Big Ideas: The Desert and Living Things That Habitat There
Where Is It Found?
The location of a desert is dependent on two factors, latitude and global wind patterns (Education Portal, 2015). Most deserts are located between 15' and 35' latitude and can be found both north and south of the equator (Education Portal, 2015). In terms of global wind patterns, most deserts are located within the Southeastern and Northeastern trade winds belt (Education Portal, 2015). Due to the direction of the wind movement in these regions, the land receives dry air because the moisture is removed before the air gets to that area (Education Portal, 2015).
Most deserts are formed because the moisture is removed from the air over the tropical rainforests before traveling to these regions (Education Portal, 2015). Deserts can also be created when the air they receive passes over a mountain range first (Education Portal, 2015). When the air rises to move over the mountain range, it cools, and the moisture in the air is lost as rain. As a result, when the air gets over the mountain range, it is very dry (Education Portal, 2015). |
Climate
The temperature of a desert has defining and unique characteristic (Education Portal, 2015). Deserts are usually warmer during the day than they are at night, and the difference in temperature is quite drastic (Education Portal, 2015). The average daytime temperature is around 100°F, while at night the average temperature is 25°F (Education Portal, 2015). The large temperature difference is due to low amount of moisture in the desert air (Education Portal, 2015). Normally, moisture in the air retains heat and helps regulate temperature, but due to the fact that there is very little moisture in the air, there is nothing to retain the heat created during the day by the sun (Education Portal, 2015). As a result, when the sun sets, the heat escapes and the temperature drops drastically (Education Portal, 2015).
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Precipitation
A desert is defined as an area that receives less than 10 inches (25 centimeters), of precipitation a year (Education Portal, 2015). Although most often we think of deserts as places that do not get much rain, the precipitation received in deserts can be in the form of either rain or snow (Education Portal, 2015). Deserts that receive rain as their main form of precipitation are referred to as 'hot' deserts, while deserts that receive snow as their main form of precipitation are 'cold' deserts (Education Portal, 2015).
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A Habitat For Many Living Things
Many different kinds of animals can be found in a desert. Some of those animals include, bobcat, cactus wren, coyote, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Desert Kangaroo Rat, javelin, emu, eagle, Cactus Ferruginous Owl, Sonoran Pronghorn antelope, aardwolf, addax, armadillo, badger, camel, Dassie Rat, cougar, cotton rat, cheetah, and elephant (Desert Biomes, 2000).
Several types of amphibians also find habitat in a desert. Some of those amphibians include, Tiger Salamander, Woodhouse's Toad, great basin spadefoot, Amargosa Toad, Southwestern Toad, Pacific Tree Frog, bull frog, and Vegas Valley Leopard Frog (Desert Biomes, 2000). Many different kids of reptiles can be found in a desert. Some of those reptiles include, desert tortoise, Texas Spiny Soft-shell, Desert Banded Gecko, Desert Iguana, Zebra Tailed Lizard, racer, rattle snake, night snake, and desert glossy snake (Desert iomes, 2000). |
Various types of insects find habitat in the desert. Some of those insects include, tarantula, black widow, hairy scorpion, wind scorpion, sun spider, giant crab spider, honey bee, giant centipede, blister beetle, plume moth, cicada, and dragon fly (desert biomes, 2000).
Many kinds of plants can also be found in a desert. Some those plants are, Saguaro Cactus, Barrel Cactus, Old Man Cactus, Prickly Pear Cactus, Dragon Tree, Fish Hook Cactus, Desert Spoon, Aloe, Joshua Tree, and Yucca (Desert Biomes, 2000). |
References:
Desert Biomes. (2000). Desert Animals. Retrieved from http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_animal_page.htm on January 29, 2015
Educational Portal. (2015). Desert biomes: facts, climates, & locations. Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/desert-biomes-facts-climate-locations.html on January 29, 2015fdsm,.fsd dsagjkasdkfg
on January 29, 2015 on ondafsdjkl
Image_http://www.explorebiodiversity.com/Mexico/Pages/Habitats/images/desertmap.jpg
Image_http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Thorn_Tree_Sossusvlei_Namib_Desert_Namibia_Luca_Galuzzi_2004a.JPG
Image_http://www.arizonensis.org/images/arthropoda/diceroprocta_apache.jpg
Image_http://cabezaprieta.org/images/hedrick/coyote.jpg
Image_http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Thorn_Tree_Sossusvlei_Namib_Desert_Namibia_Luca_Galuzzi_2004a.JPG
Desert Biomes. (2000). Desert Animals. Retrieved from http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_animal_page.htm on January 29, 2015
Educational Portal. (2015). Desert biomes: facts, climates, & locations. Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/desert-biomes-facts-climate-locations.html on January 29, 2015fdsm,.fsd dsagjkasdkfg
on January 29, 2015 on ondafsdjkl
Image_http://www.explorebiodiversity.com/Mexico/Pages/Habitats/images/desertmap.jpg
Image_http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Thorn_Tree_Sossusvlei_Namib_Desert_Namibia_Luca_Galuzzi_2004a.JPG
Image_http://www.arizonensis.org/images/arthropoda/diceroprocta_apache.jpg
Image_http://cabezaprieta.org/images/hedrick/coyote.jpg
Image_http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Thorn_Tree_Sossusvlei_Namib_Desert_Namibia_Luca_Galuzzi_2004a.JPG