Desert Biome
By: Nora Riley
Where deserts are in the world
- Deserts can be found all over the world in 6/7 continents.
- They are mainly found in Africa and in Europe.
- The only continent without a desert is Antarctica
What are the biggest threats to the desert
- The biggest threat to the desert is Global Warming
- Global warming is making the sand hotter. When this happens nitrogen will disappear and that affects the nitrogen cycle which affects the plants which affects the animals
- To fix this problem they are using sensitive instruments to detect if there is enough nitrogen
- Oil and gas mining is making it harder to live in the desert
- Nuclear waste is affecting the plant and animal life
How is Global warming affecting the ecosystem
- Global warming is affecting the plant and animal life. Global warming is drying out watering holes.
- The animals and plants need the watering holes to survive and that is causing them to die
- Global warming is making salt levels rise because there is not a lot of water for the salt to settle in
Animals, Plants, and Climate
Desert Animals
Some of the animals in the picture are mountain lions, snakes, rats, birds, and coyotes. The animals adapt in many ways to survive. One way is that animals will hunt at night when it is cooler outside. Another way is that there fur is really thin so they don't get hyperthermia.
Desert Plants
Plants adapt to their environment by using the process of Xerophytes. This helps plants preserve water. Another process is Phreatophytes. This process allows plants to grow long roots to absorb the moisture from near by water sources.
Desert Climate
The climate for a desert is called an arid climate. This means that the climate does not meet the criteria for the usual climate. Deserts usually get less than 10 inches of rain each year due to its extreme temperatures. The average temperature for a desert is 120 degrees.
Bibliography
Sites I used
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_climate
http://www.desertusa.com/survive.html
http://www.desertusa.com/du_plantsurv.html
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.php
https://www.tes.com/lessons/OZPJ99r6IXrszg/desert-biome
http://taosunlimited.blogspot.com/2011/07/high-desert-plants-wildlife-taos.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_climate
http://www.lifehack.org/279975/10-books-change-your-mindset-about-money-forever
http://news.mongabay.com/2009/11/global-warming-threatens-desert-life/
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2009/11/nitrogen-loss-threatens-desert-plant-life-study-shows