Tag: andes
In wind-swept Andes, (sustainable) vicuña wool is good as gold
The vast plains of the Altiplano in southern Bolivia are a seemingly lifeless expanse. With sparse vegetation, desert sands and dry salt flats, it’s difficult to imagine how any creature could survive in an ecosystem like this. Yet in the midst of this landscape, the vicuña — the undomesticated, fluffy cousin of the alpaca, and…
Scientists point to Andes potato pathogen as origin of Irish famine
Researchers say study may help global efforts in controlling disease that still destroys crops today It was a disaster that killed about 1 million people, devastating 19th century Ireland, but while the potato disease linked to the Irish famine is well known, a battle has raged over where it originated. Scientists have long been divided…