A rare bloom of flowers in the midst of the South American winter has occurred in the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth, for the first time in a decade. “This extremely arid soil hides a treasure,” commented ecologist María Fernanda from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile on this natural phenomenon. She explained that the flowering was triggered by heavy autumn rains in April, which is fall in the Southern Hemisphere, bringing about 11 millimeters of precipitation. The rains and morning fog activated vegetation that can remain dormant for up to 15 years. The first two species to adorn the landscape this winter were the fuchsia-colored “pata de guanaco” (Cistanthe grandiflora) and the white “field sighs” (Nolana baccata).
The Rare Bloom Through Experts’ Eyes
The phenomenon covered an area of about 400 square kilometers, reported César Pizarro, head of the biodiversity conservation and research department at the National Forest Corporation (Conaf) in Atacama. Meanwhile, the full bloom, which typically occurs in spring due to winter rains, can extend over 15,000 square kilometers, awakening more than 200 species of flora. According to the expert, desert flowers usually bloom in spring during years when at least 15 mm of rain falls from June to August. This is linked to the El Niño phenomenon, which increases precipitation levels in Chile above average. The last time winter blooming occurred in the arid Atacama was in 2015, when rains fell in March, awakening the vegetation. Additional rains in July and August led to another floral display in spring. It remains unclear whether the same scenario will unfold this time.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), La Niña is expected to activate within a month. This means that Atacama may not receive enough moisture to sustain the vegetation. If precipitation occurs in the coming weeks, humidity levels will be above normal, potentially leading to desert blooms in September. On the other hand, if La Niña makes its presence felt soon, the blooming winter areas are likely to be the last seen this decade, and unfortunately, there may not be a lush bloom next spring, Francisco Skeo, president of the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), told Live Science.
The rare winter bloom in Atacama is not without its challenges. The primary issue, according to María Fernanda Pérez, is that pollinators do not arrive as quickly as the plants respond to the rain. “If the seeds germinate and bloom, but the pollinators don’t show up, it ultimately ends,” the ecologist explained. This is likely happening now, as low temperatures have kept bees, beetles, and other pollinators away.
What Are the Implications?
If this imbalance between blooming and pollination, caused by abnormal climatic phenomena, continues to occur regularly, the desert flora may struggle to reproduce. Mr. Pizarro noted that climate change could eventually lead to a flowering desert that consists solely of bulbous plants. This would drastically reduce its biodiversity or make way for invasive species.