A method of extracting water-soluble minerals from an arid location includes identifying or establishing a channel of flowing water at the arid location, and installing a mat containing seeds, and/or seedlings, and a super absorbent polymer (SAP). A perforated, transparent cover sheet is placed on or above the mat. Water is applied to the SAP, such that both edible and dam-constructing vegetation grows and matures from the mat. Beavers are introduced into the arid location, which eat the edible vegetation and use the dam-constructing vegetation to construct a dam that blocks the channel, thereby flooding a region proximate the channel. After the flood water has dissolved the minerals in the flooded region, it is drained and processed to extract the minerals. The drained water can be remotely processed, or directed to an evaporation pond, where the minerals remain while the water is evaporated, recaptured, and reintroduced into the channel.

A seedmat for growing plants, the seedmat comprises a biodegradable base layer, a seed layer and a biodegradable cover layer. The seed layer includes fertilizer granules or pellets that each have a coating, such as a polymer coating, that enables the pellets to absorb water and to slowly release that water, together with fertilizer.

An apparatus and method for growing vegetation in a hot, arid, coastal location includes installing, at or below grade, a mat containing seeds, and/or seedlings, and a super absorbent polymer (SAP), the mat being cooperative with a thermally conductive network in thermal communication with an evaporative panel that is cooled by seawater evaporation, thereby drawing heat away from the mat. A seawater reservoir can collect seawater draining from the cooling panel. A pumping system can recirculate the collected seawater to the cooling panel, thereby converting the seawater into brine, which can be periodically transferred to a drying tray for production of salt. A perforated, transparent or translucent cover sheet can be placed on or suspended above the mat. A water barrier can be placed below the mat. The cooling panel can be incorporated into a wall of a cooling greenhouse that surrounds and contains the mat.

Proposed is a pod and a plant cultivation apparatus having the pod of the present disclosure. In the pod, cultivation preparation is completed simply by removing a package that covers an upper portion of a container constituting the pod and seating the pod on the plant cultivation apparatus. Accordingly, even a user who does not have background knowledge of plant cultivation easily cultivate plants.

A method of extracting water-soluble minerals from an arid location includes identifying or establishing a channel of flowing water at the arid location, and installing a mat containing seeds, and/or seedlings, and a super absorbent polymer (SAP). A perforated, transparent cover sheet is placed on or above the mat. Water is applied to the SAP, such that both edible and dam-constructing vegetation grows and matures from the mat. Beavers are introduced into the arid location, which eat the edible vegetation and use the dam-constructing vegetation to construct a dam that blocks the channel, thereby flooding a region proximate the channel. After the flood water has dissolved the minerals in the flooded region, it is drained and processed to extract the minerals. The drained water can be remotely processed, or directed to an evaporation pond, where the minerals remain while the water is evaporated, recaptured, and reintroduced into the channel.