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Desert
Global Locations and Climate
Deserts are characterized by dry, lifeless grounds. They receive from less than an inch to 15 inches of rainfall annually, sometimes more than the tundra.
The weather in the desert fluctuates frequently, sometimes peaking 100 degrees F in the daytime to 20 or 30 degrees F at night.
Dominant Plant and Animal Species
Shrubs are the dominant plant species in deserts. They typically have small leaves, and thorns or a rough coating to protect themselves from the harsh weather. Their roots are shallow but long, enabling them to dig deep for the water that is so rare around those areas.
Reptiles, with their waterproof skins, are of wide variety in the desert. Most desert animals are noctournal, coming out in the cool of the night instead of the sweltering heat of the day.
Environmental Issues
-All organisms in the desert have to deal with the extreme droughts that happen every once in a while, as well as the scorching heat of the sun during the daytime and cool nights.
-Although it seems that global warming would not effect an area that is already as hot as the desert, the plant and animal life in deserts are actually affected by the small number of increasing degrees. It is already hard to maintain a good water supply in the desert, and with more and more heat coming in and evaporation going on, that is getting harder and harder for them. Global warming is drying up the water holes in the deserts, which are the main source of water for the organisms that live there.
-The higher temperatures increase probability of fires occuring in the desert, which kills the organisms living in the area. it cuts down the already meager amount of trees, making the land more barren than ever.