The DesSert The thing that you ask yourself about during the summer time “Why in the freakin heck do I live here?”

What is a Desert? Primarily defined by their lack of rain. Dry, arid environments. Generally get 10 in or less per year over 30 years. When it rains, it POURS!!!!

Where are they found? Found parallel to the equator between 25-35 degrees latitude. ALL Desert areas have low vegetaition and cover for shade

How is it Formed? The Rain Shadow! Warm, moist air travels from the sea, toward land. Moist, air encounters mountains and cools clouds condensing them. Clouds release rain on the top of the mountains. Cool mountain air travels down the other side, warming and drying up. Boom, Warm dry air = Desert.

Types of Deserts Hot & Dry: Rocky soil with great drainage. Rapid Evaporation. Long HOT summers, Short COLD winters. Cold Deserts: Polar Regions. Heavy Snowfall and hardly any water. Long COLD Winters, Short WARM Summers.

Examples of Hot Deserts The Great American Deserts: Great Basin, Mojave, Chihuahuan, Sonoran Arabian Sahara Gobi Australian

Examples of Cold Deserts Antarctic Icelandic

Cool Facts About Deserts Deserts cover 20% of the Earths surface and are still growing due to Human Activities, Climate change etc. The Sahara is the biggest desert in the world. The Sonoran is the most biologically diverse desert in the world! The 2nd coldest temperature ever recorded was in the Antarctic at -128.1 degrees F. 1st being my heart. The hottest recorded temperature was in Death Valley which was 134 degrees F. The smallest desert is the Carcross Desert in Canada that measures about 1 Square mile. The Sonoran is Considered one of the wettest deserts on earth averaging 3-16 inches a year for the past 10 years. The driest desert is the Atacama desert which averages .01 CM of rain a year for the past ten years.

The Sonoran Desert Home of:

What you might see

Vs. What I see

Sonoran Snip-its The Sonoran Desert is the Wettest Desert on average 3-16 in per year. The Sonoran Desert is the most biologically diverse desert in the world! Most ecologically balanced desert in the world. over 500 types of animals and 2000 plants, many of which are only found here. 3 “nurse trees” are the backbone of the sonoran desert.

Where is the Sonoran? Mid to Southern Arizona. Southern California. Parts of Baja, California. Northwest Mexico.

How was our Desert Formed? Warm, moist air travels from the sea, toward land. Moist, air encounters mountains and cools clouds condensing them. Clouds release rain on the top of the mountains. Cool mountain air travels down the other side, warming and drying up. Boom, Warm dry air = Desert. In your notes… put THE RAIN SHADOW!

Types of Land Formations

Alluvial plane A Descending Slope of Sediment cause by rain and floods usually from a canyon.

Sand Dunes Sand Dunes are hills or mounds of loose sand and sediment made by rolling winds.

Bajada (Bah-Ha-Dah!) also known as the cactus zone Bajadas are collections of alluvial fans formed by rain.

Canyon Deep, steep, narrow cuts in large bodies of rocks formed by wind and water erosion.

Goal for Today Describe 3 Characteristics of alluvial plain’s Identify 3 plants AND animals that live in the alluvial plain. Define and describe an arroyo. Describe why the Alluvial plain is so important for the life living in the Sonoran desert. Define 3 Characteristics of Sand Dunes. Identify 3 plants AND animals that live in the Sand Dunes. Describe how you can determine wind direction by dunes. Describe why the Sand Dunes are so important for the life living in the Sonoran Desert. Describe 3 characteristics of Bajadas. Identify 3 Plants AND animals that live in the Bajada. Describe 3 characteristics of the endemic cactus in the Sonoran. Describe why the bajada is so important to the life living in the Sonoran Desert. Identify 3 canyon characteristics. Identify 3 plants AND animals that live in the Canyons. Describe 2 ways in which canyons can be so dangerous. Describe why canyons are so important to the life living in the Sonoran desert.

#AlluvialGoals Describe 3 Characteristics of alluvial plain’s Identify 3 plants AND animals that live in the alluvial plain. Define and describe an arroyo. Describe why the Alluvial plain is so important for the life living in the Sonoran desert.

#SandDunegoals Define 3 Characteristics of Sand Dunes. Identify 3 plants AND animals that live in the Sand Dunes. Describe how you can determine wind direction by dunes. Describe why the Sand Dunes are so important for the life living in the Sonoran Desert.

#BajadaGoals Describe 3 characteristics of Bajadas. Identify 3 Plants AND animals that live in the Bajada. Describe 3 characteristics of the endemic cactus in the Sonoran. Describe why the bajada is so important to the life living in the Sonoran Desert.

#CanyonGoals Identify 3 canyon characteristics. Identify 3 plants AND animals that live in the Canyons. Describe 2 ways in which canyons can be so dangerous. Describe why canyons are so important to the life living in the Sonoran desert.

Gallery Walk Questions What is the region? What are the plants that live in this region? What are the animals that live in this region? Why is this region important to the desert life that lives in it?

How do we survive the desert? Plants and animals have 3 ways to survive!

Endure To stay and adapt to the desert heat.

Plants endure by… waxy feel to reflect sunlight. Long roots Smooth bark Small leaves Example: Palo Verde and mesquite trees.

Saguaro Cactus Palo verde is the tree, walkers and ahletes at the end of the day walk under every day! It’s the 2nd most abundant tree in the sonoran. Mesquite tree (middle): Most abundant tree. Has one root underground that reaches about 80 ft under. You can eat the dried mesquite seeds in the spring/summer! Saguaro: Has a huge tap root that goes under as far as it is tall. It is its own ecosystem. Houses many creatures. Stores water for itself. They can live up to 300 years+!

Animals Endure by.. Absorb moisture from food Low water needs

Coyotes and diamond back Rattlesnakes Coyote: Eats small animals and birds and gets moisture from its dead victims. Rattlesnakes: Absorbs water from small mice and smaller creatures.

Evade Animal or plant that has not changed physically but has a tactic to survive the harsh conditions.

Plants Evade by… Hibernation during the summer

Jojoba Octillo (Left): those spikey twigs that always look dead. They’re not dead they’re sleeping. They will turn that beautiful green color in the spring time! Creosote: It is a hibertnator as well. HOWEVER the creosote is a mean bush. It injects a certain chemical in the ground within its vicinity to kill off other plants that want to grow next to it. Most abundant bush in the sonoran.

Animals Evade By.. Estivation (summer time hibernation) Cold blooded burrowing

desert toads Kangaroo rats: They burrow underground building elaborate tunnels that actually reduce temperature by an estimated 20 degrees! Theyre also great escape routes for when being chased by snakes. Desert Toads: Keep cool by keeping skin moist. Also burrows underground durring the summer and estivate. (Low activity outside until the end of summer)

Escape Plant or animal leaves the habitat to avoid harsh weather or drought.

Plants Escape by.. Dying. No Seriously, they just die but before that release their seed as a final hurrah to populate the land

Desert paintbrush Teddy bear cholla: these guys are SUPER FRAGILE. Once the summer hits their arms break off joint by joint and disperse when wind comes, those arms then regrow into a whole new plant. Desert paintbrush: Commonly found in the bajada. These guys will blow their seeds when windy days hit to allow further dispersion of seeds.

Animals Escape by… Migration, typically animals go up north for the Summer.

Anna’s Hummingbird and Javelinas Hummingbird: Will travel up north for a staycation up toward north AZ. Javelinas: will escape the heat up into the mountains and birth up there.