Temperate Desert
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Transcript of Temperate Desert
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