This Melon Builds a Whole Ecosystem in the Desert

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The nara melon is as juicy as any other, so how is it able to grow in the hyper-arid Namib desert?

Hosted by: Michael Aranda

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Sources:
https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at1315 https://www.nature.com/articles/srep12263 https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0140196312000432 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140196385701395 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311932.2019.1645258 https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Acanthosicyos_horridus_(PROTA) https://books.google.com/books?id=-TI55urJYyEC&pg=PA163&lpg=PA163&dq=nara+melon+forms+dunes&source=bl&ots=7UO4M7skVg&sig=ACfU3U1oadtKXVg6NwQ5MRAuz5YBn98VLA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjbu4yz0YvqAhWzlXIEHV_EBegQ6AEwBXoECA0QAQ#v=onepage&q=nara%20melon&f=false https://repository.nwu.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10394/31244/Gerber_M.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0254629908002263 http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.505.3707&rep=rep1&type=pdf https://www.dw.com/en/over-1000-years-old-drought-resistant-and-unique-miracle-plants-in-the-namib-desert/a-39952494 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140196318304221 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-25078-4

Image Sources:
https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/aerial-view-of-beautiful-large-red-sand-dunes-of-the-namib-desert-with-curves-lines-gm922750646-253300140 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tillandsia_virescens_01.gif https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tillandsia.png FabrizioPlasencia https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nara_and_fruit.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acanthosicyos_horridus_-_Nara-1562_-_Flickr_-_Ragnhild_%26_Neil_Crawford.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nara_cut_fruit.jpg https://www.storyblocks.com/video/stock/time-lapse-namibia-sunset-desert-rhwjxsediqygoi0g https://www.storyblocks.com/video/stock/namibia-africa---desert-landscape---a-panorama-from-the-traveling-car-b2p1h6rglivxw2h1k https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acanthosicyos_horridus_-_Nara-1567_-_Flickr_-_Ragnhild_%26_Neil_Crawford.jpg