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Desert Ecosystem Lesson 46. The desert ecosystem is hot and dry. Living things in the desert have been able to adapt and thrive to the harsh conditions of the desert. Deserts are very hot all year with very little rain. Plants and animals are able to survive on very little water.
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The desert ecosystem is hot and dry. Living things in the desert have been able to adapt and thrive to the harsh conditions of the desert.
Deserts are very hot all year with very little rain. Plants and animals are able to survive on very little water.
Desert plants are different from plants in other ecosystems because they have to live and grow with very little water.
Desert plants have shallow roots so that they can soak up any rain that falls in this dry environment.
Desert plants store water in their stems and have sharp needles that keep animals from eating them to get their water.
One plant you would find in the desert would be the cactus. Cacti(more than one) have flat fleshy pads that look like large leaves. Those pads hold water.
These plants have large prickly spines that protect the cactus from animals.
Many of these cacti produce flowers or fruit which is food for many animals.
The Joshua tree is found in some deserts. This tree is home to many birds and insects.
The Yucca plant is found in many deserts. It provides fruits for desert animals. It provides shelter for many animals.
Most desert animals are nocturnal, that means they hunt for food at night when it is cooler.
Many desert animals fur, feathers, or skin is light in color because the light color reflects the hot desert sun. This will keep the animal cooler.
Some of the animals found in the desert are plant eaters. Their diet consists mostly of plants.
The desert tortoise is a plant eater. The tortoise gets most of his water from the plants he eats.
The desert tortoise spends most of his time in his underground burrow. He stays there to conserve water and stay cool. He makes his burrow close to desert plants.
Other plant eaters found in the desert are the jack rabbit and the antelope ground squirrel.
The Jack rabbit hides under plants to stay cool during the day. It usually hunts for food at night.
The antelope ground squirrels drinks morning dew and eats plants and does not seemed to be bothered with the heat. They hunt during the day. They live in burrows under the ground.
The desert has many meat eaters. The coyote eats about everything. It will eat all the animals we have already mentioned, plus some. It eats animals it finds that are dead and it eat fruits and cactus berries.
The rattlesnake needs very little water to survive. It mostly hunts at night. It eats rodents such as the antelope ground squirrel. It usually takes the animal’s burrow for its own. It rattles its tail as a warning. It is very venomous.
The Roadrunner is a large black-and-white ground bird quick enough to catch and eat small rattlesnakes. The Roadrunner prefers walking or running rather than flying. It eats rodents, birds, snakes and lizards.
Many other birds, lizards, rodents and snakes live in the desert. The desert can be a busy place at night!
Let’s look at a worksheet about living things found in the desert. See what you can remember about life in the desert.
In our next lesson we will learn ways humans can help these ecosystems to continue to thrive(do well).
