What comes to your mind when you hear the mention of the word ‘desert’?
For most people, a hot, dry area where temperatures are extremely high comes to mind, right?
But, while it is true that all deserts are dry, they do not have to be hot. We have cold deserts, and a perfect case in point is the Gobi Desert in Asia.
What all regions classified as ‘desert’ share in common, besides being arid, is that they are cold at night and receive little precipitation. Still, even with such low rainfall, some plants can adapt to survive such conditions.
Many different components go into making a desert ecosystem. Among those are:
- Structure
- Characteristics
- Animals
The ecosystem is dependent upon the type of desert (whether temperate deserts, also referred to as cold deserts, or hot, now subtropical deserts).
Cold and Hot deserts may be two worlds apart in terms of the ecosystem types, but there are a few similarities.
Similarities of temperate and subtropical deserts:
- Daily temperature difference can exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit (~44 degrees Celsius)
- Both receive less than 10 inches of precipitation in a year.
- Dry air is found in both types of biomes.
- Both have harsh living conditions that affect humans and animals dwelling there.
- Plants have adjusted to comparatively lower water supply and harsher temperature conditions.
- Animals are adaptive in the area relative to their energy use, food intake, and concerning the time they choose to be active.
In general, a desert is made up of a number of abiotic components, some of which are sand, lack of moisture, extreme hot or cold temperatures, and basically anything else non-living that composes an ecosystem.
However, there are also a number of biotic factors that affect deserts, which include living things like as plants and animals.
Abiotic Components
Factors falling under the abiotic components include; climate, location, temperature, and precipitation.
Let us take a close examination of each one of these elements;
Climate
There is a difference between temperate deserts and subtropical deserts regarding climate.
Temperate Deserts
An example of this would be a temperate desert is Antarctica. The temperatures are actually so cold, in fact, too cold, that they could even lead to the death of humans.
However, there are still animals that inhabit these deserts. In order to cope, these creatures over time have developed with the passage of time. They add extra fat or simply need less food and energy to sustain themselves.
Subtropical Deserts
Too many animals and plants do not stand the heat of these deserts. The animals that occupy these deserts have adapted to survive long periods without water.
They are nocturnal, coming out only during night hours when it is cooler and easier to move without the possibility of overheating.
In addition, these animals are required to adapt to the colder nights. Plants are required to adapt to obtaining less water, so their numbers are limited, and tend to grow close to the ground.
Location
Mountains
The emergence of deserts is due to two main reasons, rainshadow effect formed by mountains and the extensive global wind belts.
As the air containing moisture rises the slopes of the mountains, it cools and gives out precipitation on the side of the mountain facing the wind. For big mountain ranges, the leeward side wind contains very little moisture.
As a result, deserts tend to be near to mountainous areas such as:
- The Caucasus mountains in Asia, which has the Karakum and Kyzyl Kum deserts;
- Chile’s Atacama desert, which is partly caused by the Andes mountains;
- The Atacama desert,t which is bordered by parts of California, which hasthe Santa Cruz mountains;
- The Sahara Desert is surrounded by several mountain ranges.
Wind Patterns
A major factor to the location of deserts is global and complex wind patterns, also known as geo-systems. Global winds are caused because equatorial regions have warmer temperatures and the poles is much cooler.
Circulatory winds are caused by cooler regions having high pressure and the warmer regions having lower pressure. Winds travel from high-pressure to low-pressure region,s causing the formation of different desert regimes.
The formation, location, and type of deserts is greatly influenced by the amount of time passed and geologic time.
Horse latitude areas are typically located between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer, which lie between 15 and 30 degree north of the equator. This is the location where a majority of the worlds deserts are situated.
Sahara, which is over 65 million years old, and Kalahari, located in central north Africa, are examples of geoanctient deserts. In North America, three out of four major deserts are located in a geological region known as the Range Province and Basin, which is located between the Sierra Nevadas, the Rocky Mountains, and extends south into the Sonora state in Mexico.
Heavy rainfall thousands of years ago, along with erosion, shaped the many deserts into their current form. The mountain slopes and hill rock are susceptible to erosion, which causes loose sediment, sand, cobbles and boulders to be swept away, along with water.
Sediment from the mountains filled the basin as water was flowing downhill. The water was settled, and spread over a large area where the mouths of canyons were wider.
Temperature
The temperature of a specific desert will change according to its geographic location. However, a common feature of all deserts is the lack of rainfall. Water vapor in the form of clouds or humidity reflects heat and results in a cooling effect.
Due to the processes and the traits associated with all of them, areas characterized as deserts have extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold.
These shifts in temperatures may have other impacts. Fast changes in temperatures cause the air to move rapidly from one place to another; cool air sinks while warm air rises. Because of these reasons, deserts tend to be windy, and those conditions ensure evaporation.
Clear, dry air allows roughly 90% of sunlight to pass through, which is a sharp contrast to the rest of the world, where only 40% of sunlight is available due to clouds and warm moist air.
Accompanied with this surplus sunlight, comes a risk as ultraviolet radiation is abundant and poses a threat to animals, plants and humans, severely impacting their wellbeing.
Precipitation
Deserts receive very little precipitation, but when they do it is highly unexpected and uneven. The amounts of precipitation received are inconsistent and change from year to year.
There are some years when the desert seems to get more rainfall than usual. However, the majority of years include very little to no rainfall. In fact, an entire year can pass by without a single drop of rain falling on the desert.
Biotic Components
Existing organisms within biotic components of the desert include two classifications, one of which is plant life while the other is animal life.
Plant Life
Every single living thing and organism requires water in some way. However, there is a greater level of water stress in the desert. Thus, plants growing in deserts, which are also called xerophytes, utilize special mechanisms to survive.
Plant Adaptations
- The seeds of annual plants will remain dormant until there is a reasonable amount of rainfall that would support the growth of a young plant.
- In the case of cacti and some other succulent plants, water is stored within the spines, which were formerly leaves. Photosynthesis occurs in the stem, which has pleats able to expand quickly when rain is available.
- Evergreen vegetation is equipped with protective structures such as way cuticles and sunken stomata to help retain water and prevent water loss. For instance, the leaves of holly plants are positioned at a 70-degree angle which allows the plant to receive sunlight solely on its sides. As the sun descends in the afternoon, the entire leaf gets sunlight. The leaves also possess fine salt coatings that aid in reflecting sunlight off the plant.
Deserts account for more than a fifth of the Earth’s land surface. The absence of water poses a survival challenge for humans, animals, plants, and other organisms alike. Apart from the low precipitation, deserts are also subjected to high amounts of evaporation from the soil and through the transpiration of plants.
Evapotranspiration results from the union of two processes: evaporation and transpiration. Potential evapotranspiration defines the amount of water which would be lost due to transpiration and evaporation when they are feasible. In controlled settings, scientists measure this figure using a large pan filled with water.
The soil in a desert region has a distinctive coarseness, which causes the limited amount of moisture to be less available to plants. Because of the high evaporation rate, salts also accumulate. In addition, there is very little primary productivity, and plant growth is limited as soil becomes alkaline.
Animal Life
Due to the harsh conditions of the desert, which include extreme temperatures and lack of water, individual animal populations are small in size. Out of all ecosystems, deserts are some of the most fragile.
It’s important for tourists to the desert region to protect and take care of themselves, as the environment is nothing like the surroundings of any other region.
The common perception is that nothing can live in a desert, but there are a few species that are fully adapted to harsh weather conditions and the unique plant life found there.
- Animals like camels can be found in the desert as where a water source is sparse. The African desert is also where the endangered Lion species live, although their population is on decline due to human interaction and harsh weather conditions.
- Smaller rodents include gerbil while larger ones such as hedgehogs also inhabit the desert. Another popular addition to desert wildlife are hyenas and jackals.
- Ample amounts of lizards and snakes, as well as some amphibians like certain species of toads and salamanders, thrive in the hot dry climate of the desert.
Importance of Desert Ecosystem
Regardless of the enormous variation in temperature, changes in vegetation and population, the desert biome is significantly essential for every living being.
Deserts are present in all continents and although water is scarce, it is equally critical for animals, humans, and nature.
1. Flora & Fauna
Deserts are rich in many distinct species of plants and wildlife that have changed as per the conditions of their environment. They are also home to different livestock which include camels, goats and antelopes serving as the basic source of income for the population.
In northern Africa and in the Middle East, desert shrubs and trees such as figs and olives are an important source of food, while dates, a biblical-era cultivated delicacy, adds nutritional value bewilderingly.Hy sosi mà lu sh nvhu phũ wilsh ni ni i olallyear.
Humans benefits from the existence of these animals and plants because of the biodiversity that has come to being. As North Africa and Asia deserts domesticated camels have been highly reliable pack animals for centuries.
A large number of biotic factors such as animals and insects are able to support life and survive in the desert. And sustain chance the chance to thrive in such posed conditions while getting nourished with water, food and shelter.
2. Mineral Resources
On planet Earth there are 15 known types of mineral deposits, 13 of which can be found in the desert. Dry desert conditions create and concentrate key minerals.
Evaporating water rich in minerals forms in deserts. From gypsum, potassium, nitrates, borates to salts, a multitude of minerals are able to be found. With limited vegetation the region carved by Mother Nature accelerates mineral extraction causing the transcendence of gems.
According to the United Nations, more than half of all the copper mined in the world is produced in the deserts of Mexico, Australia, and Chile.
Other minerals and metals such as bauxite, gold, and diamonds can similarly be amassed in the deserts of China, the United States, and Namibia. Desert regions also contain 75% of the estimated oil reserves in the globe.
3. Carbon Sinks
As per a report published in Science Daily, desert sands serve as crucial components to the makeup of Earth’s carbon sinks. Researchers found out that cyanobacteria located in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana aid in the capture and storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Such drought tolerant bacteria have the ability to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide, and collectively, these organisms sequester substantial amounts of organic carbon into nutrient depleted sands.
Given that carbon dioxide is one of the primary contributors to global warming, the ability of these desert sands to mitigate carbon emissions makes them potentially critical for preserving global climate.
4. Archeological Discoveries
Low humidity is exceptionally suited to the conservation of human relics and remains. Modern-day archaeologists came to know about ancient civilizations from mummified human remains found in countries like Peru, China, and Egypt have taught.
In March 2010, the New York Times reported the discovery of a 4,000-year-old cemetery containting 200 European facial corpses in a terrifying desert located in middle of Tibet, China.
The region which is now called Xinjiang region of China is occupied by people with brown hair and long noses suggesting they are of European descent. This discovery was helpful in increasing the understanding of how societies were structured back then.
5. Leisure and Tourism
The unique allure of the deserts captivates millions of tourists endlessly. The Middle Eastern and North Africa deserts is home to various well preserved archeological remains such as the Great Pyramids of Giza located in Egypt, the ancient city of Petra in Jordan and historical Carthage.
Modern New Mexico, Utah and Arizona form the written tapestry of splendid merger of culture and history of ancient Chaco civilization, and the Persian Hohokum and Anasazi people’s.
The Anasazi structures at Mesa Verde are an astonishing sight, as is the Casa Grande monument in Arizona, erected by the Hohokum Culture. Numerous sites and artifacts have been discovered in the Atacama region in the south of the continent.
6. Bio-Prospecting
Desert vegetation has distinct features that enable them to cope with unforgiving desert environments. Some scientists do believe that some of these adaptations may be useful in medicine.
A recent UN report on the world’s deserts indicated that there has been a survey of the flora in the Negev desert in Israel which has identified plants that may have anti-malarial properties.