TEMPERATE DESERT

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION 30° North or South latitude Inland areas separated from oceanic

moisture by mountain ranges Gobi Desert of Mongolia (the

Himalayas) Great Basin of the southwestern US

(The Sierra Nevada) 

CLIMATE Precipitation is low, less

than 100 cm per year Average annual

temperature is less than 10° C

Sparse plant life, and consists of mountains, rock, and sand

Vegetation is sparse Pronounced drought

season Short humid season

REGIONAL VARIATIONS

Karakum Desert Takla Makan Gobi Desert Ordos Desert Sonoran West through Iran and Afghanistan to the

Himalayas in the east Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North

Dakota

Tropical Deserts

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION Baja California Central Mexico Southern Argentina Southwest Africa Coastal Chile Coastal Peru Arabia Iran Pakistan Western India

Tropical deserts are located in:

CLIMATE “Arid” climate Average annual temperature over 64.4o

F Daytime temperatures can reach 120oF Precipitation is rare

PLANTS AND ANIMALS Gazelles Coyotes Rattlesnakes Gerbils Jack rabbits Armadillo

Prickly Pear Yellow Palo Verde Saguaro Cactus Prickly Pear Yellow Palo Verde Saguaro Cactus Fishhook Cactus Trichomes

REGIONAL VARIATIONS Sand Dunes Sahara Desert Death Valley Negev Desert

RESOURCES Iron Copper Salt Gold Silver Uranium

RESOURCES Prickly Pear Saguaro Cactus Fishhook Cactus Dromedary

Camel Rock hyrax Zebratail Lizard Rock Sand Shrub

CHANGES THROUGHOUT TIME

Warmer surrounding temperatures

Development of "urban heat-islands”

12-14 percent increase in rainfall Expansion of deserts (desertification)

ADAPTATIONS

A nocturnal lifestyle-keeps them out of the heat

Living in burrows-which are cooler and more humid

Slender bodies with long limbs - better for shedding heat

Eyes protected from the sun Adaptations for reducing water loss -

specialized snouts, waxy body coatings, efficient kidneys

THREATS/ ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS Biggest threat to a desert is

development Allergies to airborne pollens Mining Off-road vehicle use Global warming Salinization of the soil