hot environments

• Hot deserts


  • Located between 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south
  • Caused by global atmospheric circulation
  • Lack of cloud cover and rainfall leads to extreme temperatures
  • Sandy soil that does not hold water well, with salt deposits
  • Plants have horizontal roots, long dormant seeds, taproots, and adapted leaves
  • Animals get water from food, have light fur, and thick skin on feet
• The Thar Desert in Pakistan and Northwest India has a landscape of sandy hills and mobile sand dunes, with very low rainfall and organic matter in the soil
• Economic activities in the Thar Desert

  • Tourism
  • Mining for minerals like gypsum
  • Farming with irrigation
  • Renewable energy production (wind and solar farms)
  • Oil and coal extraction
• Challenges of living and working in the Thar Desert include the extreme temperatures
• Plants in deserts

  • Adapted to retain water
  • Able to store large volumes of water
• Animals in deserts


  • Can get water from food instead of just drinking
  • Have light colored fur to reflect the sun
  • Have thick skin on the soles of their feet
• The Thar Desert is located in Pakistan and Northwest India
• Thar Desert landscape


  • Full of sandy hills
  • Mobile sand dunes
  • Water drains away quickly
  • Soil holds very little organic matter
  • Low rainfall
• Thar Desert economy


  • Tourism
  • Mining for minerals like gypsum
  • Farming with irrigation
  • Energy production from wind, solar, oil and coal
• Challenges of living in the Thar Desert


  • Extreme temperatures
  • Water supply issues due to evaporation
  • Plants adapted to extreme temperatures
  • Water shortages
  • Limited road network
• The western desert in the US is made up of smaller deserts
• US western desert economy

  • Tourism, especially in cities like Las Vegas
  • Farming with irrigation issues
  • Extraction of minerals like uranium and copper
  • Energy production from hydroelectric power
• Challenges of the US western desert

  • Low population density outside of cities
  • Water shortages
  • Environmental impact of Hoover Dam
  • Not enough water to support population and economy
• Desertification


  The process by which land becomes desert
• Areas at risk of desertification

  • Desert fringe areas
  • Parts of China, US, Australia, Africa, Spain
• Causes of desertification


  • Climate change
  • Overgrazing
  • Population growth
  • Removal of firewood
  • Overcultivation
  • Soil erosion
• Effects of climate change on desertification

  • Increase in temperature
  • Decrease in rainfall
  • Droughts
• Population growth causes of desertification

  • High fertility rates
  • Population movement
• Overgrazing causes of desertification

  • Removal of all vegetation in an area
  • Imposed farming boundaries on nomadic tribes
• Overcultivation causes of desertification

  • Exhausting soil fertility
  • Due to commercial farming
• Firewood removal causes of desertification

  • Removing root systems leading to soil erosion
• Soil erosion effects


  • Topsoil baked by sun
  • Soil unable to absorb water when it rains, leading to further erosion
• Solutions to reduce desertification

  • Planting trees to bind soil and provide nutrients
  • Using appropriate technology like stone walls
  • Using alternative fuels instead of wood
  • Managing water and soil to prevent erosion