The Desert …and its amazing features By Will R., Reese H., Ryan A., and Abby N. April 10, 2013.

The Desert…and its amazing features

By Will R., Reese H., Ryan A., and Abby N.April 10, 2013

GeographyBy: Reese H.

The Desert

The desert is a large and dry environment with very little water. That’s because it uses more water than it produces.

Where the desert is located

The desert covers 1/6 of the world. 10% is sand dunes and the other 90% is mountains.

How humans affect the desert

Humans affect the world by putting oil rigs and factories around the desert. It polluted the air and the ground.

The desert is found in hot and dry regions like Africa and South America.

Credits

• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert.htm• http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/e

nvironment/habitats/desert-profile/

MeteorologyBy: Ryan A.

Basic weatheraverage annual temperatures over 64° F (18° C). I guess

they're trying to tell us its hot, hot out there.Dry Desert climates are formed by high-pressure zones in

which cold air descends. Then the descending air becomes warm but, instead of releasing rain, the heat from the ground evaporates the water before it can come down as rain. The ground is super hot because the sun's rays beat down on it directly overhead. Not a lot of atmosphere to protect it from radiant energy Weather is not the same in all deserts. The seasons in hot and dry deserts are usually very hot during the summer and warm during the rest of the year.

Average rainfall in the desert

• By the way, approximately 1 in. (.25 cm) of rain falls in dry deserts per year. The average annual temperature of these miles of hot sand is 64° F (18° C). Plants of the Dry Desert have adapted to the lack of water by using dew for moisture and taking in water through their leaves and stems.

• During winter these deserts get little rainfall. Rain is often light, or in short concentrated bursts.

Average rainfall continued

• The average precipitation in the Sahara for example is less than 1.5 cm per year. On the other hand, the average precipitation in the American deserts are higher, at about 28 cm per year. Most of the time evaporation rates are faster than rainfall rates. Sometimes the rain evaporates before even hitting the ground.

A Hot Hot HOT! desert

• The Atacama is the Earth's driest desert. In the Atacama 1 millimeter or more of rain falls every 5-20 years. Cold deserts have short, moist and moderately warm summers, and long cold winters like one could expect in Antarctica. The winter temperature ranges from -5°F to -110°F (-20.5 to -79°C), and in the summer it can be a nice, balmy, 32°F (0°C). The coldest day recorded in Antarctica was -113°F (-80.5°C)!

Latitude

• The latitude range is 15-28° north and south of the equator. Their global range covers about 1/5 of the earth, including the world's great deserts: Sahara, Sonora, Thar, Kalahari and the Great Australian.

Daylight....... IN THE DESERT!

• Daylight hours range from 5 12 hours to around 9.1333... hours, It all varies depending on which desert.

• This is the reason for the dry characteristic of this type of desert.

Water facts about the desert

• It is very desolate and hot in warm deserts. Rainfall is usually very low and is in short bursts after long periods of no rain.

• There is a cream spread of 11 miles per hour• Some plants have very long roots which grow in to

the ground to reach underground water sources.

It’s How BIG?

• Deserts cover about one fifth (20 percent) of the earth's land area.The largest hot desert on Earth is the Sahara.

• The Sahara Desert is located in northern Africa, spanning 12 different countriesThe desert is the hottest biome on Earth. It can be well over 100 degrees during the day but it can get down to 32 degrees at night.

Cold Deserts

• There’s not only hot deserts there’s cold ones too. The Gobi Desert in Asia is cold for most of the year. Areas covered in ice or snow can sometimes be called 'cold deserts', compared to 'hot deserts' in warmer areas.

• The largest cold desert on Earth is Antarctica.•

Resources

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_climate_page.htmhttp://kids.nceas.ucsb.edu/biomes/desert.html#weather

https://sites.google.com/a/ncps-k12.org/desert-biome/weather-report

Plant LifeBy: Will R.

Barrel Cactus

The Barrel Cactus one of the easiest cactus plants to identify because of its round barrel shaped body. The cactus can be anywhere from 5 to 11 feet tall. Even though the cactus in the picture looks small, it is actually about 6 feet tall with small ridges and multiple patches of 3-4 spikes.

Brittle Bush

The Brittle Bush is a small shrub 2 to 5 feet tall. Small branches grow from a tree trunk like center. The branches are bigger toward the root and smaller at the end. They are a part of the sunflower family so they look like a sunflower, but smaller.

Chain fruit Cholla

This cactus looks as much as tree as a cactus can. It has a trunk and many branches. The irregular branches dive and rise at random times and are also covered with a layer of sharp spines. These spines are straw colored when young and turn a dark gray as they get older.

Creosote Bush

The Creosote Bush is named that way because it smells a lot like the creosote tar that is used on telephone poles to preserve the wood. This shrub is mostly found in the southwest part of America and the northwest part of Mexico. You will most likely see this plant in the desert hills. The bush is basically a group of 4 to 12 plants that grow from one main branch in all directions.

Crimson Hedgehog Cactus

The Crimson Hedgehog cactus is a small cactus that grows in clumps of a lot of stems. The stems are circle shaped and are up to 1 foot long and 1 to 2 1/2 inches thick. There are about 9 or 10 “ribs” on the stem.

Desert Ironwood

Desert Ironwoods are usually found in sandy areas where water is available. Desert Ironwoods are from the pea family and their leaves and flowers look like the leaves of the sweet pea. They're the tallest trees in the Sonoran Desert, reaching heights of 15 to 25 feet, but they can grow as tall as 30 feet.

Joshua Tree

The unusual Joshua Tree grows in the Joshua Tree National Park in California and in the Joshua Forest Parkway in western Arizona. The Joshua Tree's height varies from 15 to 40 feet and 1 to 3 feet around. The Joshua tree has a lifespan of about 200 years.

Mojave Aster

The Mojave Aster is also a member of the sunflower family. It's a shrubby plant which can grow up to 30 inches high. The stems are gray-green and long. It has whitish-green narrow, hairy leaves. They are about 3 inches long, and have small spike-like points on their edges . Its flowers have narrow purple pedals surrounding a yellow center. The flower can grow to be up to 2 inches in around.

Ocotillo

The Ocotillo plant is found in the Southwest on rocky slopes because the dirt is very dry. From its root to the top it grows stems that can be anywhere from 9 to 30 feet tall. These stems grow in an "S" like pattern. The stems are covered with spines that can be 1.5 inches long. The leaves of the shrub are thick and grow several times in the growing season depending on the amount of rainwater available.

How Plants Have Adapted to Living in the Desert

The roots of desert plants are either very deep, drawing from hidden underground water, or very wide and shallow to gather the water right when it hits the ground. Their leaves and stems usually have a heavy coating to help keep moisture in. Cactus plants are particularly well adapted to their hot, dry surroundings. Often the stems of a cactus are ribbed, allowing any dew to run down and be absorbed by the plant's roots. The ribs also allow the plant to expand and contract according to the amount of water it has stored inside. Desert plants have also adapted to their environment by developing unique processes to store water; sometimes going dorment during long dry spells; and many plants have smaller leaves and stems allowing the plant to concentrate the water in a smaller space.

Abiotic Factors that Impact Plants Living in the Desert

RainfallOne of the most obvious abiotic factors in a desert is rainfall – or lack of rainfall. Desert usually receive less than 20 inches of rain per year. This means that plants that survive in the desert must be able to live with little water for extended periods of time. For example, cactus plants have evolved to store water in their stems to help them through dry spells.

SoilThe type of soil in an ecosystem determines what plants can grow. Desert soil usually has good drainage. This means that the soil is loose instead of compacted and hard. When rain does fall in the desert, it seeps quickly into the soil and does not run off taking the nutrients with it. The soil commonly found is alkaline which helps desert plants grow get nutrients through the ground more effectively.

LightDesert plants have very little shade to grow in and this limits the types of plants that are able to grow and survive in a desert. Almost all of parts of desert plants are exposed to full sun.

Credits and Citations (For this part)

• http://www.answers.com/topic/how-can-desert-p

lants-live-without-water#ixzz2OflYycNP

• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_plant_page

• https://www.soils.org/lessons/teachers-guide/des

ert-soils

• http://www.ehow.com/info_8151693_abiotic-factors-desert-ecosystem.html#ixzz2Q1I6TBVC

AnimalsBy: Abby N.

The Cactus Wren

The cactus wren lives in the desert and feeds on little bugs. It lives in Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico, Texas, and dry areas in Mexico. The wren lives in the desert because it is like a camel and can go long periods of time without drinking water. How this bird obtains water is by its food. It gets all of its water by its food because the bugs have some water in them. It is a carnivore and eats meat.

The Sonoran Desert ToadThe Sonoran desert toad lives in abandoned rodent holes if possible and feeds on little bugs. It can be found in New Mexico, California, and Mexico. The toad will burrow underground to keep cool and will-being a carnivore- feed on little mice and rodents. It adapts because it burrows underground and underground has water.

The Lappet-Faced VultureThe lappet-faced vulture usually will live in most parts of Africa and some parts of Arabia. The eating habits of this particular bird will be dead animals or if necessary live animals, hence being a carnivore. The vulture does not have very many feathers on its face or head. The reason is because the birds do not want to get there face dirty when they are eating. The vulture will build their nests in trees like any other bird. It has adapted by feeding on dead not living. It does not need to out run the prey for it is already dead.

The Desert TortoiseThe desert tortoise lives in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. It is an herbivore and feeds on plants. It is coldblooded so in the cool days it stays in its burrow. In the warm days it comes out. It has protection, a shell. If a predator tries to attack it goes in its shell and pretends to be a rock. The tortoise spends most of its time in its burrow. It commonly eats grass, wildflowers, and other small plants.

Karen RoskiewiczMaritz

www.maritzmotivation.com 1000 Town Center, Suite 1200Southfield, MI 48075248.948.4290 email: [email protected]: www.maritzmotivation.com/blog

The Morning DoveThe morning dove will not commonly be found in the desert but nonetheless some types live in California, and northern sections or southern deserts. The dove will feed on seeds, grass, and grains. “Doves drink continuously, by sucking and swallowing, up to six times faster than other birds, reducing the time required at available water” that is good because most predators attack while their prey is drinking.

The Jackrabbit

The Jackrabbitis and herbivore and a strict one.The Jackrabbitfeeds on grass,bush, forbs, orpractically anyvegetation at all. These are nocturnalanimals so they sleepduring the day. They are so quick that they catch their food quickly an avoid predators.

Ostrich

The Ostrich is a fast running Animal that-how it survives- runs. This animal runs so fast that its prey cannot out run it. This bird is an omnivore and feeds on bugs, grass, little rodents, and seeds. It lives in parts of Africa and can't fly.

The Great Roadrunner

The roadrunner is an omnivore that feeds on bugs, grass, seeds, and rodents. The bird-like the ostrich- cannot fly and runs so quickly that it out runs its prey. It lives in nests in bushes, trees, and shrubs.

Karen RoskiewiczMaritz

www.maritzmotivation.com 1000 Town Center, Suite 1200Southfield, MI 48075248.948.4290 email: [email protected]: www.maritzmotivation.com/blog

Karen RoskiewiczMaritz

www.maritzmotivation.com 1000 Town Center, Suite 1200Southfield, MI 48075248.948.4290 email: [email protected]: www.maritzmotivation.com/blog

Coyote

Even though this fierce predator of the wild may seem as though it is a carnivore it is not. Although it eats mice, rats, and ground squirrels, it will also eat fruits, grass, and plant life all around. This beast may even be found in your neighborhood but some species live in the desert

ChuckwallaThe chuckwalla lizard may look vicious but is just a common herbivore. It is found in deserts across the country. It likes to live in rocky, hilly areas and not on flat plains. It will feed on wildflowers, grass, and leaves. It adapts by being an herbivore. It doesn't have to catch its prey.

Food Chain (The Hunters)

The hunters of the wild:

BadgerBobcatCoyoteKit FoxMountain LionRingtail Cat

They will hunt down any little rodent and eat it. Most of these animals are carnivores so they need meat to survive. Others are omnivores and can eat plants And animals. But this food chain is only a threat to endangered animals. For mostThey can reproduce

Food Chain (The Hunted)

This food chain consists of:Desert CottontailDesert Bighorn SheepDesert TortoiseHorned LizardAntelope SquirrelWild BurroChuckwallaTarantulaGambel's QuailMourning DoveJackrabbitThis food chain is most of these animals are omnivores but some may be carnivores or herbivores. This food chain helps because some of these animals reproduce to quickly and may overload

The EndThe Desert and its amazing features

By Will R., Reese H., Ryan A., and Abby N.April 10, 2013

Thanks for Listening!