General definition deserts are areas that receive less than 25
cm of precipitation in one year and have little or no
vegetation.
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Location 30 latitude
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Though some receive a fair amount of rainfall, it is not evenly
distributed throughout the year. Flash floods are common in some
desert areas. The resulting water runs off, and doesnt soak into
the ground.
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Water in deserts is also lost through evaporation. Many deserts
have little cloud cover, so that 90% of the suns rays reach the
Earth, resulting in extremely hot temperatures. When it is that hot
rain will often evaporate before it hits the ground.
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While it is hot during the day, the lack of cloud cover has the
reverse effect at night, where the temperatures will be much colder
(up to 50 degrees difference).
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This hot/cold affect in the deserts also creates a lot of wind.
Movement of hot, dry wind increases evaporation.
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There are hot deserts, like the Arizonas Sonoran or the Sahara
in Africa. These are closer to the equator. Main form of
precipitation is rain (10 inches or less)
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There are also cold deserts like the Gobi in China and the
Great Basin of the western United States. Main precipitation is
snow!
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All deserts share the following characteristics: 1.Seasonally
hot temperatures 2.Spotty precipitation 3.High rate of evaporation
4.Strong winds
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Deserts occupy approximately 20% of the Earths land area. Of
this, only 10% are sand dunes.
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There are four types of deserts, based on the conditions that
created them
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Subtropical: these are located at 23 N latitude and 23 S
latitude. An example is the Sahara desert, which is about the size
of the United States
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Coastal: in these areas humidity may be high, but there is
little or no rainfall. Examples are the Atacama of Chile and the
Namib in southern Africa.
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Interior: these are located far inland from ocean winds, and
have very dry air. The Gobi desert in Asia is an example
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Rain shadow: these are formed when you have a mountain range
next to a moist, coastal area. The mountains block movement of
moisture-filled clouds, which limits precipitation. This is called
the rain shadow effect
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9. Label the diagram
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In the United States the Mojave desert is a rain shadow desert.
One national park located in this desert is Death Valley National
Park. It has the lowest point in the United States, 282 feet below
sea level. The highest maximum temperature measured here was 134
F
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Vegetation in the Mojave desert is predominantly low, widely
spaced shrubs. 25% of the plants are endemic, or native to that
area. One of the most striking in appearance is the Joshua tree. A
dominant species is the creosote bush, which is often associated
with bur sage plants Plants
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Worldwide deserts are growing at an alarming rate. This process
is called desertification, when land that used to support life is
transformed into desert with little or no life
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Deserts of N. America
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Plant Adapations Thick, fleshy stems and leaves that store
water Waxy coating - prevents water loss Sharp spines - protection
Shallow, spread root systems
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Some well-adapted desert animals include the Gila monster and
rattlesnakes. Their thick and scaly skin prevents water loss
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One great adaptation is that of the spadefoot toad. They
survive the hot summers by estivating, or burying themselves in the
ground and waiting for cooler conditions
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Without trees to nest in, birds may build their nests in
cactuses to avoid predators
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Insect adaptations include body armor to retain water
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The most common adaptation for survival in the desert is
avoidance. Most desert animals are nocturnal, or only active at
night. That keeps them out of the days heat.
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THINK ABOUT THESE
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They may stay in burrows or, like the case of the pack rat,
build elaborate dens from desert litter that may be up to 3 feet
high and 8 feet across. Inside the pile is a series of tunnels and
a nest lined with soft plant fiber
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Some animals create their own shade, such as the white-tailed
antelope squirrel. These rodents look for seeds, fruits and insects
during the day and use their bushy tail like a parasol over their
backs
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Larger mammals cannot hide in burrows but will seek out shady
spots during the day. They have the advantage of large body size. A
large body will heat up more slowly than a small one (think of how
long it takes to boil a large pot of water versus a small pot)
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Birds have a higher body temperature than mammals, and can
release heat through their legs. This same radiator technique,
dilating blood vessels near surfaces, is found with the long ears
of a jackrabbit
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The primary method for cooling down a bird or mammal is
evaporative cooling
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Coyote Panting -, air moves quickly through the nose and mouth
where it removes excess heat
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Owl Gular fluttering - A cooling behavior in which birds
rapidly flap membranes in the throat to increase evaporation
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Vulture Urinates on its legs
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Sheep and other mammals Evaporative cooling of the nasal
passages, which cools blood vessels to the brain
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Kangaroo Rat - has both physical and behavioral adaptations
Hairy soles on their feet - aid in jumping in loose sand Short fore
feet with sharp claws Get their water from the seeds that they eat
Specialized kidneys