The Sensitive Skin of the Earth

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Description

Southern Africa's Namib Desert - at first glance, a barren and lifeless setting. Looking closely at the desert floor, however, we see black and multicolored patches adorning the landscape. Regions in Asia and North America present a comparable picture, and indeed, even in the Arctic and Antarctic, the Earth's frigid deserts, such deposits appear everywhere. How can these sensitive organisms survive in extremely dry and cold climates? What state would our global ecosystem be in without them? This program explores the mysterious role that lichens, mosses, cyanobacteria, and green algae play in the well-being of our planet. Viewers learn about the natural microtechnology of these life forms and how it protects desert environments from erosion while performing photosynthesis and carbon sequestration on a massive scale.