Download EnvSci DESERT

THE DESERT
NESLIHAN AYGUN
LOCATION
• THE DESERT IS LOCATED 30 DEGREES LATITUDE
ALONG THE RED LINES OF THE MAP.
NORTH AND
30 DEGREES LATITUDE
SOUTH.
ABIOTIC FACTORS
• SOME ABIOTIC FACTORS OF THE DESERT, WHICH ARE NON LIVING THINGS, ARE SAND,
SUNLIGHT, AND TEMPERATURE.
PLANTS
• SOME PLANTS THAT CAN BE FOUND IN THE DESERT ARE CACTI, SAGEBRUSH, AND MESQUITE
• SOME ADAPTATIONS OF CACTI- CACTI HAVE LONG ROOTS THAT GO DEEP INTO THE EARTH IN
SEARCH OF WATER, THEIR COLOR HELPS THEME EFFECT THE HEAT, LITTLE FLOWERS ON THE CACTI
LIMITS LOSS OF WATER TO THE AIR.
• SOME ADAPTATIONS OF A SAGEBRUSH- IT STORES WATER IN ITS LEAVES AND DOES NOT LET GO
OF IT EASILY, IT ALSO HAS BITTER TASTING OILS IN ITS LEAVES SO THE ANIMALS CAN'T EAT IT.
• SOME ADAPTATIONS OF A MESQUITE- IT HAS DEEP ROOTS THAT CAN REACH WATER.
ANIMALS AND THEIR ADAPTATIONS
• SOME NATIVE ANIMALS THAT BELONG
TO THE DESERT ARE, SNAKES, LIZARDS, AND SPIDERS.
• SOME ADAPTATIONS OF SNAKES- LIDLESS EYES, CLEAR HARD SKIN OVER EYES FOR
PROTECTION,LEGLESS TO HELP IN GOING IN/OUT OF HOLES AND THROUGH SHRUBBERY, FLAT
WIDE SCUTE SCALES ON BELLY TO HELP WITH MOVEMENT AND PROTECT VENTRAL SURFACE.
• SOME ADAPTATIONS OF LIZARDS- SCALES PREVENT FROM BURNING, THEY BURRY THEMSELVES
IN THE SAND TO HIDE FROM THE HEAT,AND THEY SUN DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS TO GET
THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF HEAT.
• SOME ADAPTATIONS OF SPIDERS- THEY MAKE WEBS
SO THE CAN EAT IT.
SO THAT OTHER INSECTS CAN STICK ON IT
COMPETITION BETWEEN ANIMALS
• SINCE THE DESERT IS A VERY DRY AND HOT PLACE IT IS HARD TO FIND WATER. AND TO SURVIVE
YOU NEED WATER. THE ANIMALS WILL COMPETE FOR THE WATER IN ORDER TO SURVIVE.
• ANOTHER THING THAT THE ANIMALS WILL COMPETE FOR IS LAND. SINCE A LOT OF THE
ANIMALS EAT EACH OTHER, THEY NEED TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO STAY SO THEY WON'T GET
EATEN.
• THEY ALSO FIGHT OVER FOOD, AS HARD IT IS TO FIND WATER
IT IS ALSO HARD TO FIND PREY
BECAUSE THE ANIMALS HAVE ADAPTATIONS THAT HELP THEM SURVIVE IN THE DESERT.
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
• IF YOU REALLY WANT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME AT THE DESERT, SOME ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO
THERE ARE SAND BOARDING WHICH IS BASICALLY LIKE SNOW BOARDING BUT ON SAND!YOU
CAN ALSO DO SAND SLIDING AND YOU CAN HIKE.
AVERAGE PRECIPITATION
• THE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION IS LESS THAN TEN INCHES A YEAR OR MAYBE EVEN
ZERO.
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
• IN A HOT DESERT THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE RANGES FROM 20-25° C. THE EXTREME
MAXIMUM RANGES FROM 43.5-49° C. IN A SEMIAIRED DESERT THE TEMPERATURE RANGES
BETWEEN 21-27° C. IN A COSTAL DESERT THE TEMPERATURE RANGES FROM 13-24° C. AND
IN A COLD DESERT THE TEMPERATURE RANGES BETWEEN 21-26° C.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
• IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME ON YOUR TRIP TO THE DESERT YOU SHOULD BRING
PLENTY OF WATER, YOU'LL NEED IT. A HAT,SUNGLASSES, AND SUNSCREEN TO PROTECT YOU
FROM ALL THE SUN. IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON STAYING UNTIL THE NIGHT TIME YOU SHOULD
BRING A SWEATER OR JACKET BECAUSE IT TENDS TO GET REALLY COLD DURING THE NIGHT
TIME.
THREATS TO BIOME
• GLOBAL WARMING IS ONE HUGE THREAT TO THE BIOME. THIS THREAT IS DECREASING THE
WATER IN MOST OF THE DESERTS, BUT IN SOME IT IS CAUSING HEAVY RAINFALL, WHICH ISN'T SO
BAD. ALSO ANOTHER THREAT IS THAT THE GRAZING ANIMALS CAN DESTROY MANY OF THE
DESERT PLANTS AND ANIMALS. ANOTHER THREAT IS OFF ROAD VEHICLE USE, DRIVING VEHICLES
IN THE DESERT CAN KILL THE PLANTS.
ENDANGERED ANIMALS
•
SOME ANIMALS THAT ARE ENDANGERED IN THE FOREST ARE CARACALS, FENCE FOXES, AND PRONGHORNS.
•
A FENCE FOX IS THE SMALLEST OF ALL THE WORLD'S FOXES, WHO LIVES IN THE SANDY DESERT. IT'S EARS ARE 6 INCHES
LONG WHICH HELPS IT ADAPT TO THE ENVIRONMENT. THEIR DISTINCTIVE, BATLIKE EARS RADIATE BODY HEAT AND HELP
KEEP THE FOXES COOL. AND THEIR LONG FUR KEEPS THEM WARM DURING THE COLD NIGHTS.
•
A CARACAL IS A CAT WHICH LIVES IN THE DESERT IT'S EARS HAS TWENTY DIFFERENT MUSCLES WHICH HELPS IT DETECT
PREY. IT IS A GOLDEN COLOR WITH BLACK EARS.
•
A PRONGHORN IS AN ANTELOPE. THEY'RE ONE OF THE FASTEST ANIMALS IN NORTH AMERICA. THEY CAN RUN UP TO
53 MILES IN ONE HOUR. THEY ARE A REDDISH COLOR WITH CURVED BACK HORNS AND A WHITE STOMACH.
CLIMATE CHANGE
• YES THERE IS A CHANGE IN CLIMATE AT THE DESERT. DUE TO THE INCREASE IN GLOBAL
WARMING AND HIGH TEMPERATURES THE DESERT IS IN HARM. THE INCREASE IN THESE TWO ARE
CREATING MORE WILDFIRES AND IT ALTERS DESERT LANDSCAPES. THIS IS ALSO DECREASING
THE PRECIPITATION. THE PRECIPITATION IS ALREADY VERY LOW AND IF IT DECREASES EVEN
MORE THE ANIMALS WILL HAVE A VERY HARD TIME TO SURVIVE. THIS CAN ALSO LEAD TO THE
WIPE OUT MANY UNIQUE HABITATS AND RARE SPECIES, AN AUTHORITATIVE STUDY HAS FOUND,
WITHIN DECADES.
GLOBAL IMPORTANCE
• THE DESERT IS IMPORTANT TO THE WORLD BECAUSE A LOT OF THE ANIMALS LIVE IN THE DESERT.
IT IS ALSO A SOURCE OF SAND. PEOPLE ALSO FIND A LOT OF OIL UNDERNEATH THE DESERTS.
ANOTHER REASON WHY THE DESERT IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE EARTH IS BECAUSE IT HAS IT'S
OWN ECOSYSTEMS. IF ONE GOES MISSING ANOTHER WILL TO.