In the canyonlands of Utah and Arizona, canyon walls often support "hanging gardens" in which plants cling to sandstone cliffs and these hanging gardens are typically along shale beds in the sandstone. Why is this happening in a desert setting?
◦ The shales hold the water better than the sandstone, so plants preferentially grow in them.
◦ The shales form better soils than the sand, so the plants grow there.
◦ The shales are more fractured than the sandstones so the plants have an easier time starting in the shale.
◦ The shales trap groundwater along the shale horizons that helps aid plant growth.
Plants
Plants
Growth of Plants
Field technician in Utah
Evidence of lethal mutations in plants
Light-independent reactions in C3 plants.