The incredible ecosystem of Earth's hottest spot

In July 2016, due to its whimsical and majestic topography, UNESCO inscribed the Lut Desert on its World Heritage List. The wonderful scenery of the Lut has always fascinated the eco-tourists. However, there is little information available on its unusual ecosystem. In December 2016, the Science Journal in a report by Richard Stone attempted to decipher this mystery. Until now, it has been assumed that without plants as the first link in every food chain and the primary producers, the stability of food web will be disrupted. So how can the existence of living organisms including insects, reptiles and desert foxes be explained? In November 2016, a team of Iranian, American and European researchers traveled into the Lut to find an answer to this dilemma. Their findings were quite unexpected.