Biodegradation & Composting

This Biodegradable Planter Could Help Save Forests

Replanting rainforests is laborious and costly, but two Brazilian brothers may have invented a biodegradable planter that can do it all on its own.

The giant trees that form the heart of tropical rainforests are an awe-inspiring sight. But those trees start from small saplings. And those saplings are very vulnerable in the early stages of their life.

You can try and replant cleared forests, but protecting those young saplings from the elements – and ants – is vital. It’s a hugely labour-intensive process that is too costly to carry out.

But now there may be an answer: a biodegradable seed planter which mimics some of the features of the rainforest’s own species to help the saplings grow.

The planter is the brainchild of two Brazilian brothers. The seed planter can be dropped from a helicopter or drone, and helps gather and evenly disperse water while also keeping harmful creatures like the leafcutter ant at bay.

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This article was publishe on bbc.com

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