Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Scientists are going to extreme lengths to collect samples of rare plants to study - by paramotoring into remote areas of Peru
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The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew worked with a team at Huarango Nature and paramotorists from Forest Air to boost conservation efforts in some of the most fragile and challenging parts of the globe. Their new study demonstrates how paramotoring is a faster and more environmentally friendly alternative to 4x4 off-road vehicles in reaching outlying areas, reducing CO2 emissions of up to two-thirds, and most importantly with negligible damage to the fragile desert fog habitats and unexplored biological crusts.
Fog oases are a rare and unique island-like ecosystem in South America that stretch some 3,000 km along the Pacific coast of Peru and Chile. With virtually no rainfall, the desert's many endemic species of plants have adapted to the harsh conditions by relying on moisture from the fog sweeping in from the Pacific.
The team focused their efforts on the locally named 'Tillandsiales' habitat, which is dominated by Tillandsia species.
Keywords: Scientists,The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew,Huarango Nature,Areas,Remote,Peru,Environmentally friendly,Vehicles,CO2 emissions,Biological crusts,Habitats,Fragile desert,Damage,science & technology
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