Vegetation growth and landscape genetics of lomas at their dry limits in the Atacama Desert show fine-scale response to environmental parameters.

Ecosystem dry limits have been studied in the context of species biology, fitness, and interactions with biotic and abiotic parameters, but the interactive effects of these parameters remain underexplored. Therefore, information on the putative effects of global climate change on these ecosystems is often lacking.We analyzed the interplay between fine-scale landscape genetics and biotic and abiotic factors of terrestrial lomas in the hyperarid Atacama Desert, characterized by a fog-dependent vegetation type almost entirely dominated by one single vascular plant species.

Fog as a fresh-water resource: overview and perspectives.

The collection of fog water is a simple and sustainable technology to obtain fresh water for afforestation, gardening, and as a drinking water source for human and animal consumption. In regions where fresh water is sparse and fog frequently occurs, it is feasible to set up a passive mesh system for fog water collection. The mesh is directly exposed to the atmosphere, and the foggy air is pushed through the mesh by the wind.