The largest hot desert is the Sahara in Africa which spans the whole width of the continent
Biotic
Living elements of an ecosystem, such as plants and animals
Abiotic
Non-living elements of an ecosystem, such as climate, temperature, water, and soil type
The biotic and abiotic components of the hot desert rely on one another - a change in one will lead to a change in the other
Climate of hot deserts
Very hot, with summer day time temperatures exceeding 40°C
At night the temperature can drop below 0°C
Very dry, with less than 250 mm of rainfall a year
Two distinct seasons: summer (35-40°C) and winter (20-30°C)
Soil in hot deserts
Thin, sandy, rocky and generally grey in colour
Very dry, soaking up water quickly
Surface may appear crusty due to lack of rainfall and evaporation leaving behind salts
Evaporation
The process in which a liquid changes state and turns into a gas
Species
A type of organism that is the basic unit of classification. Individuals of different species are not able to interbreed successfully.
Adaptation
A feature of an organism's body which helps it to survive
Hot deserts have distinct characteristics that allow certain species to thrive in such an extremeenvironment.Plants and animals have developed adaptations which allow them to survive in hot and dry conditions.
