desert

• Characteristics of a Desert

  
  

  hot temperature extremes

  diurnal temperature range (hot by day and cold by night)

  most animals are nocturnal

  sparse vegetation
• Describe soil in desert

  • limited organic material for soil development
  • High temperatures rapidly decompose organic material
  • Soils are pale in colour rather than dark.
  • surface soil unstable and easily blown away
  • Soil doesn't have time to develop and mature
• vegetation in desert

  • limited supply of vegetation
  • lack of rainfall limits plant growth
  • lack of vegetation causes unstable surface soil
• Rainfall in desert

  • little annual rainfall
  • after periods of heavy rain desert is full of life

  desert rain can evaporate before hitting the ground

  or

  falls is short heavy bursts
• How have plants adapted to the desert?

  Plants such as succulents store water in their thick leaves to allow for long periods without rain

  
  

  cacti, have spines. This less surface area on their leaves, reduces the amount of water that can be lost from from evaporation.
• Diurnal Temperature Range


  
  
• Nocturnal Animals


  most animals in the desert are nocturnal because of the high temperature during the day they have adapted to be active during the night
• climate in desert 


  precipitation - low

  temperature - high/hot
• desert spatial distribution in continents

  often found at low latitude

  North America,

  Europe,

  Asian territory of middle east,

  central Australia

  most of Afica
• animal adaptations because of deserts

  nocturnal animals

  burrowing animals to escape heat