depending on the seed. They didn't use plant seeds that were particularly impact resilient. Nuts are extremely impact resilient, using them in these pods could not only provide re-forestation, but also provide an economic source. However, IMO the best thing we could be doing is taking areas of desertified land and fighting it. Place moisture traps connected to irrigation pipes and grow grass, just plain old grass to bind nutrients. Spread the grass and in desert areas you'll be catching dew every morning in the traps and the grass will itself. Once you've spread the grass, spread shrubs. The Caragana arborescens is a miracle plant for these purposes. It traps moisture, it acts as a windbreak (stopping desertification), it provides a food source (peas), it's fast growing, it's a dense-spreader. Another benefit is that it can support honey bees, which again provide food but also could increase fertility of any future farm plantations.
  • gridspy 16y ago
    This geo-engineering reminds me of this article on Darwin's terraforming of some volcanic islands. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11137903 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11137903 It is a really good idea. I wonder how well it would work.