By Frances Suazo

1. THE DESERT By Frances Suazo

2. GLOSSARY • Abiotic factor- A non living condition or thing, influences or affect an ecosystem and the organisms in it. • Biotic factor- a living thing as an animal or plant that influences or affects an economic system. • Landscape- all the visible features of an area or countryside or land, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal. • Organism- an individual animal, plant or single-celled life form. • Hostile- Unfriendly, antagonistic • Abundance- a very large quantity of something • Camouflage- An animal's natural coloring or form that enables it to blend in with its surroundings • Cactus-A succulent plant with a thick, fleshy stem that typically bears spines, lacks leaves, and has brilliantly colored flowers. Cacti are native to arid regions of the New World and are cultivated elsewhere, esp. as houseplants • Precipitation-A person or thing that eats or uses something • Nocturnal-Done, occurring, or active at night • Burrow-A hole or tunnel dug by a small animal • Scrubland- Land consisting of scrub vegetation

3. A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. A Hot and Dry Desert is, as you can tell from the name, hot and dry. Most Hot and Dry Deserts don't have very many plants. They do have some low down plants though. The only animals they have that can survive have the ability to burrow under ground. This is because they would not be able to live in the hot sun and heat. They only come out in the night when it is a little cooler. A Hot and Dry Desert is, as you can tell from the name, hot and dry. There is not a lot of rain in the desert, sometimes rain falls and evaporates when it hits the ground.

4. DESERT CLIMATE The dry dessert is very hot. Dry Desert climates are made by high-pressure zones in which cold air descends. Then the descending air becomes warm but, instead of releasing rain, the heat from the ground evaporates the water before it can come down as rain. The ground is super hot because the sun's rays beat down on it directly overhead. Approximately 1 in. (.25 cm) of rain falls in dry deserts per year. The average annual temperature of these miles of hot sand is 64° F (18° C). There are two different types of desert in the world-the hot desert and the semi-desert. The hot desert is usually located near the equator. A hot desert is usually described as the sandy-Egyptian type of desert. The semi-desert looks like a scrubland. The semi-desserts are usually found on westerns. Deserts are formed when something gets in the way of rain clouds. Winds or mountains can cause this. There are a lot of deserts that are near oceans. Deserts that are usually located by bodies of water are caused by winds.

5. PLANTS IN THE DESERT • There are a lot of plants living in the desert then a lot of people expect. Two of the most popular desert plants is the Ocotillo plant which is a leafy green plant that produces flowers. The other plant is the Saguaro Cactus which was named after the Arizona’s state flower. Plants of the Dry Desert have to adapt to the lack of water by using dew for moisture and taking in water through their leaves and stems. All the plants in the desert are forced to make adaptations in order to survive. When the rain falls the plants usually bloom fast , ripen their seed and in a few days whither and die. A lot of other plants depend on underground water. Most plants develop roots that grow up to at least 80 ft long. The cactuses survive because it has a thick waxy layer on the outside of its stems and leaves. This helps the cactus retains water and protect issues from heavy sunlight. Saguaro Cactus Plants in Desert Ocotillo Plant

6. ANIMALS IN THE DESERT • Most people think that the only animals that live in the desert are lizards, snakes and camels. In reality there a lot of other animals that live in the desert. There are many other animals like coyotes, foxes, peccaries, scorpions, tarantulas, ring tailed cats, antelope, skunks, mule deer, boars and sometimes you can find lions and elephants. There is also a lot of small animals in the desert like hawks, falcons, owls, roadrunners, buzzards, eagles, and woodpeckers. Woodpeckers usually make their homes in large cactuses. Most of all the animals in the desert have learned to adapt to the desert life really well. The animals learn to conserve water, food and energy. For example the camel is one the best survivors in the desert. Camels have really long legs to keep the sand’s heat away. The camels also have long hair to keep the cold desert nights warmer. There are many animals that have special eyelids, with these eyelids they can see through,to keep sand out during a sand storm. Each animal has its own special quality that helps them adapt to the environment., Animals you can find in the desert Camel in the desert

7. Where can a desert be found? • Many deserts are found in bands along 30 degrees latitude north and 30 degrees latitude south (between the red lines on the map).

8. How are humans affecting the Biome? • Human activities have often damaged the desert environment. Also, in semiarid areas along the fringes of deserts, human activities (especially those related to large-scale agricultural development) have contributed to desertification—reduction in the soil's ability to capture and store water. • How humans harm deserts- • By building roads through them • By driving strait through the desert, destroying plants • Constructions throughout the desert • Overgrazing sheep and cattle may destroy plants-though this has slowed over the years • Military training, though helpful in protecting deserts, may crush plants and small animals • By overusing water • Desert Farms • Solar Power Farms • Rally car Races • Humans can help the desert by conserving water, by conserving water there would be more water for dry deserts.

9. I would like to visit the desert because there are many interesting plants and animals. I would like to experience the desert myself just to explore and see how is like. I know is really hot and I hate warm weather, but I would like to see the different plants ,like cactuses and flowers. I also want to see the many animals that are there. The desert sounds really interesting to now that I have researched it and learned about the biome.

10. Resources • http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/where.htm • http://ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/desert4/desert4.html • http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_climate_page.htm • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert