Physicists in Germany have turned their attention to an age-old challenge facing desert dwellers -- how plants can be used to stop moving sand dunes. The researchers defined equations of motion that describe wind velocities, vegetation growth, sand movement and how the shape of a desert landscape changes as plants grow in it. The result is a "fixation index" that predicts when plants will be successful at halting a dune. This could lead to a better understanding of the dynamics of coastal dunes and predict how these landscapes will evolve over time. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 97 188001).
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