Desert Biome
Jake Wehr
Vitals of Biome
The desert biome takes up about a fifth of the earth' s surface. There are both hot and cold deserts. Antarctica is the largest desert in the world. The largest of the hot deserts is the Sahara in Africa. There are also four major hot deserts in North America, including the Mojave and Great Basin. The temperature in hot deserts is usually very hot and dry. In a cold desert the weather is frigid and icy. Cold deserts get most of there rainfall in the summer, while hot deserts gets the least amount of rainfall in the winter Either instance, there is not much rainfall.
Climate of Biome
Plant Life
Animals
Adaptations:
- The Banded Gila Monster has very dry skin because it can not afford to lose any fluids.
- The Cactus Wren has a long, curved beak so it can excavate water from deep inside the cactus.
- The Big-Horned Sheep has developed grippy hooves for climbing up mountains to escape predators, and find shade in caves.
- The Desert Kangaroo Rat has adapted to desert life by getting its water from the food it eats.
- The Desert Tortoise front legs are muscular and flattened with long claws, and are very well adapted for digging deep burrows.
- Snakes and hawks compete for birds and rats to eat.
- Birds and worms compete for the fruit of the prickly pear.
- A hawk will prey on a Desert Kangaroo Rat
- A snake will prey on a Cactus Wren
- A Cactus Wren will prey on a Desert Worm
- A desert worm will prey on desert bugs
Interesting...
Ecological Concerns
Humans are the number one threat to the deserts. Global warming will eventually destroy all plant and animal life in the desert. Also, the desert barely gets any rainfall, and what rainfall it does get the humans take for irrigation. Nuclear waste is often dumped in the desert, and grazing animals can kill off the plants.
Endangered Species:
- Mojave Desert Tortoise
- Peninsular Pronghorn
Importance of the Biome:
It is important to preserve deserts because they take up about 1/5 of the earths surface. You can also find many plants and animals in the desert that you would not be able to find anywhere else.