h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'd just like to say we're not envious in the slightest that your shortly swooping off over to a sunny warm place... Not at all... we're all really liking this damp cold wet weather here at the moemnt.... You'll miss it when your out in the sun and heat

Are the other islands near you just as dry? They're called the Canary islands, aren't they? I always thought canaries roosted in trees.

i am told the birds got their names from the islands - who in turn got their name from the packs of wild canine, who used to inhabit them before the first known settlers arrived

and yes, the weather is more or less the same on all the islands, but the vegetation could be slightly different*, as lanzarote was scarred by massive volcanic eruptions as late as 1730-1736 which left one third of the island covered with volcanic ashes which still to this very day look like it happened yesterday

as lanzababy points out the 'modern rains' may change that but up till now there has never been enough rain to erode and fertilize the ashes. at the very least it is a very very slow proces

*i trust lanzababy to correct me if i got anything wrong here

The way I have it there should be some bigger plants and trees on the islands ... the Canary Island Palm, for instance, is grown over here and it is a magnificent, stout, tall palm. Then there are also the Canary Island Dragon Trees:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracaena_draco

I think that *originally* the islands were fairly well vegetated ... human disturbance might have resulted in much destruction; islands are typically very ecologically vulnerable. Also ... I think there would be more rain and more vegetation in the mountainous parts.

Willem is correct We do have Phoenix canariensis - the Canary Palm.

Here it is growing in the north of the island in Haria - and for paulh this shows the most amount of vegetation you might see. It's probably taken after the winter, before the hot sun burns any of the green away.
http://www.absolutlanzarote.com/haria-un-municipio-tipico-de-lanzarote/

We also have the Dragon tree, but I've never seen a big specimen apart from in gardens, where they are irrigated.

Apparently, all the natural forested areas were decimated centuries ago. I have an acquaintance who is trying to re-instate some of the natural forest species in the hills to the north. He explained that there is a system which catches the dew at night and trickles it down to the young trees. I think he called them cloud catchers - they are a sort of large net strung at the height a tall tree might eventually reach. The theory is that once the trees reach maturity, their leaves are high enough to collect their own dew and thus saturate the ground below them each night by dripping on their roots.

Oh! I just found this article about him - he really is a very charming person
http://www.lanzaroteinformation.com/content/lanzarotes-forest-bosque-de-har%C3%AD

That's a very interesting link Lanzababy! I really hope they manage to get a good forest started there.

I now that the redwood forests in California work on the same principle. The tall trees catch the sea mist and condense it, so that it rains down on the roots.

I dew hope that these reforestation plans work.

Reading the OP, I´ve thought whether you know about the great ecological project in the island of Hierro. It´s a model according to the International Energy Agency, and to any ecology group or institution. Wind and water make the island energy independent. There´s more about it like the pristine coastline they preserve... A paradise.

Here is a video of the BBC about it. Some engineers explain the project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKmHJGvDaN0


::
it´s aljibe (an Arabic word, like most words we have related to water)

Nice to read you again