Why is the desert so important?

According to an article in Science Daily in April 2008, desert sands are an important carbon sink on Earth. Scientists discovered that bacteria living in the sands of the Kalahari desert in Africa help gather and store carbon dioxide from the air. read more

Approximately half of the world's stores of fossil fuels come from desert lands, including oil and natural gas, and about half of the world's diamonds, copper, gold, bauxite, iron ore and uranium ore come from the desert as well. The fact that Saharan dust has been found in the Amazon basin shows the worldwide spread of the materials in the desert. read more

The Sahara Desert is important because it is an international landmark that used to be an entirely rich and fertile farmland. Today, parts of the Sahara Desert are still fertile and help to support human and animal life. read more