First to colonize the barren land are the lowly lichens, surviving on bare rock.

贫瘠的土地上首先长满了地衣这种低等植物，它们在裸露的岩石上生存。

youdao

The formerly [once] barren land has been changed into stretches of fertile fields.

昔日的荒地今天成了良田。

《新英汉大辞典》

The place used to be a stretch of barren land.

早先这里是一片不毛之地。

《新英汉大辞典》

The Indians are the country's most destitute minority, living on some of its most barren land.

ECONOMIST: Indians versus greens

It is not undeserved: he has succeeded in transforming a barren land into one that has 18, 000 kilometres (11, 400 miles) of tarmac roads and a network of schools and clinics.

ECONOMIST: Botswana

The Guantanamo base, 45 square miles of barren land on the edge of cliffs high above the Caribbean Sea, is a secure and remote facility on the southeastern end of Cuba.

CNN: First night in Cuba 'peaceful' for war detainees