Here is a good photo of the damage that we do when we begin the development process.  This picture was taken almost 2 years after the house was finished being built.  The damaged area is over the septic tank and leach field.  It takes nature a long time in the harsh conditions of the high desert to heal disturbed land.  The first process of healing is the eruption of pioneer species, species that do not need any water, soil, or help growing really big, really fast.  A lot of times pioneer species are what we refer to as weeds.  They seem to out compete all the other plants for available water, nutrients, and sun.  With no protective cover of grasses and shrubs to protect the soil it is subject to wind and water erosion.  With out cover, all the beneficial soil organisms cannot live because the ultraviolet light from the direct sun acts as a sterilizer, and there is no moisture left in the soil.

Here we can see the exact same spot a few months after re-vegetation.  This particular site was re-vegetated using a blend of native grasses and native wildflowers.  The soil was prepared by adding compost and mixing it with the native soils.  The seeds were gently raked into the soil about an 1/8th of an inch.  The soil was then inoculated with beneficial microorganisms to help with speed and percentage of seed germination , and successful growth after germination. Using a hydroseed mulcher (courtesy of San Isidro Permaculture), chipped blue grama stalks were blown down on the ground covering over the seeds to protect them from the  wind and the birds.  A temporary irrigation was installed to germinate the seeds and establish them.  Now this area can naturally re-seed itself every year.