Desert, WHAT IS ARID LAND OR DESERT HABITATS? Arid land or desert refers to an area of very low rainfall and high evaporation rate. Arid lands are the driest habitats, receiving less than 25cm of annual rainfall.
A desert habitat is a geographical area characterized by its arid and dry climate, with little rainfall and extreme temperature fluctuations.
Deserts cover about one-fifth of the Earth’s land surface and can be found on every continent. Despite their harsh conditions, deserts are home to a surprising variety of plants and animals that have adapted to survive in this challenging environment.
Climate: Deserts typically receive very little rainfall, often less than 250 millimetres (10 inches) of precipitation per year. The lack of moisture results in low humidity and high evaporation rates, leading to dry conditions.
temperatures during the day and much cooler temperatures at night.
Plants: Desert plants have evolved various adaptations to thrive in the arid environment. Some common desert plants include cacti, succulents, and shrubs.
Many of these plants have extensive root systems to absorb water efficiently when it becomes available, and some store water within their tissues to survive through long periods of drought.
Animals: Desert animals have also adapted unique features to survive in extreme conditions. Some of these adaptations include the ability to conserve water, burrowing to escape the heat, and being active during cooler periods, such as early morning or evening.
Examples of desert animals include camels, which can store water in their humps, and lizards, which can regulate their body temperature through behavioural strategies.
Insects and other invertebrates: Deserts are home to a wide variety of insects and invertebrates that have developed remarkable survival strategies. Many insects in deserts are nocturnal to avoid the scorching heat of the day, and some can extract water from the food they eat.
Human impact: Human activities can have significant impacts on desert habitats. Overgrazing by livestock, mining, urban development, and off-road vehicle use can lead to desertification – the process by which fertile land becomes desert. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect and preserve these unique ecosystems and the biodiversity they support.
Deserts are fascinating and fragile ecosystems that showcase the resilience and adaptability of life. Their unique plants and animals have developed incredible strategies to thrive in one of the most challenging environments on Earth.
TYPES OF ARID LAND OR DESERT HABITAT
There are two major types of arid lands or deserts. These are hot deserts and cold deserts.
characteristics of Hot deserts:
hot deserts of the world are located on the western coasts of the continents within latitude 15o-30o North and South of the equator. Examples of hot deserts are the Sahara desert (North Africa), the Arabian desert and Kalahari deserts (South Africa), Great Australia desert (Australia) and the Atacama deserts of South America.
characteristics of Cold deserts:
cold deserts are located or found in the interiors of the continents around 45o-60o North and South of the equator. The deserts are found in the interior of Eurasia, North America and in Patagonia (South America)
Characteristics of Arid Lands (hot deserts)
The major characteristics of arid lands (hot deserts) include the following:
1.
Scarcity of water: rainfall in arid land is very low and it may occur on a few occasions during a whole year and it is always below 25cm per annum.
Hot temperatures of a desert:
the temperature of the desert are usually very high, especially during the day but very low at night.
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Presence of sandy soils:
the nature of soil in arid land is sandy or rocky as there is little or no vegetation to improve the soil.
High sunshine: the sunshine in arid land is very high since there is little vegetation to shield it rays.
The predominance of strong winds:
strong winds are often associated with deserts since there is no vegetation cover to reduce the speed of winds.
Poor vegetation:
the hot deserts have scanty vegetation. It has short and scanty grasses with little and scattered trees and shrubs.
Low relative humidity
the relative humidity of hot deserts is usually very low since the area is characterized by low rainfall, high temperature and scanty vegetation.
8.
Presence of drought-resistant plants:
the hot desert is characterized by the presence of drought-resistant (xerophytic) plant species such as thorny bushes, bulbous cacti, dwarf acacias, and oleander.
Distribution of organisms (plant species) in arid lands or hot deserts
Plant species commonly found in hot deserts include drought-resistant plants like thorny bushes, bulbous cacti, scattered dwarf acacia, wiring grasses, date palm, baobab trees and euphorbia spp.
Adaptive features of plants in arid lands Adaptive features of Cactus: cactus is a leafless plant with prickles or thorns to reduce transpiration. It also has thick succulent stem and side branches to store water for a long drought.
2. Adaptive features of Acacia: this is a drought-resistant plant, it has deep roots which absorb underground water deep down in the soil.
3. Adaptive features of the Baobab tree: the leaves are waxy, hairy or needle-shaped to help reduce the rate of transpiration.
Adaptive features of Wiring grasses in the desert
it has narrow and slender leaves which helps to reduce the rate of transpiration in the plant. Adaptive features of Oleander: this plant has extremely deep roots which are able to absorb underground water deep down in the soil. distribution of organisms (animal species) in arid lands
Animals commonly found in arid lands
include camel, rodents (e.g. rats), lizards, snakes, toads, zebras, desert tortoises, pocket mice, locusts, grasshoppers, ants, butterflies, moths and beetles.
Adaptive features of animals in arid lands
- Adaptive features of Camel in desert habitat: a camel can drink a lot of water to sustain itself for several days and hence can withstand a wide range of body temperatures up to 40oC during the day. It can also walk for several days without drinking water.
2. Adaptive features of Kangaroo rat: this animal remains in a burrow during the day to avoid excessive heat thereby cutting evaporation from its body.
3. Adaptive features of Lizards and snakes These animals have scales which limit the rate of water loss from their body.
4. Adaptive features of Locust: it has water-proof bodies and impervious cuticles. It also produces dry waste products, e.g. uric acid and guanine to enable it to conserve water.
Adaptive features of the Food chain in arid or desert land habitat
The food chain in arid land can be demonstrated by the following examples:
1. Plants==Desert rats==snakes
2. Plants==Locusts==Wasps==Lizards
3. Plants==Ants==Scorpions==Snakes
Factors affecting arid lands
The major abiotic factors affecting arid land are almost the same as that of grassland. These factors are temperature, rainfall, sunlight, wind, and low relative humidity.
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Originally posted 2025-01-18 18:48:21.