They are the biology of the planet much more than plants and animals.

It's actually a very ancient antiviral pathway, because it is found in animals and plants. We're just making sure it's turned on.

It helps firm up the shoreline. The plants and animals have adapted to it.

It has some rare plants, rare animals and rare trees. It's really exciting to be able to protect that.

Local efforts by Tibetan communities through their 'Sacred Lands' are helping to prevent these plants and animals from going extinct and demonstrate that cultural values can play an important role in conservation.

What it tells us about the desert is that this is a great place to go and look for really interesting new organisms.