To Our Natural of Deserts about us

Desert Defination

The united nation has declared 2006 to be the international year of desert and

desertification. It is not just important to the people living in deserts, but the earth

gradually degradation is increasing at an alarming rate. Dry land covering up to 40% of

the earth surface, and more than 110 countries are potentially at risk.

There are about 2,50,000 species of plants which include trees, herbs, shrubs, bushes, grasses, creepers, ferns and mosses, algae and sea weeds, as well as microscopic plants. They can be further distinguished according to their habitat, use and peculiarity as; Aquatic plants, Desert plants, Edible plants, Medicinal plants, Alpine plants, Ornamental plants, Carnivorous plants, Parasitic plants and so on.

When it rains, cactuses and other succulent (juicy) plants take up as much water as possible and store it in their leaves and stems which will provide the water they need during the dry months. Their waxy leaves and stems also slow down water loss through transpiration.

he animals that live in the desert usually have special adaptations that allow them to survive the extreme temperatures and conditions that are present in a desert. A good example of an animal with special adaptations is the camel. A camel can drink very large amounts of water in one day or survive for a relatively long time without drinking any water.

Some animals of the desert are also endangered, including the Lappet-Faced Vulture, which is categorized as vulnerable. The World Conservation Union, or IUCN, has a website which details the endangered status of many animals at In this website there is also a section for savanna animals. The savanna is a unique ecosystem that receives more rain than a desert but receives it in large amounts and then is dry for long periods of time.

Himba and Herrero indigenous people living together in desert Kunene Region Namibia

In the northeastern desert of Kenya, newly-arrived refugees from Somalia are living in flimsy shelters made out of sticks, string and plastic sheets. Nenna Arnold/MSF