Desert Ecosystem/BIome

BY DAN.K

2024.6.4

CLIMATE

From NASA Earth Observatory

CAiro, Egypt

The image on the left is a climograph of Cairo, a city in Egypt, which is part of the Sahara Desert. The average temperature throughout the year is 20 to 25 degrees. There is little precipitation and through June to September, there are close to none.

Calama, Chile

Calama, a city of Chile, is part of the Atacama Desert. Similar to Cairo, there are less or none precipitation throughout the year. However, compared to Cairo, the temperature relatively stays cool.

From NASA Earth Observatory

The climate in Desert Biomes are characterized by very low precipitation and humidity. The temperature average does not change that much throughout the year, compared to other biomes. However, there is a huge temperature difference between night and day. At daytime, the temperature rises to about 38 degrees celsius, while at night, it drops to -4 degrees.

VEGETATION

Vegetation in deserts are characterized by cacti, shrubs, short grasses and bushes. The earth of a desert is covered with dry soil, sand or gravle. The unique shapes and characteristics of plants that can be seen in the desert are results of them trying to adapt and live through the harsh climate. Most plants have evolved to store precious water in their body and avoid direct hit of sunlight. However, because of limited resources and extreme weather, most plants don't grow as much, leading to less vegetation compared to other biomes.

SAHARA DESERT

As it is shown from the image, of the Sahara Desert, above, there are very less vegetation and the earth is covered with sand.

ANTARCTICA

The Antarctica, defined as a polar desert, also has similar characteristics of low humidity and less vegetation, as we can see in the image above.

NATURE OF SCIENCE

FACTORS THAT AFFECT DESERT BIOMES

Natural Factors

GLOBAL WARMING / CLIMATE CHANGE

Slight changes in temperature or precipitation can drastically impact the vegetation in desert biomes. It is said that global warming can accelerate desertification, increasing the area of desert biome in earth. In addition global warming can have a negative effect on desert biomes. High temperature due to global warming increases the dangers of wildfire, especially in dry places like the desert.

Anthropogenic factors

HUMAN ACTIVTIES

Human activities such as deforestation and grazing of animals can also lead to desertification of semiarid areas. The large-scale cutting of trees and grazing animals can destroy plants and animals within an area, promoting desertification. Increase in deserts lead to a lack of trees and agricultural land. These could be a negative effect for us, humans.