Ten years ago, growing a forest in the desert was still a subject of myths. People would have a hard time accepting its possibility.But times have changed. Thanks to new technology and pressing needs of our planet due to global warming, people are rethinking the possibility.

In an effort to reduce the effects of global warming - which raises the temperature of the planet due to carbon emissions - researchers at in Israel are lookinng for a way to grow a forest in the Aravah Desert.

The Aravah Desert, which literally means "desolate and dry area," is as its name suggests with only a few populating it.

However, in order to try to offset the carbon that humans are producing, more and more places should be considered for growing plants and trees.

Prof. Amram Eshel of the university's Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, pointed out that in an effort to reduce carbon dioxide, many countries are converting fertile agricultural lands into forests.

With this in mind, the researchers believed that encouraging growth on a piece of land that was traditionally barren was a step in a better direction.

In order for something to grow, the researchers looked at Tamarix, a botanical genus that includes salt cedar trees that are indigenous to the old-world deserts. Researchers tested over 150 different varieties of the botanical genus, which they cultivated in both a common garden setting and in densities that copied commercial crops.

In addition, they also considered the conservation of water, using only low quality water such as recycled sewage and salt water.

With their first harvest of trees just last summer, the Eshel and his team have much to process and analyze; specifically, on the amount of carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere.

Keeping in mind that this endeavor is for the environment, the researchers said that the cut trees might also be used as a source of renewable energy by using it as biomass, or biofuel crops, thus reducing dependence to traditional fossil fuel.

Currently, sources of biomass are virgin wood, energy crops, agricultural residues, food waste, and industrial waste.