Hot & Dry Desert Biome PART 1

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CLIMATE

ANNUAL TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM 20 - 25 º C ( 68 - 77 º F )EXTREME MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM 43 . 5 - 49 º C ( 110 . 3 - 120 .

2 º F )MINIMUM TEMPERATURES SOMETIMES DROP TO -18 º C ( -0 . 4 º F )

TEMPERATURES

THE ATMOSPHERE IN HOT & DRY DESERTS CONTAINS VERY LITTLE HUMIDITY TO BLOCK THE SUN’S RAYS

THEREFORE, TEMPERATURES HAVE DAILY EXTREMES

SUMMERS ARE EXTREMELY HOTGENERALLY WARM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

WINTERS BRING VERY LITTLE RAINFALL

2

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RAINFALL IS VERY LOW IN HOT & DRY DESERTS2 - 26 cm AVERAGE PER YEAR OF RAINFALL IN DESERTS

CLIMATEPRECIPITATION

EVAPORATION RATES EXCEED RAINFALL RATESSOMETIMES EVEN WHEN RAIN STARTS FALLING, IT EVAPORATES

BEFORE IT HITS THE GROUND

THEY ARE EVEN RAINLESS SOME YEARS

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OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

COARSE, SHALLOW, AND ROCKY GOOD DRAINAGE

NO SUBSURFACE WATER

SOILS ARE COARSE-TEXTURED BECAUSE THERE IS LESS CHEMICAL WEATHERING

HEAVIER SAND PIECES ARE LEFT BEHIND WHEN FINER DUST AND SAND PARTICLES ARE BLOWN ELSEWHERE

SOILS

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LOCATIONALONG THE TROPIC OF CANCER AND THE TROPIC OF CAPRICORN

ARE WHERE MOST OF THE HOT & DRY DESERTS CAN BE FOUND

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CHIHUAHUAN ( NORTH AMERICA ) SOUTHERN ASIA REALM ( ASIA )

SONORAN ( NORTH AMERICA ) NEOTROPICAL ( SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA )

MOJAVE ( NORTH AMERICA ) ETHIOPIAN ( AFRICA )GREAT BASIN ( NORTH AMERICA ) AUSTRALIAN

( AUSTRALIA )SAHARA ( AFRICA ) ATACAMA ( SOUTH

AMERICA )

THESE ARE THE MAJOR HOT & DRY DESERTS OF THE WORLD:

LOCATION

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DOMINANT ANIMALS

COYOTE

ANTELOPE

BOBCAT

LIZARDS (ARMADILLO LIZARD)

KANGAROO RAT

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OTHER ANIMALS

BIRDS (CACTUS WREN)

OWLS (PYGMY OWL)

DESERT TOAD

JAVELINA (WILD PIG)

DESERT TORTOISE

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DOMINANT VEGETATION

CACTISAGUARO CACTUS

BARREL CACTUS PANCAKE PRICKLY PEAR

CACTUS

CRIMSON HEDGEHOG

CACTUS

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DOMINANT VEGETATION

JOSHUA TREE

BUSHES CHOLLA

JUMPING CHOLLA

CHAINFRUIT CHOLLACREOSOTE

BUSH

BRITTLE BUSH

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+/-+/-POSITIVE & NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF HUMANS

THE POPULATION OF HUMANS IN DESERTS IS VERY LOW. HOWEVER, A FEW GROUPS OF PEOPLE STILL TEND TO LIVE THERE DESPITE THE DANGERS OF THE EXTREME TEMPERATURES, VENOMOUS ANIMALS, AND THE FACT

THAT IT IS A POTENTIALLY DEADLY ENVIRONMENT FOR HUMANS.

POSITIVE EFFECTS FROM DESERTS ARE THAT THEY ARE GOOD BARRIERS FOR CIVILIZATIONS. THEY PROVIDE GOOD PROTECTION FROM OUTSIDERS BECAUSE THEY ARE

ESSENTIALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GO THROUGH AND THEY KILL MANY ENEMIES BY ITSELF. HUMANS HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON DESERTS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO FEW OF THEM THERE.

THERE ISN’T ANY HUMAN GOING AND KILLING ALL OF THE DESERT TOADS UNTIL THEY BECOME EXTINCT. THAT WON’T

HAPPEN IN A HOT & DRY DESERT.A NEGATIVE EFFECT OF HUMANS FROM HOT & DRY DESERTS IS THAT THEY ARE DEADLY ENVIRONMENTS.

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BIBLIOGRAPHYAPA STYLE

Benders-Hyde, Elisabeth M., and Nelson, Karl. "Desert." Blue Planet Biomes. 4 Oct. 2007 <http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert.htm>.

Biology 1B Class, Section 115. "The Desert Biome." University of California Museum of Paleontology. Fall 1996. University of California. 5 Oct. 2007 <http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.php>.

Watkins, Jefferey. "Deserts." Oswego City School District Regents Exam Prep Center. 8 Oct. 2007 <http://regentsprep.org/Regents/global/themes/geography/des.cfm>.