Going To Extremes!

Desert Climate• Ok so you all know about the climate of the

Desert

• Hot and Dry?: it’s often located near the equator… but not always…

• Deserts - areas that receive 25cm or less of precipitation a year and have little vegetation

Deserts of the World

Desert Climate• Which month(s) are the

warmest?– July ~29°C (85°F)

• What is the range of precipitation?– Always less than 1cm

• Does it ever get below freezing in the desert?– Not this one, anyway!

Desert Climate

Hot Desert Plants• So what are the few plants

that you know of that do grow in the desert?• CACTUS

• Succulents – type of plants that have thick fleshy stems and leaves that store water– Cactus is an example of such

plants– Spines on cactus keep animals

from eating them– Leaves have waxy coating to

prevent water loss

Desert Plants• Roots are usually horizontal and shallow to

collect as much water as possible when it does rain

• When conditions are too dry, some plants just die and drop seeds that will only grow when there is enough water to sustain life

Hot Desert Animals

• What are some desert animals that you already know?

• Camels are a popular one

• Most people believe that camels have water in their hump, but that isn’t true. It is actually fat

Desert Animals• Reptiles have thick scaly skin that prevent water loss• Amphibians survive the summer by estivating, which

is basically the opposite of hibernation– Sleep all summer/dry season

• Most desert animals are nocturnal and are active most at night when it is cooler

Human Adaptations• Humans are also beginning to adapt to the desert• Bedouins are people who live all their lives in the

desert

Tundra• Ok so now we’re moving on to our last biome!

• The Tundra a.k.a. Arctic biome

• What do we already know about this biome?

Tundra

Tundra Climate• One of the coldest biomes so it is located far

from the equator– The tundra is mostly located above the Arctic circle– Some at mountain tops – ALPINE tundra.– A TINY amount is found on the Antarctic peninsula

and the shores of Antarctica. – The very top (and bottom) of the world is POLAR ICE

– not a biome. Nothing lives there.• Summers are very short• Precipitation is consistent throughout the year –

generally little with more in summer

Tundra Climate• Which month(s) are the

warmest?– July 11°C

• What is the range of precipitation?– 7cm

• Does the average temp get below freezing in this particular tundra?– Not really, stays right

around freezing at 0°C– This is ICELAND, on the

North Atlantic gyre – Gulf Stream Warms It!

Tundra Climate

Coldest City In The World

Tundra Soil• Tundra soil is often frozen and only thaws a

little in the summer

• Permafrost – layer of soil right under the topsoil that is permanently frozen

• Very few nutrients in the soil or the biome in general

Tundra Plants

• Tundra border grasslands – some classify them as arctic grasslands.

• They tend to get even less rain than grasslands, however.

Tundra Plants• Mostly mosses and lichens

grow in the tundra because they can grow without soil

• Soil is thin, so plants have wide, shallow roots– Anchors them against brisk,

icy winds– Allows them to absorb water

from a greater area of land• Most plants are small and

near the ground to avoid wind and absorb heat from soil

Tundra Animals• Most tundra birds are migratory: spend summer in

tundra and fly south for winter• Breed in summer when there is a plethora of food• Artic Fox changes the color of it’s fur like the

snowshoe hare

Threats to the Tundra• Biggest threat comes

from finding oil in the area

• Humans decimate the biome to get the oil

• Oil leaks and spills can poison the food and water sources of the organisms that live in the tundra