What is a Desert
Biome(Ecosystem)?
A desert biome is a geographic area
characterized by specific kinds of plants
and animals in which organisms have
learned to adapt to the hot climate and
lack of supplements.
Deserts are formed by mountains blocking
the path of precipitation
Deserts can be hot or cold but they are
always dry.
They receive less than 25 cm of precipitation
annually.
They cover 22 million km2 or 1/5 of the
earth’s surface.
Hot Desert
eg. Thar, in Rajasthan, India
Rub-ab-khali, Saudi Arab
Cold Desert
eg. Gobi desert, Mangolia
Ica desert, Peru
A Desert’s
Characteristics
Climate Seasons
Animals Adaptations
Plants Significance to
humans
Climate
The desert is the hottest biome on Earth. It also has its
extremes.
It can be over 50 degrees during the day and below 32 degrees
at night.
Less than 25 cm or rainfall every year.
The amount of rainfall varies, but when it rains…it POURS!!!!
After a storm, the desert may not see any rain for weeks or
months.
The animals include
snakes, owls, mice,
armadillo lizards, fennec
foxes, gila monsters,
bats, and vultures.
Endangered Animals
Black Rhino The major causes of
endangered animals
Grevy’s in the desert are
Zebra mainly poachers and
unexpected drought.
King Cheetah
Plant Life of Deserts
There are several plants that are able to survive in the desert.
Most plants survive by their long roots to reach underground water
sources.
A Variety of cactuses
Prickly Pear
Dragon Tree
Octillo Plant
Desert Spoon
Boojum
i. The seasons are generally warm
throughout the year and very hot in the
summer.
ii. The winters usually bring little rainfall.
iii. Temperatures exhibit daily extremes
because the atmosphere contains little
humidity to block the Sun’s rays.
Many of the animals in
the desert have
become nocturnal.
Both plants and
animals have learned
to store water.
Tolerate Hyperthermia
Poachers are a main cause of dying animals. Poachers
catch animals of all kinds to make money for usually just
one part, like the elephant tusk.
With the growing popularity of transportation, many roads
are being built in not only the desert, but all the other
biomes.
The main problem with these roads are the fact that they
destroy habitats and endanger animals. Road kill is also a
main factor in these dying animals.
These problems can be easily taken care of if other means
of transportation were encouraged.
It includes the flora and fauna.
Deserts typically have a plant cover that is sparse but
enormously diverse.
Almost all of the animals living in the desert have
adapted to be able to better survive in the desert.
Some desert flora include shrubs
eg. Prickly Pearls, Desert Holly and the Brittlebush.
Most desert plants are drought- or salt-tolerant
eg. Xerophites
Other desert plants have long Taproots
eg. Turnip
Includes animals that remain hidden during daylight
hours.
As to control body temperature or to limit moisture
needs.
These animals adapted to live in deserts are called
Xerocoles
eg. Jack Rabbit, Kangaroo Rat, Coyote, etc.
Global warming and human development are
threatening desert survival.
Droughts directly affect the growth of vegetation.
Global warming is raising Earth's temperature, increasing the
chances of severe drought
Wild Fires will burn away the slow-growing fauna.
Thereby drastically changing the landscape
The long-term ramifications are the problem:
deserts experience very little rainfall.
Trees and plants will not be able to live on the remaining water.
the salt levels in the soil make the soil unable to support life.
The simple act of gathering firewood is destroying this fragile ecosystem.
For example, in the Sahel countries of Africa, firewood is being used up
30 percent faster than it is being replaced.
Threatened species like the Bald eagle, the
Desert Pupfish, and the Desert Tortoise.
The Desert Tortoise was listed as a threatened
species, April 2, 1990.
The “US fish and Wildlife Service” has its
own a threatened conservation programs.
The WWF (World Wildlife Fund) has many
conservation projects.
The Gobi Desert is cold almost all year round.
Deserts spread through desertification. This
happens when grasslands surrounding deserts
become dry.
Some deserts have gotten nicknames such as
Death Valley because of the lack of water.
Oases are parts of the desert where plants
grow and water is almost always available.
An oasis is formed by a pool of water
trapped between layers of rock and the
desert floor.
The water can allow people to settle and
even grow crops in the desert.
Some of the major deserts are:
• Sahara (Africa)
• Great Basin (North America)
• Atacama (South America)
• Mojave (North America)
• Great Victoria (Australia)
Locations around the World
The ten largest deserts
Rank Desert Area Area (mi²)
(km²)
1 Antarctic Desert (Antarctica) 13,829,430 5,339,573
2 Arctic Desert (Arctic) 13,726,937 1,003,600+
3 Sahara Desert (Africa) 9,100,000+ 3,320,000+
4 Arabian Desert (Middle East) 2,330,000 900,000
5 Gobi Desert (Asia) 1,300,000 500,000
6 Kalahari Desert (Africa) 900,000 360,000
7 Patagonian Desert (South America) 670,000 260,000
8 Great Victoria Desert (Australia) 647,000 250,000
9 Syrian Desert (Middle East) 520,000 200,000
10 Great Basin Desert (North America) 492,000 190,000
Preservation of Environmental habitat.
Conservation of Endangered Species.
Strict laws for Poachers.
Human Interruption should be controlled.
