Task 1:
| Tree | Positives | Negatives | Sources |
| Moringa trees | Can grow in zones 8 and above. Grows very rapidly – reaches maturity at 9 months. Many nutritional values in the green leaves and pods. Basically all edible. No problematic branching roots. The roots support the soil. Adapted to hot areas. | They suffer greatly if overwatered. Possibly invasive to other trees in tropical regions. | https://tinyurl.com/4bnf828w |
| Desert acacia trees | Higher growth rate in hot summers than damp winters. Fire resistant. Important food source to giraffes. Can grow in nearly any kind of soil. Disease resistant. | They live only 20 to 30 years. Some species are invasive to other plants. | https://tinyurl.com/4tdrs44r |
| Neem trees | Little water needed, deep roots for the dessert. Has worked in Peru to combat desertification. Varied medicinal qualities that can help locals. Grows fast and prevents the ground from eroding. Improves soil quality. Fruits and seeds can make high-demand products and they can ward off mosquitos. | Worries about them threatening native species of trees. Unlikely to spread on its own, as it needs to be fed water at the start. Not found in northern Africa, found mainly in India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. | https://tinyurl.com/5yx5n25u |
| Mountain mahogany (curl-leaf?) | Native to North America’s mountainous areas. Dry soil conditions. Care required to look after it is minimal. They don’t get much over 13 feet tall. Tolerant of drought and heat. Regular watering necessary at first, but does not need much once it is established. | Curl-leaf is not competitive and needs an area free of weeds and grass. Alder-leaf species is rejuvenated by fire, while curl-leaf species suffers damage from fire. | https://tinyurl.com/2e4bvd7m |
| Eucalyptus | A tree that is particularly good at taking in Carbon Dioxide. Grows very fast. Grows to be very large. Lives for about 400-500 years. Some believe it to be good as a wildlife habitat. | Fire risk – burns easily. They have adapted to survive these fires. Africa is a hotspot for forest fires, so this is a risk to take seriously. Native wildlife can sometimes be harmed by its introduction. | https://tinyurl.com/34d889ua https://tinyurl.com/2adcp5yw |
| Baobab | Can live for over 3000 years. Very fire resistant. Native to tropical African countries – hot, dry woodland with low rainfall. The fruit, leaves and seeds can be eaten. Their trunks can hold a lot of water in them. Can be used by people for many purposes. | Out of its eight species, six are native to Madagascar, and are red listed in endangerment due to human activity and agriculture. | https://tinyurl.com/4ppr872s |
| Desert oak | They are found in Australia, so a similar environment. Cork-like bark that protects them from fire. Fire and drought resilient. Long roots that allow them to reach any sub-surface water. | They are not easy to grow outside of their natural habitat. | https://tinyurl.com/kpc473j7 |
| Emory oak | Oak trees are known to be good at storing Carbon Dioxide. Drought tolerant. They are used for landscaping in North America’s deserts. Suited to low desert elevations. | They are not found in north Africa. | https://tinyurl.com/9wrbzh2s |
| Cork oak | Native to northwest Africa. Adapted to warm and humid temperatures. Oak trees are known to be good at storing Carbon Dioxide. Evergreen – never drops its leaves. Lives for up to 200 years. Their wood can be useful for humans. | They face threats from fire and deforestation. | https://tinyurl.com/26c8cfkj |
| Holm oak | Oak trees are known to be good at storing Carbon Dioxide. Can withstand large ranges in temperature and rainfall. Lives for about 400 years. Prefers sandy and clay soils. Resistant to fire. Provides many resources with its wood. | It originated in the Mediterranean and can live in the UK, but it can survive in north Africa. | https://tinyurl.com/yexk6yd4 https://tinyurl.com/7eb62xtk |
Conclusion:
It is very important to have wide biodiversity in the forest we design, as biodiversity will provide room for a more varied and sustainable ecosystem. The many trees that would be chosen will be useful for different function, have different advantages and risks, and therefore assist in supporting each other as a collective, since no tree is perfectly adapted for such a situation. Some trees mentioned, such as the Baobab, have much more positives than negatives in including them in the forest, while for others, including perhaps the Eucalyptus, have more risks in fire hazards than are worth taking. Nevertheless, it is important that our forest is varied, effective in taking in Carbon Dioxide, and easily adapted to the Saharan environment.
Task 2: https://www.climatecolab.org/contests/2014/adaptation-to-climate-change/c/proposal/1305906
Proposes releasing seawater into the Sahara Desert in order to provide underground moisture to the area, which will help minimise Atlantic heat storms. Notes that releasing seawater over the area would be largely pointless, as it would evaporate, but releasing it underground could both alleviate this problem and provide a solution to the rising sea tides problem. Increasing vegetation which is compatible with high temperatures will help control the hurricanes and storms which are resultant of these deserts. This could eventually become sustainable as it increases vegetation. Money is necessary for pumps, piping and planting. All the countries who will directly benefit from the programme should meet and decide how they will find the workforce. The programme will, however, also benefit their economies, through creating jobs. All technologies that aid the process should be sustainable. The governments of the countries in the Sahara should be the main figures behind the project (Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan and Tunisia). The benefits are: it decreases sea levels by putting the water into the land; provides moisture that could help vegetation grow; this will then provide well water for human consumption; the seawater can be used for immediate use in the surrounding areas; this will encourage the economy’s growth; the vegetation will help decrease unpredictable weather storms, resultants of the deserts, elsewhere in the world. The estimation is that this will take 0-10 years in constructing the desalination plants, piping and pumps, 5-10 years of planting, and 10-15 years to receive well water and vegetation.