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Story summary
- The Shapotou Desert Experimental Research Station in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region leads a northwest China project using cyanobacteria to combat desertification.
- The cyanobacteria survive extreme heat and drought and form a biomass-rich crust after rainfall that stabilizes dunes.
- It is part of China's Great Green Wall initiative to reforest and control deserts.
- Over the next five years, the method will cover about 5,333–6,667 hectares (13,178–16,475 acres) of desert.
