Desert

1. Desert Chris Russo

2. The majority of deserts are located within 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south latitude. • Hot and dry deserts are found in that region around the equator • Cold deserts are found near the north and south poles • Deserts are found on nearly every continent Where?

3. One fifth of the earth’s surface is desert • The typical temperature range for a hot and dry desert is 68 – 77 degrees, although it can reach up to 110 degrees in the summer • The cold desert can have temperatures from the 60s down to the 20s • Rainfall is nearly non-existent in most African and Asian deserts • Often the rain is evaporated before it hits the ground Facts

4. Producers Perennials – plants which live for more than one growing season Ephemerals – plants which grow and die in one season • The desert plant community, in general, is unique due to the extreme climate • A major necessity in desert producers is the ability to take in and retain water, since there is always an extreme shortage of it • Some plants have widespread and shallow roots that allow any water that falls to be quickly absorbed • Others have extremely deep root systems, reaching down 60 to 80 feet to obtain water

5. Producers Daisy - Ephemeral Columnar Cacti – Perennial

6. Consumers Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Consumers Primary Consumer Some examples are herbivores Similar to producers, they must adapt to the harsh desert climate When there is no water available, they are forced to obtain all the moisture they can get from plants, alone Often move to cooler areas, such as caves, in the summer Mouse

7. Tertiary Consumer Secondary Consumer Some examples are small carnivores These are large carnivores Desert lizard Snake These include cold-blooded organisms, such as the lizard or the tarantula. These include the larger snakes, like the cobra, and aggressive birds, like the hawk. These eat other carnivores.

8. Food Web

9. Food Web Pictures

10. Resources There are many mineral resources within the desert. They include copper, iron, lead, zinc, silver, gold, and uranium. Some petroleum areas, which used to be under shallow marine environments, are now under desert environments. This is due to the climate change in those areas. This is an enormous copper deposit in the Sonoran Desert. It is about 3300 feet long and 2500 feet wide.

11. Concerns Human Development – such as building houses or factories Off-Road Vehicles – These severely disturb the environment, and could run over many animals or plants Replacing natural plants with foreign ones – If the domestic plant life is taken out, it could affect the food chain

12. Endangered Species • Bear-paw Poppy • Desert Bighorn Sheep

13. References http://library.thinkquest.org/6225/jordan1.htm Oracle ThinkQuest http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/where.htmMissouri Botanical Garden http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert.htm Stetson N. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.php University of California Museum of Paleontology http://www.desertusa.com/mag05/mar/food2.html DesertUSA Jay W. Sharp http://www.desertusa.com/mag05/feb/food.html DesertUSA Jay W. Sharp http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cactus-plant-facts.html Bidisha Mukherjee http://digital-desert.com/wildlife/food-chains/ Walter Feller http://www.desertusa.com/mag05/dec/food11.html DesertUSA Jay W. Sharp http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/minerals/ US Geological Survey http://library.thinkquest.org/5788/ ThinkQuest http://digital-desert.com/wildlife/endangered.html Walter Feller http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_environmental_issues_does_the_desert_face Wiki Answers http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Environmental_concerns_with_the_desert_biome Wiki Answers