adaptations

• what are four adaptations in plants in the desert?

  long or wide roots, fleshy stems and waxy skin, small leaves or spines, only germinate after rainfall
• what are four adaptations in animals in the desert?

  Nocturnal sleeping patterns, storing fat, living in burrows, minimal water loss
• why do plants have long or wide roots?

  to reach deep water supplies, or to spread out near the surface, to absorbe as much water as posible when it rains
• why do plants have fleshy stems and waxy skin?

  fleshy stems store water and thick waxy skin reduces transpiration
• why do some plants have small leaves or spines?

  to lower there surface area and reduce transpiration (spines can also contain toxins to protect the plant from preditors)
• why do some plants only germinate after rainfall?

  if its to dry seeds stay dormant, however plants grow quickly after rainfall to make the most of the weather
• why are some animals nocturnal?

  it helps them stay cool as they are sleeping when its hottest
• why do some animals live in burrows?

  tempratures are less extreme
• why do some animals store fat?

  they break it down into water when needed (e.g camels humps)
• how do some animals minimise their water loss?

  by not sweating and having concentrated urine
• what are examples of adaptations camels have to cope with the sand?

  triple eyelids, long eyelashes and being able to close there nostrils keep sand out of there eyes and nose, as well as having large, flat feet to prevent them from sinking into the sand
• why is biodiversity threatened in hot deserts?

  people threaten biodiversity by increasing desertification and overusing water supplies, and global warming makes deserts hotter and drier forcing species to move to other areas or risk decline or extinction