Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Wonder Valley - full of blue green algae!

Recent rains created the conditions for blue green algae, dormant in our arid soil, to come to life.

Sun shines through white quartz rocks to the microbial communities of algae thriving in the water trapped beneath them.

These are called "hypolithic" communities - a fancy term for "under rock."

It's can be a refreshing surprise to see a little green in the desert!