What are" fairy circles " and where do they come from?

The debate about where in the Namib desert and in Australia came from rounded bald spots, which like stamps dot the flat surface, has been going on since the 1970s. A lot of assumptions were made, ranging from scientific to completely fantastic. The latest research, conducted by a team of scientists from the University of Pretoria, has led to new, unexpected discoveries.

If it was previously believed that termites and rodents were involved in the formation of lifeless "fairy circles", then the new theory explains their appearance by the activity of ... the plants themselves! Namely, plants of the Euphorbia species, known as euphorbia. Milkweed secretes a water-repellent juice that inhibits the growth of other plants. It is also able to secrete latex juices, which, firstly, repel water when rotting, and, secondly, adhere quite tightly to the sand and remain in the soil for a long time. As a result, circles are formed, the soil in which is unsuitable for plant life. The situation is aggravated by the increase in temperature indicators.

Scientists note that the "fairy circles" devoid of vegetation are not an eternal phenomenon. In a few decades, rare rains will be able to wash the toxic compounds out of the soil and it will become habitable again.