Desert

Density ● Lightly dispersed plant and animal life

Dispersion ● Few and far between

● Cacti are known to explode from their
pods when water strikes their surface,
ensuring that the offspring can pass
the parent’s genetics on

Growth ● Small short shrubs

Reproductive Rates ● The desert tortoise lives for about 30

to 50 years. These animals grow
slowly and usually have low
reproductive rates, meaning they only
have 2-4 babies. They spend most of
time in burrows, under rocks, and
under sand to maintain body
temperature and conserve water.

Carrying Capacity ● Cannot support too many organisms at

one time

Density Dependence ● Depends largely on the access that

plants have to water
● Oases are more lush and densely
packed than drier areas

Natural Selection ● Plants and animals that can survive

harsh temperatures and limited access
to water are the organisms that
reproduce
● Organisms without access to water,
shelter, and enough food die

Human Impact ● Not much of the desert is inhabited by

humans
● In the Gobi desert, human exploration
and settlements push rare animals into
a smaller and smaller territory

Competition Examples ● Organisms compete for sunlight,

water, and nutrients
● In the kalahari, male giraffes are able
to attract females if they have a water
 source, males battle each other for
breeding and territory rights

Diversity ● Less opportunities for diversity occur

because animals that can either flock
together or spread out to the extent
that almost no contact is made

Species with Largest Impact ● Cacti

● Tumbleweeds

Succession ● Succession is the somewhat

predictable and orderly changes in the
composition or structure of an
ecological community. There are two
types of succession: primary and
secondary succession. These two
differ in specific ways. Primary
succession occurs on land where there
was no previous growth, and there is
no substrate, or soil. Secondary
succession occurs on land where there
has been previous growth before, and
the substrate is made up of the soil and
the seed bank.

Pathogens ● scientists have now confirmed that

clouds originating in the sahara carry
microbial life that can cause disease in
humans, plants, and other animals far
from the source
● The researchers found pseudomonas
aeruginosa bacteria—a microbe that
causes ear infections—and kocuria
bacteria—which can cause mouth
lesions—among the mix of microbial
life.