group 5 - the desert biome

8/14/2019 Group 5 - The Desert Biome

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Group 5 Reporters:

Arjay E. Amba

Cleo C. ArongCheyenne Christine M. Villamor


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Land of extremes : extreme heat anddryness, sudden flash floods and coldnights

Region that receives 10 inches or 25 cmof rain each year

Not all deserts are hot, some are icedeserts near the North and South Polesand all moisture is frozen

Cover 14% of the Earths Land AreaExtreme weather conditions are due to

humidity


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Temperature

- 105 and 110F (43.8 and 46.8C) duringdaytime

- 50F (10C) or less during night and may

drop below freezingRainfall

- in some deserts 10 inches per year

- Driest deserts have no rainfall for several years- The Atacama Desert, worlds Driest Desert


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Bare rock, boulders, gravel, and largeareas of sand

Desert soils tend to be coarse, light

colored and high in mineral contentContain little organic matter, because of

little vegetation

Desert sands made up of mineral quartzDesert soils offer little help to plant life


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Many deserts are found in bands along30 degrees latitudes north and 30

degrees latitude south.


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Hot and Dry very warm and little rainfallSemi arid generally warm and low

amount of rainfall

Coastal Deserts moderately cool towarm environment

Cold Deserts Like in Antarctica andGreenland


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Deserts occur mainly due to lack ofrainfall and presence of Dry air

Lack of Rainfall and Dry Air are causedby: Rain Shadow Effect

Dry Air Currents

Cold Ocean Currents

Desertification


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Arabian Deserts Arabian Peninsulaand has some of the most extensivestretches of sand dunes in the world

Chihuahuan Desert in North CentralMexico and Southwest United Statesand Largest American Desert andwhere Big Bend National Park is located

Mojave Desert Arizona and DeathValley is located in here

Great Basin Great Salt Lake Located

here


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Deserts are the home to many living things.In fact, deserts are second only to tropicalrainforests in the variety of plant and animalspecies that live there.

Many of the fascinating features of desertplants are adaptations -- traits that help theplant survive in its harsh environment.Desert plants have two main adaptations:

- Ability to collect and store water

- Features that reduce water loss


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1. Prickly Pear CactusSince many desert plants store water

in their spongy tissue, animals will eatthem for the moisture.

2. Fish Hook Cactus

The fish hook shaped spines of the FishHook Cactus help divert heat and shade

the growing tip of the plant.


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3. Desert SpoonDesert Spoon Succulent leaves can store water inside

them. These leaves are usually thick and tough toreduce water loss. The Desert Spoon has leaves thatare trimmed and polished for sales as curios. Thepapago and Pima Indians use them in baskets. Thewoody stems contain a sugary sap that can befermented into a drink that is called sotol.

4. AloeThe waxy surface of the aloe plant acts like a plasticwrapper, keeping precious water inside. For centuries,the juice of the aloe plant has been used by Native

Americans as a medicine. Today, doctors recognize thehealing properties of the Aloe plant. Many people keepan aloe plant in their kitchen. Its juice is helpful tosoothe the pain of burns.


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5. Joshua Tree The Joshua Tree grows in the Mojave

desert. It is a large desert plant with spikyleaves.

6. Yucca

The Yucca is an amazingly hardy plant.Not only does it grow in the desert, but it cangrow in a wide variety of other climates.

7. SaguaroThe stem of the Saguaro Cactus stores all

of its water. The stem is green.Photosynthesis occurs in the top layer of thestem instead of in leaves.


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This is its large net of roots -- that extend faraway from its trunk. The roots collect water afterrain. Stored in the pleated expandable stem, thewater keeps the saguaro alive until the next rain.

8. Barrel CactusThe pleated shape of the Barrel Cactus allows

it to expand when it rains and store water in itsspongy tissue.

9. Old Man Cactus

The white hairy surface of the Old Man Cactushelps the plant reflect the hot desert sun.


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Roadrunner- run at speeds of up to15 miles per hour

- rarely flies and doesnot migrate.

- When it is in danger, itruns or crouches to hide

- the legs are long andmake this bird a fastrunner


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Camel- camel's hump contains fatthat minimizes heat-trappinginsulation throughout the restof their body- Their red blood cells have anoval shape. This is to facilitatetheir flow in a dehydrated

state.- nostrils that can open andclose, protecting them fromthe desert environment- Bushy eyebrows and tworows of long eyelashes protecttheir eyes from sand

- Their mouth is extremelytough, allowing camels to eatthorny desert plants
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_blood_cellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehydrationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehydrationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_blood_cell


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Vulture- large, short-tailed,solitary birds of prey

- feedson carrion (deadanimals)

- has strong gastricjuices

- locates their foodusing an acute senseof smell, others usekeen eyesight.


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Rattlesnake- poisonous snakes thathave a rattle on theirtail

- good swimmers

- has two hollow fangsthat inject a relativelyweak venom (poison)into prey

- can sense the heat oftheir potential prey


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Meerkat- uses its tail to balance whenstanding upright

- eyes always have blackpatches around them, whichhelp deflect the sun's glare

- has small black crescent-shaped ears that can closewhen digging to keep sand

out- have binocular vision, eyeson the front of their faces

- have curved claw used fordigging burrows and diggingfor prey

- forage in a group with one"sentry" on guard watchingfor predators while the otherssearch for food
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binocular_visionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binocular_vision


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Kangaroo Rat- have large cheek pouches thatopen on either side of the mouth

and extend back to theshoulders- fill the pouches with food , thenempty them by turning theminside out- cannot lose water byperspiring, because they have

no sweat glands- Two food-hoarding tactics areavailable to kangaroo rats:

- Larderhoarding - storing fooditems in large quantities at acentral location, such as aburrow.

- Scatterhoarding - involves themaking of caches (in the form ofsmall subsoil deposits) of fooditems throughout an individualshome range.


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Avoiding Heat:- Crepuscular activity - active morning and evening - onereason, humans seldom encounter rattlesnakes and GilaMonsters- Completely nocturnal (Bats, snakes, rodents foxes andskunks)- Seasonal migration or soaring to higher elevations

- Use of shade and burrows or dens during the heat of the day- Estivation - dormancy during periods of heat and dryness

Dissipating heat:- Open-mouthed gaping to exhaust body heat

- Long appendages and enormous ears that act like the radiatorof a car- Lighter coloration, which reflects heat and acts as camouflagein desert surroundings- Urohydrosis - excreting feces on the legs, whereasevaporation cools the rest of the body (birds)


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Retaining water:- Burrowing into moist soil where water is absorbedthrough the skin- Obtaining their moisture needs from the food they eat- Excreting metabolic wastes in the form of uric acid toconserve water

Acquiring water:

- Deriving water directly from plants, particularlysucculents, such as cactus- Living in sealed underground dens to recycle moisturefrom their own breathing- Specialized kidneys that extract water from their urine- Specialized organs that recapture exhaled moisture inthe nasal cavities- Manufacturing water metabolically from digestion of dryfood items


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http://mbgnet.info/sets/desert/http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/bi

http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/index

http://www.galeschools.com/environmenhttp://www.galeschools.com/environmen
http://mbgnet.info/sets/desert/http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.phphttp://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/index.htmhttp://www.galeschools.com/environment/biomes/desert/climate.htmhttp://www.galeschools.com/environment/biomes/desert/animal.htmhttp://www.galeschools.com/environment/biomes/desert/animal.htmhttp://www.galeschools.com/environment/biomes/desert/climate.htmhttp://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/index.htmhttp://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.phphttp://mbgnet.info/sets/desert/

group 5 - the desert biome

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