What is a desert?
A desert is a vast area of land that receives limited precipitation. There is minimal vegetation as it poses much difficulty to grow due to the fact that in some places there is a permanent frost, containing no soil. Some scientists believe that a desert is a part of the ocean that has dried up and marine life has seized to exist. Many people agree that it is inhabitable for humans, at least for long periods of time.
Climates of a desert
In a desert, there is little rainfall, about 10 to 15 cm a year. During the night, temperatures in the desert are very cold because the air lacks moisture to hold onto the heat during the day.
Soda Springs is a desert in Idaho. Based on the analysis of W.T. Reid, the mean temperatures, averaged over a four–year period, were as follows
Mean Monthly Temperatures
Jan Feb Apr Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Maximum 61° 69° 74° 83° 93° 103° 109° 107° 100° 87° 73° 62°
Minimum 34° 40° 46° 53° 61° 70° 77° 75° 68° 55° 43° 34°
Mean 48° 54° 60° 68° 77° 86° 93° 92° 84° 71° 57° 48°
Soda Springs is a desert in Idaho. Based on the analysis of W.T. Reid, the mean temperatures, averaged over a four–year period, were as follows
Mean Monthly Temperatures
Jan Feb Apr Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Maximum 61° 69° 74° 83° 93° 103° 109° 107° 100° 87° 73° 62°
Minimum 34° 40° 46° 53° 61° 70° 77° 75° 68° 55° 43° 34°
Mean 48° 54° 60° 68° 77° 86° 93° 92° 84° 71° 57° 48°
Biotic Characteristics
Biotic characteristics are all of the living components in an ecosystem.
This includes all of the plants and animals living in the environment.
One way to look at some of the biotic factors is by looking at a food chain. A food chain will be able to tell how all of the organisms interact with each other.
The decomposers in a desert biome are the soil (if there is any) and bacteria. The producers are the cacti, creosote bushes, thorn acacias, annual flowers, rabbit brush, ocotillo, and sagebrush. The primary consumers are insects, lizards, rodents, and kangaroo rats. The secondary consumers are the tarantulas, scorpions, snakes, and more lizards. Finally the predators include the kit fox and hawk. Obviously there are more plants and animals than what is listed as a biome contains at least thousands of different species; however, it is a pretty good glimpse of what is found in a desert biome. Other animals that may be found include, but are not limited to coyotes, roadrunners, Arizona bark scorpion, cactus wren, spotted hyena, desert glossy snake, jerboas, and the desert fox. Some other plants include the barrel cactus, saguaro, and the palo verde tree.
This includes all of the plants and animals living in the environment.
One way to look at some of the biotic factors is by looking at a food chain. A food chain will be able to tell how all of the organisms interact with each other.
The decomposers in a desert biome are the soil (if there is any) and bacteria. The producers are the cacti, creosote bushes, thorn acacias, annual flowers, rabbit brush, ocotillo, and sagebrush. The primary consumers are insects, lizards, rodents, and kangaroo rats. The secondary consumers are the tarantulas, scorpions, snakes, and more lizards. Finally the predators include the kit fox and hawk. Obviously there are more plants and animals than what is listed as a biome contains at least thousands of different species; however, it is a pretty good glimpse of what is found in a desert biome. Other animals that may be found include, but are not limited to coyotes, roadrunners, Arizona bark scorpion, cactus wren, spotted hyena, desert glossy snake, jerboas, and the desert fox. Some other plants include the barrel cactus, saguaro, and the palo verde tree.
Abiotic Characteristics
Abiotic characteristics are all of the nonliving components of an ecosystem.
Sand is an abiotic characteristic because it is the main surface covering of any given desert as there is not enough material needed for soil. Tracts of sand extend for miles. Because the sand in a desert is incredibly hot, it is immensely dry and there will be no nutrients in the soil; however, if the temperature is cooler, then moss and grass (biotic factors) will grow and then decompose to make nutrient rich soil.
Limited moisture is an abiotic factor in deserts because the land is dry and this forces all living life to be able to adapt to the limited supply of water. Deserts receive less than 10 inches of rain per year, but in cold deserts such as Antarctica the precipitation comes down in another form, snow. Because there is limited moisture there is no humidity in deserts.
Temperature is an abiotic factor because most deserts are near the equator and have warm temperatures from about 20˚-25˚C, up to 45˚C. Cold deserts on the other hand range from about -2˚- 4˚C in the winter and 21˚- 26˚C in the summer.
Wind is an abiotic characteristic because the vast land gets quite windy because there is nothing stopping the wind from moving.
Sunlight is an abiotic characteristic since most deserts are near the Equator the sunlight is more direct.
Sand is an abiotic characteristic because it is the main surface covering of any given desert as there is not enough material needed for soil. Tracts of sand extend for miles. Because the sand in a desert is incredibly hot, it is immensely dry and there will be no nutrients in the soil; however, if the temperature is cooler, then moss and grass (biotic factors) will grow and then decompose to make nutrient rich soil.
Limited moisture is an abiotic factor in deserts because the land is dry and this forces all living life to be able to adapt to the limited supply of water. Deserts receive less than 10 inches of rain per year, but in cold deserts such as Antarctica the precipitation comes down in another form, snow. Because there is limited moisture there is no humidity in deserts.
Temperature is an abiotic factor because most deserts are near the equator and have warm temperatures from about 20˚-25˚C, up to 45˚C. Cold deserts on the other hand range from about -2˚- 4˚C in the winter and 21˚- 26˚C in the summer.
Wind is an abiotic characteristic because the vast land gets quite windy because there is nothing stopping the wind from moving.
Sunlight is an abiotic characteristic since most deserts are near the Equator the sunlight is more direct.
Locations of Deserts
Locations of Deserts
North America- Sonoran, Chihuahuan, Mojave, Great Basin
Australia- Great Victoria, Great Sandy
South America- Argentinean, Patagonia, Atacama Region
Arabian Peninsula- extends to Syria and Israel
Africa- Sahara, Kalahari, Danakil
Cold Deserts- Antarctic and Central Asia