DESERT BIOMEBy

Imaris Loja & Jazzmany Alvarez

Fall 2009

Introduction

Our research project is on the desert biome. There are four types of deserts. Something that fascinates us is that there is a cold desert that snows and a desert so hot and dry (located in Chile), that the houses don’t even have roofs! The coldest and largest desert is in Antarctica.This biome project will also include five journal entries and a poetic conclusion.

Geographical Characteristics

The desert covers about 1/5th of Earth’s surface. The desert has mountains that are massive enough to block clouds. The semi-arid desert looks like scrubland. This is part of the biome that is usually seen on westerns. The hot and dry desert usually looks like an Egyptian desert. An Egyptian desert has sand as far as the eye can see. There are no trees and brown plants that are short and scrubby. At sunset the hot and dry desert looks amazing, like a rainbow of colors reflecting on blankets of sand. Some plants of the coastal desert are salt bush, black bush, rice grass, and the little leaf horse bush.Cold deserts have vegetation in areas with little shade. About 10 % of the ground is covered with a plant called sagebrush.

Different Types of Deserts

Cold Desert Coastal Desert

Different Deserts ~ continued

Hot & Dry Desert Semi-Arid Desert

Climate

The annual hot and dry desert temperature year round ranges from 20 - 25 ° Celsius (68-77°F). The extreme maximum for the hot and dry desert temperature is 43.5 - 49 degrees Celsius (110.3-120.2°F).

The temperature for the cold desert in the winter is 2 - 4 °Celsius (35.6-39.2°F). If you go there you would be freezing cold, so make sure to wear a lot of warm clothes. The temperature for the cold desert in the summer is 2 - 26 °Celsius (35.6-78.8°F). In the summer you won’t have to dress with a lot of warm clothes because it will be 78.8 °Fahrenheit. The annual precipitation for the cold desert ranges from 15-26 cm (6-10 in). Wow imagine that snow 16 cm(6.3 in)!

Climate Part 2

The coastal desert temperature in July is -2 to 5°Celsius (28.4-41 ° F), whoa -2 degrees can you imagine how cold that is you would have icicles on your nose if you went there. In January the coastal desert temperature is 21-25 degrees Celsius (69.8-77°F) at least that’s a better temperature than -2 degrees and it’s better than having icicles on your nose. The rainfall in the coastal desert measures 8-13 cm(3.15 in-5.1 in) in many areas. Whoa can you imagine 15 cm of rain(5.9 in)!

The semi-arid desert temperature is usually average between 21-27 degrees Celsius(69.8-80.6°F). I guess that’s better than the cold and coastal desert temperature and you wouldn’t be freezing. The semi-arid desert rainfall is 2 - 4 cm(.8-1.6 in) which isn’t as much rain as the cold and coastal desert. So I guess the semi-arid desert is lucky. The temperature in the semi-arid desert does not go above 38° C (100.4°F) (thank god) and evening temperatures are cool, at around 10° C (50°F) (burr that must be cold).

Our Desert Diet

Some of the survival desert foods are mesquite pods, saguaro fruit and prickly pear cactus. Mesquite pods are somewhat like green beans but slightly different. Your average green bean is lumpy but the mesquite pod has a smooth rounded texture and they are high in protein and carbohydrates. Mesquite pods grow on branches so they are not a challenge to get. But if you cannot pull it off easily it means the mesquite pod is not ready and ripe.The prickly pears are gathered when they are young and tender by slicing them off of the cactus. The fruits are gathered when they turn a dark wine color.Saguaro fruit is a 3” green oval and it ripens with a red pulp. The flesh, seeds and juice can all be eaten.

Survival

Desert survival is difficult because the temperatures can go to extremes from hot to cold. We think from our research that the biggest problem with desert survival is having and drinking an adequate amount of water. Taking sips of water is not enough for brain function and these sips will not stop dehydration. The important thing is to drink as much water as possible. People have been found dead, who have water in their canteens, because they did not drink enough.Below are some items that are important for survival in the desert:

Knife Signal mirror Potassium

Signal whistle Lighter Flashlight

Tweezers Alcohol wipes Band-Aids

Cord Medicines Sugar tablets

Plastic bags Pencil & Paper Canteen

Shelter

Our shelter will depend on which desert we are exploring. For example three types of desert shelter are:1.San Hut - is made from branches thatched with dry grasses. These are found in the Kalahari Desert. They are built during the wet season. In the dry season a simple wind break would do.2.Yurt - these are used by Mongolian nomads. They are felt tents made out of sheep's wool that is spread over a wooden frame.3.Tents - made out of long strips of woven goats hair.

Since we are just traveling through the desert and not living there we are either sleeping in our Jeep or a wind shelter.

Desert Poem

The desert is gorgeous and complex

survival is harsh

Tall spiky cacti

Short scrubs

Diverse foreign creatures

Wavy dunes

Sunset a riot of colors

Aside from the beauty

Danger lurks at every corner