The Desert Biome
Sahara Desert, Africa.
What is a desert?
Have you ever been to a desert? Well, if you havent, let me tell you about what a desert is. A desert is a biome that recieves very little rain, which makes is extremely difficult to support animal and plant life. Both plants and animals in these enviroments need special adaptations in order to survive.
Travel info
The country we have decided to research is north Africa. The reason to this is because the Sahara desert lies here. Transportation here mostly relies on camels, but traveling by bus is becoming popular. Suprisingly, there are plenty of food sources in deserts like these. A majority of the cactus can be eaten, along with exotic fruits that come from an oasis. There are some animals to hunt, like wild gazelles and birds. In trips to places like these, there is specific equipment needed to survive in these conditions. For example, you will need:
-Winter clothing. At night, the temperature drops drastically.
-Backpack. You'll need this to carry water and other supplies needed.
-Good walking shoes. You will be walking a lot when you're here.
-Food and water for the first and second day.
-Travel flashlight.
Weather and Environment
The Sahara's landscape is composed of the iconic sand dunes with dry mountains and plateaus. Due to it's severe dry climate, it has two rivers, along with a couple lakes. Otherwise, the Sahara has a substantial amount of aquifers. Because of the dry climate, the enviroment is extremely affected. Species evolve and develop adaptations, along with strategies to beat the heat. Water is very limited, so animals and plants like camels and cacti have evolved to hold more water for longer periods.
Endangered species
The Sahara desert has some endangered animals, those being the sahara cheetah and the addax antelope. The addax antelope has an estimate of 500 species left in the sahara desert. Their endangered because of poachers and global warming. There are less than 250 sahara cheetahs today, also from poaching.