Jerica Rode and Tara Banfield Deserts Jerica Rode and Tara Banfield

What is a desert? Less than 50 cm/year Occupies 20% of the land surface of the Earth Four types Hot and dry Semiarid Coastal Cold

Where are they located? Deserts

General Characteristics: Soil Lithosols Stone or mineral soil Evaporated water leaves deposits of salt Shrubbery and animals add nutrients

General Characteristics: Plants Plant hair helps to reduce evaporation Produce small leaves in response to rainfall Some remain as seeds and only germinate during wet periods Ephemerals

Hot and Dry Desert Annual temperature: 20-25°C Annual rainfall: 1.5 – 28 cm/year Plants Small, thick, and covered in cuticles Open their stomata at night Animals include species that are able to burrow

Semiarid Desert Summer Temperature: 21-27°C Annual rainfall: 2 - 4 cm/year Plants Spiny for protection Some are glossy to reflect radiation Animals Avoid direct sunlight

Coastal Desert Average temperature: 13-24°C Average rainfall: 8-13 cm/year Plants Some plants form ridges/grooves to hold water Thick fleshy leaves/stems to store water Animals Some are able to speed up their life cycle in ideal conditions

Cold Desert Long, cold winters and warmer summers Annual temperature: -2 - 4°C Annual precipitation: 15- 26cm Plants are scattered Animals burrow