Welcome!
Welcome to the Wonderful West Wild Wilderness Zoo! Here you can find information on one of the world's most interesting and surprisingly diverse biomes: the desert. Here we will discuss various aspects of the desert, dissipate common myths, and invite guests to learn about one of the world's most unique landscapes. As students of West Tech, we pride ourselves in explaining the biome in which we also live in, showing you quality information to help guide you on your journey into the fray. In this section of the zoo, we will also provide you with a variety of sources to refer to examine the beauty of the desert.
With a vast array of wildlife and a killer - literally! - climate, this biome is more than just sand and sun. It is home to a group of organisms adapted specially for this biome.The desert holds more than just heat with a completely odd but very refreshing change in weather every now and then. And last of all, the desert plays a key role in the survival of the earth itself. This biome holds a completely unique variety of creatures and plants for you to discover, and as our team, Angela Lorenzana, Mohn Shwemoe, Ariana Artiga, and Nathan Mendez, will explain, there is so much more to learn about the majesty of the ever-timeless desert landscape.
With a vast array of wildlife and a killer - literally! - climate, this biome is more than just sand and sun. It is home to a group of organisms adapted specially for this biome.The desert holds more than just heat with a completely odd but very refreshing change in weather every now and then. And last of all, the desert plays a key role in the survival of the earth itself. This biome holds a completely unique variety of creatures and plants for you to discover, and as our team, Angela Lorenzana, Mohn Shwemoe, Ariana Artiga, and Nathan Mendez, will explain, there is so much more to learn about the majesty of the ever-timeless desert landscape.
Place on Earth
A desert is technically classified as an area of arid land with a very substantially low amount of annual rainfall and difficult environments only adapted organisms can survive in. That being said, deserts encompass nearly one-third of the Earth's land masses, being found on nearly all continents with the exception of Europe. Examples of such deserts include the following:
-North America: Great Basin Desert, Mojave Desert, Chihuahuan Desert, Sonoran Desert -South America: Sechura Desert, Atacama Desert, Monte Desert, Patagonia Desert -Asia: Gobi Desert, Ordos Desert, Betpak Dala Desert, Qyzylqum Desert, Takla Makan Desert, Garagum Desert, Thar Desert, etc. -Africa: Sahara Desert, Libyan Desert, Kalahari Desert, Namib Desert, etc. -Australia: Gibson Desert, Great Victoria Desert, Simpson Desert, etc. -Antarctica: Antarctica is one huge desert in of itself! All these deserts have several abiotic factors - but what is an abiotic factor? Abiotic factors are defined as the chemical and physical factors of a biome, which subsequently affect the type of wildlife that can grow and flourish there. Think about light, temperature, soil, available water: sound important right? The quantity and quality of these things drastically change what can live somewhere and what cannot; for example, consider plants. Some can grow with little water, and some require a lot. They also need specific components in soil in order to properly grow. As such, the same case goes for desert plants, and in turn desert animals. A list of the abiotic factors of a desert goes as follows: -Low rainfall requires animals and plants to adapt to a lack of water and to have to sustain water quantities within themselves for long periods of time. Examples of organisms that demonstrate this quality greatly are cacti and camels. -Desert slopes promote high-runoff, creating patchy growth - in other words, rain falls and the slopes cause it to run elsewhere. -Soil quality is poor, if not completely inhospitable. Plants that live in deserts have developed long roots or other forms of retaining water and surviving despite soil condition. -Temperatures can become extremely hot, or in some cases extremely cold as in Antarctica. Nevertheless, nearly all daytime temperatures - no matter the desert in which you examine - can be found to be harsh. This harshness dies down during the night, and thus many desert animals are nocturnal predators. -Plenty of sunlight can be found, the only places of refuge from it being under rock fixtures or other such structures that create shadows. Organisms that survive in these tough conditions have created adaptions galore, and some of these organisms can be detailed below: Plants -Cacti, Agave Plants, Aloe Plants, Elephant Trees, etc.: Such plants are called succulents, and they store water within their roots, fleshy leaves, and stems to conserve as much water as possible. Most have complex, lengthy root systems in order to get as much water from the barren soil as they can when it does rain. Outer aesthetics, like the spikes of a cactus, also help to protect the plants from getting their water stolen from thirsty animals. Other forms of defense include having a bitter taste and being poisonous. Animals -Caracal, Roadrunner, Horned Lizard, Bark Scorpion, Desert Toad, etc.: Animals utilize many other methods of water storage as well, with some storing it within their skin or tails. Other have adapted to drought, allowing themselves to survive even when completely dehydrated. They have also gained the ability to reduce their body heat by dissipating it into the atmosphere. With so many differing organisms within such a difficult terrain, cooperation and competition between the living beings is inevitable. Examples of helpful cooperation and dire competition include the following: -A cactus may serve as a home for a local desert bird and its nest, giving the bird protection and not harming the cactus. -Species of birds and insects may compete for cacti fruit as a food source. -Ibex fight each other for a mate, ensuring their survival. Many other animals do this in general as well. -Bats may pollinate cacti flowers, being initially drawn to the water and food the cacti can hold. They would then fly off and spread the cacti seeds as they fall off. |
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Sights to See
A variety of the local flora in the desert biome.
The desert is an amazing place to spend time with the family. You can go hiking, camping, and sight seeing. Some of the most common things to do in the dessert to go hiking. You can climb the mountains around you and also look at the animals and plants around you. There are numerous animals to see and different kinds of plants to see that you can't see anywhere else. In addition, a popular thing to do in the dessert is to go dirt biking and off-roading. Everyone has a little thrill and adventure inside of them, and this is a great way to have fun. Te desert is a perfect place for this because it has ton of land where there is no plants. This allows a lot of open space to drive and dirt bike were ever you want. To sum up your options, here is a list of what you can possibly do in a desert biome for fun:
-Hiking around approved trails
-Horseback riding
-Rock climbing
-Dirt biking/off-roading
-Tour of indigenous tribal villages
While actual points of interest may be few and far between, there are still areas of the desert worth traversing to witness. Beyond the infinite sands lay many local tribes whose cultures are deep and diverse, mountains unlike any other, and even the occasional oasis. In deserts next to modernized cities, such as the desert in Las Vegas, various attractions like role-play desert cowboy towns, gold mines, gold panning areas, and nature recreation centers can be observed and enjoyed by the public. In other areas of the Middle Eastern deserts, it is possible to arrive in bustling markets, buying trinkets made by the indigenous people. What is made out to be a barren wasteland is actually a thriving cultural mecca, if one looks at it from this angle.
Another biome near the desert is the tundra. The activies to do in the tundra are similar to do in the desert; however, the weather is not as hot in the tundra. You can go backpacking and go look at the wild life. Wildife in the tundra is different then in the desert because the climate isn't so hot; therefore, animals can easly roam around without getting overheated. Savannah biomes may be nearby as well, providing a slight transition in plant life and animal life but maintaining similar temperatures.
-Hiking around approved trails
-Horseback riding
-Rock climbing
-Dirt biking/off-roading
-Tour of indigenous tribal villages
While actual points of interest may be few and far between, there are still areas of the desert worth traversing to witness. Beyond the infinite sands lay many local tribes whose cultures are deep and diverse, mountains unlike any other, and even the occasional oasis. In deserts next to modernized cities, such as the desert in Las Vegas, various attractions like role-play desert cowboy towns, gold mines, gold panning areas, and nature recreation centers can be observed and enjoyed by the public. In other areas of the Middle Eastern deserts, it is possible to arrive in bustling markets, buying trinkets made by the indigenous people. What is made out to be a barren wasteland is actually a thriving cultural mecca, if one looks at it from this angle.
Another biome near the desert is the tundra. The activies to do in the tundra are similar to do in the desert; however, the weather is not as hot in the tundra. You can go backpacking and go look at the wild life. Wildife in the tundra is different then in the desert because the climate isn't so hot; therefore, animals can easly roam around without getting overheated. Savannah biomes may be nearby as well, providing a slight transition in plant life and animal life but maintaining similar temperatures.
Weather Report
The world is changing, and biomes are suffering as a result. Few would believe that the resilient and tenacious desert would also have threats against its survival; nonetheless, deserts across the globe are suffering from global warming and human development. Although bare, arid, and nearly lifeless, deserts are an important biome in the world ecosystem and are equally as fragile as a rain forest or grasslands.
As you traverse the arid desert landscape, be prepared to encounter a variety of different weather patterns. Depending on the time of year, these patterns could include: -Dry, scorching heat (most common weather) -Occasion rainfall (in little amounts) -Harsh, strong winds -Miscellaneous other weather patterns (rarely things like thunderstorms will occur, depending on the seasons) As stated before, the desert landscape does suffer from an increased temperature due to global warming in recent years. Currently, average rainfall in a desert stands to be approximately less than 16 inches per year, although the amount for each desert varies because of each's surrounding biomes and other factors. Average temperatures in a desert climate range from 20-25 degrees Celsius; however, exceptions like Antarctica of course range far below that heat because of their geographical location. As most of the year the desert is a hot and dry area, travelers are advised to carry essentials such as the following: -Sunscreen: important for protecting the skin from the sun's constant rays -Light, layered clothing: the desert's weather patterns are unpredictable - it is best to come prepared for any situation -Water: the beating of the sun will dehydrate a person very quickly; thus, water is necessary, emergency or not, to any desert trip -Boots/other easy-to-walk-in shoes: the sands of the desert will reach burning temperatures, so one must bring appropriate footwear for the trek |
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Warning!
Like any other place, global warming takes a great toll on these desert areas. The threat to deserts comes in things like increasingly long periods of drought and drying up water holes, which animals need for dehydration. Higher temperatures can cause wildfires throughout desert landscapes, resulting in the elimination of slow-growing trees ad shrubs. With the lack of water and high daytime temperatures deserts can be dangerous places for humans.
Although deserts seem like wild and isolated areas, threats to this environment result in a dangerous habitat to the species and land. Off-road vehicles can cause un-repairable damage to the desert habitats when driven irresponsibly. Oil and gas productions may cause sensitivity to the desert and its surroundings. Use of agriculture such as planting crops can lead to high salt levels in the soil, which will become too high to support the activities of plants in the desert. Deserts are home to many reptiles, insects, birds, and other small animals. For these animals to survive, they have to adapt to the environment where they stay in the shade of plants or rocks or scrabble underground from the heat. Endangered species such as the fennec fox, pronghorn, and caracal are slowly deceasing in population. These animals doing so due to illegal hunting, severe droughts, harsh winters, lack of vegetation and water, and loss of habitats. |
Global Analysis
The desert is an overall gem to the earth. It holds a variety of animals that otherwise wouldn't exist anywhere else, as they have adapted to the unique weather conditions of the desert. As it contains some of the harshest climate patterns in the world, these species are treasures of the desert, existing only in these biomes and adding to the variety of the world's organisms. Deserts also serve the purpose to cool adjacent biomes, this intensifying even more due to the growing epidemic of global warming. With the sun drying up the desert even more, there are organisms there are due to extinct in the next couple of years. As they learn to adapt to live under the sun, they die of dehydration and lack of food in these areas. To sum things up, the desert has given birth to a great many species of organisms different because of adaptation and evolution in the specific biome, and it helps cool the earth on which it is located in.
References
(n.d.). Baby desert fox. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3025/2594949748_e1a8977358_m.jpg
(n.d.). Common lizard. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://room42.wikispaces.com/file/view/lizard.jpg/33585377/lizard.jpg
Desert animals. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.desertanimals.net/
(2009). Desert flora. (2009). [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://webecoist.momtastic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/header5.jpg
Desert landscape. (2010). [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://weathersavvy.com/desert1_OPT.jpg
(2006). Desert strike. (2006). [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://thefifthcorner.com/wp-content/gallery/weather/Desert_Strike.jpg
Desert threats. (2013). Retrieved from
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/desert-threats/
Dimmitt, M. (2009, December 18). Adaptions of desert plants. Retrieved from
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Adaptations_of_desert_plants
(n.d.). Elephant tree. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/images/SpeciesImages/Elephant_Tree2.jpg
(n.d.). Flowering cacti. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://desertmysteries.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1170977.jpg
(n.d.). Jackal. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://warrensburg.k12.mo.us/iadventure/4320spring09/allielin/Da2.jpg
(2007). Map of deserts around the world. (2007). [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from
http://www.eduplace.com/science/hmsc/content/cricket/graphics/ckt_3c61_earth.jpg
Plant and animal adaptions to the desert. (2000). Retrieved from
http://wc.pima.edu/Bfiero/tucsonecology/adaptations/adaptations_home.htm
(n.d.). Rattlesnake. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/275476-2749-39.jpg
(n.d.). Scorpion in desert. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://schools.bcsd.com/fremont/Graphics/Science/living things/desert/scorpian.jpg
Sydenham, S. (2010, July). Desert biome. Retrieved from
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/biomedes2.htm
Ward, D. (2008). The biology of deserts. Oxford. Retrieved from
http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199211470.003.0002
(n.d.). Warning sign. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from
http://www.wpclipart.com/signs_symbol/safety_signs/safety_signs_3/warning_sign.png
World desert map. (2012, September 11). Retrieved from
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-desert-map.htm
What is a desert?. (2001, December 18). Retrieved from
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/what/
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3025/2594949748_e1a8977358_m.jpg
(n.d.). Common lizard. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://room42.wikispaces.com/file/view/lizard.jpg/33585377/lizard.jpg
Desert animals. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.desertanimals.net/
(2009). Desert flora. (2009). [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://webecoist.momtastic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/header5.jpg
Desert landscape. (2010). [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://weathersavvy.com/desert1_OPT.jpg
(2006). Desert strike. (2006). [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://thefifthcorner.com/wp-content/gallery/weather/Desert_Strike.jpg
Desert threats. (2013). Retrieved from
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/desert-threats/
Dimmitt, M. (2009, December 18). Adaptions of desert plants. Retrieved from
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Adaptations_of_desert_plants
(n.d.). Elephant tree. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/images/SpeciesImages/Elephant_Tree2.jpg
(n.d.). Flowering cacti. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://desertmysteries.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/p1170977.jpg
(n.d.). Jackal. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://warrensburg.k12.mo.us/iadventure/4320spring09/allielin/Da2.jpg
(2007). Map of deserts around the world. (2007). [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from
http://www.eduplace.com/science/hmsc/content/cricket/graphics/ckt_3c61_earth.jpg
Plant and animal adaptions to the desert. (2000). Retrieved from
http://wc.pima.edu/Bfiero/tucsonecology/adaptations/adaptations_home.htm
(n.d.). Rattlesnake. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/275476-2749-39.jpg
(n.d.). Scorpion in desert. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from
http://schools.bcsd.com/fremont/Graphics/Science/living things/desert/scorpian.jpg
Sydenham, S. (2010, July). Desert biome. Retrieved from
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/biomedes2.htm
Ward, D. (2008). The biology of deserts. Oxford. Retrieved from
http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199211470.003.0002
(n.d.). Warning sign. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from
http://www.wpclipart.com/signs_symbol/safety_signs/safety_signs_3/warning_sign.png
World desert map. (2012, September 11). Retrieved from
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-desert-map.htm
What is a desert?. (2001, December 18). Retrieved from
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/what/