Terrestrial Ecology Lecture 3 Desert

TERRESTRIAL
ECOLOGY
Lecture IV
Louella G. Artates
DESERT
DESERT
DESERT
Deserts are
the driest
places on
Earth.
PRECIPITATION
averages less than 35

centimeters of
rainfall per year.
LATITUDE
Most
deserts are
found between
the latitudes of
30 N and 30 S.
DESERT
Because of the lack of cloud cover, deserts receive more than twice as much incoming
solar radiation as humid regions.
THREE TYPES OF DESERT
1. High Atmospheric Pressure Desert

High
pressure prevents air near the ground from rising

and cooling.
As
a result, not much condensation takes place.
When
the condensation rate is lower than the

evaporation rate, skies are usually clear and very little
precipitation falls.

Sahara Desert
The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in
the world and occupies approximately ten
percent of the African continent.

Australian Desert
Named deserts of Australia cover 1,371,000 square
kilometres or 18% of the Australian mainland.

The Sahara and Australian deserts are caused by
regions of high
atmospheric pressure found near 30 latitude lines
2. Rain shadow Desert

Caused
A rain
by rain shadow effect.
shadow is a patch of land that has been forced to

become a desert because mountain ranges blocked all
plant-growing, rainy weather. On one side of the mountain,
wet weather systems drop rain and snow. On the other side
of the mountainthe rain shadow sideall that
precipitation is blocked.

Caused
In
by rain shadow effect.
a rain shadow, its warm and dry. On the other side of the
mountain, its wet and cool. When an air mass moves from a low
elevation to a high elevation, it expands and cools. This cool air
cannot hold moisture as well as warm air. Cool air forms clouds,
which drop rain and snow, as it rises up a mountain. After the air
mass crosses over the peak of the mountain and starts down the
other side, the air warms up and the clouds dissipate. That
means there is less rainfall.

Sonoran
Desert
Due to irrigation, the Sonoran Desert has
many fertile agricultural areas.
It is the hottest of the North American
deserts, with the most biological
diversity.
Parts of the desert receive 10-12 inches
of rain a year.

Chihuahuan
Desert
Is the largest desert in North
America and most of it lies south
of international boarders.
It has cool summers and
extremely hot summers,
receiving less than 10 inches of
rainfall a year.

Great Basin
The largest desert in the United States.
It is usually cold due to high latitude
elevation.
It gets about 7-12 inches of precipitation
a year rain and snow.

Mojave Desert
Receives less than 6 inches of rain
shadow effect created by Sierra Nevada
and other mountain in ranges with the
desert.

Tibetan
Plateau

Tibetan
Plateau
The Tibetan Plateau is
surrounded by massive
mountain ranges. The plateau is
bordered to the south by the
Himalayan Range.
Himalayan Mt Windward Side

Tibetan
Plateau
The Himalayas as
seen from space
looking south from
over the Tibetan
Plateau.
3. Fog Desert
Fog
deserts are found on the west coasts of continents

located between 20 and 30 latitude. Here the
prevailing winds are easterly, so moisture-filled air does
not blow in from the ocean.
Cold
water currents run along many of these coastlines.

The cold water causes air to condense as fog over the
ocean. The fog drifting over land causes a small amount
of precipitation (rain).
2. Fog Desert
Atacama Desert
A flat area of the Atacama Desert between Antofagasta

and Taltal
2. Fog Desert
Baja California Desert
Includes most of the Peninsula's western

slope. It is bounded on the west by the
Pacific Ocean
2. Fog Desert
Namib Desert
The Namib is a coastal desert in
southern Africa.
The "Long Wall" is a
prominent coastal
area of the Namib
that runs along the
Sperrgebiet in
southwestern
Namibia
Sossusvlei, one of the

Namib's major tourist
attractions, is a salt
and clay pan
surrounded by large
dunes. The flats
pictured here were
caused by the
Tsauchab stream after
summer rains
The Welwitschia plant is

considered a living
fossil, and is found only
in the Namib Desert
PLANTS
OF THE
DESERT
PLANTS OF THE DESERT
All desert plants have adaptations for obtaining and conserving water, which allows the
plants to live in dry, desert conditions.
Plants called succulents, such as cactuses, have thick, fleshy stems and leaves that store water.
Solitary echinopsis cactus in the desert
Their leaves also have a waxy coating that prevents water loss.
Sharp spines on cactuses keep thirsty animals from devouring the plants juicy flesh.
Rainfall rarely penetrates deeply into the soil, so many plants roots spread out just under the
surface of the soil to absorb as much rain as possible.
Saguaro Cactus
Stores all of its water. The stem is green.

Photosynthesis occurs in the top layer of the stem
instead of in leaves.
Large net of roots -- that extend far away from its

trunk. The roots collect water after rain. Stored in
the pleated expandable stem, the water keeps the
saguaro alive until the next rain. Saguaro fruit is used
in jam and woody skeletons are used in building
materials. The Saguaro only grows in the Sonoran
Desert.
Barrel Cactus
The pleated shape of the Barrel Cactus allows it to

expand when it rains and store water in its spongy tissue.
It shrinks in size during dry times as it uses the stored
water.
Old Man Cactus
The white hairy surface of the Old Man Cactus helps the plant
reflect the hot desert sun.
Prickly Pear Cactus
Since many desert plants store water

in their spongy tissue, animals will
eat them for the moisture. The
thorns keep them safe from many
animal predators. You can find lots
of Prickly Pear Cactus in the
Chihuahuan desert.
Dragon Tree
The Dragon Tree is not from the American deserts. It is from the Canary Islands. It has a sap
that hardens to a dark red. People call the sap "Dragon's Blood." The sap is sometimes used as a
fake stone in jewelry.
Fish Hook Cactus
The fish hook shaped spines of the Fish Hook Cactus help divert heat and shade the growing tip
of the plant. Many cacti lean further toward the sun as they grow. Some may eventually uproot
themselves.
Desert Spoon
Succulent leaves can store water inside them. These leaves

are usually thick and tough to reduce water loss. The Desert
Spoon has leaves that are trimmed and polished for sales as
curios. The papago and Pima Indians use them in baskets. The
woody stems contain a sugary sap that can be fermented into
a drink that is called sotol.
Aloe Plant
The waxy surface of the aloe plant acts like a

plastic wrapper, keeping precious water
inside. For centuries, the juice of the aloe
plant has been used by Native Americans as a
medicine. Today, doctors recognize the
healing properties of the Aloe plant. Many
people keep an aloe plant in their kitchen.
Its juice is helpful to soothe the pain of
burns.
The Joshua Tree grows in the Mojave desert . It is a large desert plant with spiky leaves. It also
has a fruit which is food for desert animals.
ANIMALS
OF THE
DESERT
ANIMALS OF THE DESERT
There are many ways in which the animals in the desert are adapting to dryness and heat.

ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Drinking what you eat
Some desert animals drink by eating juicy

cactuses and other plants that contain a lot of
water. And some animalslike snakesget all
the moisture they need from the mice and
other small animals they eat.
Kangaroo Rat

ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Pocket Mice


ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Jerboa


ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Pack Rat


ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Snake


ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Desert Antelope
Moving
To get all the moisture they need, most of the

bigger animals in the desert have to drink water.
So in order to find ponds, rivers, and other
sources of water, many types of large desert
animals wander great distances. In the course of
a year some Asian and African desert antelope
and other desert animals may wander hundreds
of miles, from water hole to water hole.

ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Camel
Moving
To get all the moisture they need, most of the

bigger animals in the desert have to drink water.
So in order to find ponds, rivers, and other
sources of water, many types of large desert
animals wander great distances. In the course of
a year some Asian and African desert antelope
and other desert animals may wander hundreds
of miles, from water hole to water hole.

ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Darkling Beetle
Fog
In some deserts the only source of water is the fog

that rolls in from the coast. Some of the animals
that live in these deserts have special ways of
taking advantage of their foggy surroundings. For
example, in the Namib, a fog desert in Africa,
certain species of darkling beetles perch on the tops
of dunes with their abdomens pointing upward. Fog
moving in from the coast condenses on their cool
bodies and trickles down into their mouths.

ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Lizard
Fog
Snakes and lizards drink fog that condenses on

their bodies .

ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Spadefoot Toad
Sleeping
Some desert animals can escape drought. They

do this by sleeping through the dry times.
Much the same way as some non-desert animals
hibernate through the winter. This dry weather
sleep is called estivation.

ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Spadefoot Toad
Sleeping
Spadefoot toads wait out dry periods in underground

burrows for months or even years, covered with a
jellylike substance that keeps them moist.
Vibrations caused by heavy raindrops hitting the

ground wake up the toads. Then they quickly dig to
the surface, find a mate, and lay eggs in the pools
created by the rain!

ADAPTING TO DRYNESS
Kangaroo Rat
Kidney Power
One of the ways animals can keep from drying

out is by saving water that would otherwise be
used to make wastes. For example, kangaroo rats
have efficient kidneys that use as little water as
possible to produce urine.

ADAPTING TO HEAT
Jerboa
Out of the Sun
Many animals avoid the burning daytime heat by

foraging at night (nocturnal). Others are active
only in the cool morning and late afternoon.

ADAPTING TO HEAT
Out of the Sun
But in the middle of the day, when ground

temperatures can rise to 190 degrees, most
desert animals find a place to rest out of the
scorching sun.
Owl

ADAPTING TO HEAT
Out of the Sun
Rodents, lizards, snakes, and insects

have cool, humid burrows; dig down
into the sand; or crawl under rocks.
This sidewinder
has a unique way
of moving so that
only small
portions
of its body are in
contact with the
hot sands at any
one time.

ADAPTING TO HEAT
Out of the Sun
Other animals find shade under bushes

and trees.

ADAPTING TO HEAT
Red-Tailed Hawk
Soaring
Some birds soar high above the earth,

where temperatures are much cooler.

ADAPTING TO HEAT
Turkey Vulture
Soaring
Some birds soar high above the earth,

where temperatures are much cooler.

ADAPTING TO HEAT
Fat-Tailed Gecko
Storing Fats
Fat layers keep heat from leaving the body

not an ideal situation for an animal that lives
in a hot desert. To keep from retaining any
more heat than they have to, a lot of desert
animals concentrate fat supplies in certain
areas. This strategy leaves them with plenty
of fat-free areas to lose heat from.

ADAPTING TO HEAT
Camels Hump
Storing Fats
Fat layers keep heat from leaving the body

not an ideal situation for an animal that lives
in a hot desert. To keep from retaining any
more heat than they have to, a lot of desert
animals concentrate fat supplies in certain
areas. This strategy leaves them with plenty
of fat-free areas to lose heat from.

ADAPTING TO HEAT
Jackrabbit
Big Ears and Long Legs
Oversized ears do more than pick up sound

waves. They also help to cool their owners by
radiating heat. Blood vessels in the ears are
located just under the skin, and as air flows
around them it cools the blood. The cooled
blood helps to cool the body.

ADAPTING TO HEAT
Desert Fox


ADAPTING TO HEAT
Gazelle

DESERT
THREATS
Because of the lack of rainfall in the desert, plants take

longer to grow, which leads to less animals and faster
desertification which is a big issue facing our world.
Current our deserts cover 1/5 of the world, but
because of human activities deserts are expanding.
Human activities that harm our deserts are, off road
vehicles, they leave tracks in the soil for up to 2
decades, causing looser soil. Also animals that hide in
the sand such as the sand viper can be hurt. Collectors
continue to take precious cacti from the desert causing
extinction, and less plants to hold down the soil. Other
issues result from farming and mining, hunting, and
development of the deserts.
All these activities continue to loosen desert soil.
Sandstorms from deserts are now increasing. This is
harmful because the dust particles in the air from these
storms are small enough to enter your lungs, and cause
major issues for humans. Dust is also being deposited in
reservoirs, which causes more health concerns.

Terrestrial Ecology Lecture 3 Desert

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Terrestrial Ecology Lecture 3 Desert

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

TERRESTRIAL

averages less than 35

THREE TYPES OF DESERT

1. High Atmospheric Pressure Desert

pressure prevents air near the ground from rising

a result, not much condensation takes place.

the condensation rate is lower than the

1. High Atmospheric Pressure Desert

1. High Atmospheric Pressure Desert

1. High Atmospheric Pressure Desert

2. Rain shadow Desert

by rain shadow effect.

shadow is a patch of land that has been forced to

2. Rain shadow Desert

by rain shadow effect.

2. Rain shadow Desert

2. Rain shadow Desert

2. Rain shadow Desert

2. Rain shadow Desert

2. Rain shadow Desert

2. Rain shadow Desert

2. Rain shadow Desert

2. Rain shadow Desert

deserts are found on the west coasts of continents

water currents run along many of these coastlines.

A flat area of the Atacama Desert between Antofagasta

Includes most of the Peninsula's western

Sossusvlei, one of the

The Welwitschia plant is

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

Solitary echinopsis cactus in the desert

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

Stores all of its water. The stem is green.

Large net of roots -- that extend far away from its

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

The pleated shape of the Barrel Cactus allows it to

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

Old Man Cactus

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

Prickly Pear Cactus

Since many desert plants store water

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

Fish Hook Cactus

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

Succulent leaves can store water inside them. These leaves

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

The waxy surface of the aloe plant acts like a

PLANTS OF THE DESERT

ANIMALS OF THE DESERT

ANIMALS OF THE DESERT

Drinking what you eat

Some desert animals drink by eating juicy

ANIMALS OF THE DESERT

Drinking what you eat

Some desert animals drink by eating juicy

ANIMALS OF THE DESERT

Drinking what you eat

Some desert animals drink by eating juicy

ANIMALS OF THE DESERT

Drinking what you eat