Desert

Steph Nolan & Brynn Peak

Desert Map of the WorldDesert Map of the World

Temperature& PrecipitationTemperature& Precipitation

• The deserts of the world get less than 15-

16 cm of rain a year.

• Climate temperatures are from 20-25

degrees Celsius.

Geologic Features of the DesertGeologic Features of the DesertMain Geologic features of the desert is:

• Arroyo-desert gully.

• Dunes-loose sound grains that are shaped by the wind.

• Flash Floods-local flood.

• Hoodoo-bizarre column caused by an erosion.

• Mesa-a large cliff that has rock layers.

Plants in the desertPlants in the desert

ChainFruit Cholla-usually found in the Arizona Desert.

Barrel Cactus-usually found in the American Desert.

Desert Ironwood- usually found in Sonoran Desert.

Desert AnimalsDesert Animals

• Dingo- The dingo is a mammal and a carnivore. Dingo’s belong to the dog and fox family, and is seen most commonly in Australia.

• Thorny Devil- This reptile eats ants, and belongs to the lizard/snake family. Most Thorny Devils are found in Australia.

• Fat Sand Rat- The sand rat is also a mammal, and is a rodent. It eats seeds, and belongs to the Gerbil family. Sand Rats are usually found in Algeria.

• Sidewinder- The sidewinder is a reptile, and part of the pit vipers family. The sidewinder eats small mammals and is found in the southwestern region of the United States.

Animal AdaptationsAnimal Adaptations

• Animals need to be able to not drink for a long time, so they eat seeds with water in them. When an animal lives in a desert it’s helpful to eat seeds because the desert is dry and its hard to find water, so they drink the water from the seeds they eat, and can still survive.

• Its hot during the day, so most animals might come out at night when its cooler (this is called being “nocturnal”).

• Coming out at night or staying underground helps animals because they may not be able to take the heat, so this keeps them cool at night when they are hunting, or resting.

What we do to the DesertsWhat we do to the Deserts

• Humans live in some deserts, and they need as much nutrients as everyone

else, but it’s a bit harder to find.

• In the Thar desert, studies have shown that animal/human population is up,

but vegetation is down. Uncontrolled grazing and large population is making

the soil infertile, and destroying the ecosystem.

• As humans we hurt the desert by over-using water. If we used less water,

then there would be more to populate the desert.

• Also, humans drive through the desert and build roads over its natural

environment. If we volunteered to clean the deserts, and protect the natural

resources we can still enjoy its natural beauty.

Commercial ValueCommercial Value

• There can be many things found useful in a desert. For instance in Utah, some materials have help make jet fuel. Also in the Arabian desert; oil, natural gas, phosphates, and sulfur can be found. Beans and seeds are full of more protein than regular beans that are usually bought by the can. Also gum Arabic is used to get gum from trees in Africa, making it useful for gum makers. Simmondsia chinensis grows in deserts and helps to produce essential oil.

QuestionsQuestions

1. Where can deserts be found?

2. Do people live in deserts?

3. Why is oil found in deserts?

4. What kinds of deserts are there?

5. What are deserts like?

6. How do plants survive?

AnswersAnswers1. Usually between 30 degrees latitude N, and 30 degrees lat. S.

2. Yes, people do live in deserts, but many don’t because of harsh conditions.

3. Plate tectonics are ser up in a way that oil is mostly in those areas. Also, the air isn't very easy to live in. So a lot of microorganisms don’t decompose and help with producing oil.

4. Hot:• Arabian-Arabian Peninsula • Australian-Australia• Mohare-SW United States• Monte- Argentina

Cold:• Gobi-North China• Iranian-Iran• Namib-SW Africa• Turkestan-SW Russia

Answers cont.Answers cont.

5. Usually hot during the day, cold at night, very dry, little vegetation, long dry spells, little rain, sudden flash-floods.

6. They have adaptations that let them store water & hold it for long periods of time.

Books & websites usedBooks & websites used

• http://mbgnet.mobot.org/

• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/worldbiomes.htm

• http://ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/index.php

• http://desertusa.com/mag99/sep/papr/desfeatures.html

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thar_Desert#people

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Desert#ecology_and_natural_resources

• http://www.books.google.com

• http://scientificamerica.com/articlam.cfm

• Blue Biology book

• Green Biology book

• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_people_affect_the_desert