Desert Biomes

Climate Information Arid Deserts: Temperature ranges from 10 to 30 degrees C throughout the year. However, there tend to be large daily fluctuations in temperature – very hot during the day and very cold at night. Cold Deserts: In some areas of the world, there are temperate climates that receive very little rainfall, such as coastal and mountain areas. Antarctica is also considered a cold desert. In all deserts, rainfall is less than 25 cm (approx. 10 in.) per year.

Plants in the Arid Desert The dominant plants in the desert are succulents, which have stems and leaves covered with a waxy coating, which helps them store water. Joshua Tree Aster Hedgehog Cactus Barrel Cactus Saguaro Cactus

Plants in the Cold Desert Salt bush Rice grass Black sage

Animals in the Arid Desert Addax Cactus Wren Dingo Sand Rat Gila Monster Fennec Fox Thorny Devil Many desert animals are nocturnal, or active at night, and burrow into the ground during day.

Animals in the Cold Desert Brown skua Antarctica:Gobi: Snow leopard Guanaco Emperor penguins Onager Patagonia: Tuco-tuco

Threats to the Biome Global Warming The polar ice caps that make up the cold deserts of Antarctica are slowly melting, changing ocean temperatures, salinity, and sea level. Lack of Water As cities along the west coast become more populated, they draw water away from their natural sources, including the desert Southwest. Urbanization In many places, the desert is being converted to housing developments and golf courses.

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