In large deserts there are sometimes small shrubs and singular trees growing in random spots in the middle of no where, how do they survive if nothing else exists nearby?

Question

Started thinking about it when i was watching car racing through the desert ((https://youtu.be/zt5oXJTxAxU?si=N6SHVjMdOSBXCpPr)) and there are just random plant life all spread out.

I want to know two things:

How do they survive, what makes them so special?

And is it possible to just fly over the desert dropping off a load of seeds in the small chance of it growing, if so would that be a reasonable thing to do?

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In: Biology

Answer 1

Depends on the desert. Some coastal deserts in South America and Africa get fog/mist from the ocean even if they don’t get rain.

In other places there are aquifers, the water may not be visible in dry creekbeds, but there is still enough moisture deep down. Plants grow deep roots to reach the water.

The Tree of Tenere in Niger was the only tree for 250 miles in any direction, until it was knocked over by a truck driver. The roots of the tree were over 100 feet deep.