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Tree planting in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia since 1975
Saxaul Trees (Haloxylon ammodendron or saksaul) only exists in Central Asia and is definitely one of the most important vegetation feature of Mongolia. One quarter of its forested area is covered by this woody shrub. Especially in areas of desert and semi-desert, saxaul forests protect the soil from erosion, provide diverse habitants for animals, fodder for wildlife and livestock, and firewood for people.
The saxaul ranges in size from a large shrub to a small tree. The wood is heavy and coarse and the bark is spongy and water-soaked. The leaves of the tree are so small that it appears to be without leaves, giving it a dull grey appearance. However, the branches of young trees are green and pendulous and it has small yellow flowers.
It is effective against erosion because it sends out horizontal roots in addition to very deep roots to reach the underground water. Those plants that have reached an age of 25 years are the most effective for erosion control.
There are about 6200 different sizes of saxaul trees growing at our nursery today. We grow them from tiny little seeds and transfer them to deserted areas nearby.
Elm trees are scientifically known as Ulmus Pumila. Ulmus is the ancient Latin name for elm and Pumila is Latin for dwarf in reference to the small leaves. The type of Elm trees that we find in Mongolia is the Siberian elms in shrub sizes and actually originate from Mongolia, Turkestan, Eastern Siberia and Korea.
They usually grow between 10 and 20 metres high with a trunk of about 80 centimetres in diameters. In colder areas like Mongolia, the Siberian elm features deciduous leaves. They are usually about 7 centimetres in length and 3 centimetres across.
Elm trees are resistant to drought, severe cold, and disease such as Dutch elm disease which affects many of its counterparts. They form a great habitat for other bio diversity and used as windbreakers in the dusty windy steppe terrains.
There are about 1500 elm trees growing at our nursery. We sell young branches for re-plantation.
Aspen trees (populus tremula) belong to the species of poplar which are native to the cool temperatures of Mongolia. It is a medium-sized tree growing to 10–25 metres tall, with a trunk up to 1 metre diameter. The bark is pale greenish-grey and smooth on young trees with dark grey diamond-shaped lenticels, becoming dark grey and fissured on older trees.
It is a very hardy species and tolerates long, cold winters and short summers which makes it perfect type to grow in the cold Gobi Desert. Like other aspens, it spreads extensively by root sprouts, which may be produced up to 40 metre from the parent tree, forming extensive colonies.
Each individual tree can live for 40–150 years above ground, but the root system of the colony is long-lived. In some cases, this is for thousands of years, sending up new trunks as the older trunks die off above ground. Despite their distribution of cotton-like flying seeds, they are one of the toughest trees to survive dry cold windy weather conditions.
There are only three mature aspen trees growing at our nursery due to the low water supply.
Almonds are oval shaped fruit from the tree Prunus dulcis, a close relative to the apricot and peach tree. Sweet almonds are most commonly used in cooking and they come from a pink flowering tree.
Sweet almonds can be eaten raw, roasted or grilled with salt. They are commonly used in savoury dishes, cakes and deserts where they are normally ground or crushed. Almonds are best stored in an airtight container and keep best in the fridge.