Ecosystem Type: Sahara Desert

Location:

-covers most of North Africa- 3,500,000 square miles (9,000,000 km2)- stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea-highest part of the desert is at the summit of Mount Koussi, which is 11,204 feet (3,415 m) high-most of the world's deserts are located near 30 degrees north latitude and 30 degrees south latitude, where the heated equatorial air begins to descend. The descending air is dense and begins to warm again, evaporating large amounts of water from the land surface. The resulting climate is very dry.- In the hottest months, temperatures can rise over 50°C, and temperatures can fall below freezing in the winter. A single daily variation of -0.5°C to 37.5°C has been recorded. The Sahara is also extremely windy. Hot, dust-filled winds create sand storm, which can make the temperatures seem even hotter. The annual rainfall is below 25 mm

Climate:

-hottest places on Earth.-temperatures there may rise to 136 F (57.7 C)-receives less than three inches (7.6 cm) of rain a year. Even in its wettest areas, rain may arrive twice in one week, then not return for years.

Soils:

There is soil in the sahara desert, but it is covered with a shallow profile of gravel or pebble beds. Sometimes the underground water is 30 meters deep from the surface. Plants have adapted to the environment by having a super long root to reach to the water source. Cacti have thorns to trap water and to defend itself from getting eaten by other animals. Animals may lose 30 to 60 percent of their body mass and would still live and can recover when food is found

Key Characteristics:

- topographical features include shallow basins, large oasis depressions, regs (stony plains), plateaus, mountains, sand dunes and sand seas (ergs- another name for area covered almost entirely by sand dunes).

Sand dunes Oasis

Adaptations:

Xerophytes- able to live in vey dry environment- possess very long roots that penetrate very deep into the earth to

obtain water- thick stems which help them to hold water for a very long time- leaves are reduced to spines which help them to minimize water

loss through the leaf stomata.e.g. cypress, olive, acacia and artemisia, doum

Reference point: Key Characteristic - http://library.thinkquest.org/16645/the_land/sahara_desert.shtml We used this website because this site consist on reliable information about the key characteristic of the

Dromedary camels- store fat in their humps and not water, great strength, endurance and can go without water and food for a very long time.

Addax antelope- large, flat hooves that enable them to walk over the sand without sinking, high tolerance for dehydration and extreme temperatures

Sahara Desert. This website is the official website for “The Living Africa,” therefore it is reliable.

Reference point: Physical Features - http://www.saharasafaris.org/sand-dunes This website is excellent because it explains all the features in the desert.

Reference point: Adaptation of the plants and animals - http://www.cybertraveltips.com/africa/plants-animals-of-the-sahara-desert.html This website describes every animal and plant that can be found in the Sahara Desert. It shows the adaptations the living organisms have adapted to and the characteristics they developed to survive.

Reference point: Climate and soil - http://www.eoearth.org/article/Sahara_desert?topic=49460 & http://www.buzzle.com/articles/desert-ecosystem.htmlThe language and grammar used in these websites is understandable and easy to interpret. Further more, the points were relatively detailed and relevant.

Reference point: Location - http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/desert.htm This websites provides the location of the Sahara Desert, which includes the longitude and latitude, the world distribution of deserts in comparison with the Sahara Desert, and the climate of the Sahara Desert.

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