Hot Desets

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  • Created by: rachmhw
  • Created on: 17-04-19 16:06
what is the climate like in hot deserts?
very little rainfall (<250 mm a year), temperatures are extreme (45 degrees during day, 5 degrees during night)
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what is the soil like in hot deserts?
shall with a coarse, gravelly texture. hardly any leaf fall, infertile, soil is dry due to no rain
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what are the plants like in hot deserts?
sparse due to lack of rainfall, plants: cacti and thornbushes, quite short plants, have short life cycles, only appear when it rains
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what are animals like in hot deserts?
animals are adapted to survive harsh environment, animals: lizards, snakes, insects, scorpions, usually small and nocturnal, birds leave desert during hottest conditions
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what are people like in hot deserts?
many people live and grow a few crops on desert fringes, indigenous people are nomadic - travel all the time for water and food for herbs
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how are plants,animals and soil interdependent?
plants gain nutrients through soil and provide for animals. animals then spread seeds in dungs helping plants reproduce
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how are climate and soil interdependent?
hot and dry climate = salty soil due to high evaporation and low nutrients due to little decomposition of dead material = plants struggle to grow
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how are plants and animals interdependent?
sparse vegetation = limits food available = deserts only support low-density population of animals
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how are water, soil and animals/ people interdependent?
water is scarce = coarse soil means any rainfall drains away quickly = animals/ people must cope by moving constantly / digging wells
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how are people and plants/animals linked?
people have to irrigate to grow crops . using unsustainable water supply means animals/plants don't have enough to depend on
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how are people and the ecosystem linked?
overgrazing = soil erosion = plant roots are stable = clouds of dust = change climate of deserts - reducing rainfall
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how are plants adapted to life in a hot desert?
plant roots are extremely long = find deep water supplies OR plants are succulents (large, fleshy stems for storing water + thick wavy layer = less water loss, spikes to stop water loss) OR small leaves = low surface area OR seeds germinate with rain
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how are animals adapted to life in a hot desert?
nocturnal =stay cool during day OR long limbs or ears = large surface area for heat loss OR able to tolerate high temps OR store water in fat stores (humps) OR get water from food OR long eyelashes = no sand in eyes / large feet = don't sink in sand
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what is biodiversity like in a hot desert? why?
low biodiversity, areas of water = high population of humans. Desertification threatens biodiversity, roads = divide habitat = stop animals migrating, global warming = animals migrate away
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where is the Western Desert?
USA, made up of 3 deserts, covers 200,000km^2
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what are economic development opportunities in the Western Desert?
farming, mineral extraction, solar energy, tourism
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how is farming an economic development opportunities in the Western Desert?
high temps and sunlight = good for agriculture, only with irrigation systems: aquifiers or canals (use 80% of Colorado water)
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how is mineral extraction an economic development opportunities in the Western Desert?
western desert = rich in copper, uranium, lead, zinc, coal. Not all exploited due to conflict over land use
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how is solar energy an economic development opportunities in the Western Desert?
lots of insolation in deserts = good for solar power. e.g. Sonoran Solar Project = produce energy for 100,000 homes and needs 360 workers AND hydro-electric power AND fossil fuels (25 active oil production sites)
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how is tourism an economic development opportunities in the Western Desert?
people fascincated by remote, exotic hot deserts, the national parks = see wilderness, visit museum for culture and heritage, major lakes = attract people for sailing, fishing etc
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what are the challenges to development in the Western Desert?
extreme temperatures, inaccessibility and water supply
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why is extreme weather a challenge to development in the Western Desert?
sometimes reaches 50 degrees in July = survival limit for plants
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why is inaccessibility a challenge to development in the Western Desert??
lack of surfaced roads due to low population density = tourists have to find own way, difficult to provide services
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how has accessibility to the Western Desert improved?
railroad developers came in (train station, saloon bars, shops, hotels built) AND better roads laid AND major cities reached by air (Las Vegas received over 40 m people annually)
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how have people adapted to climate change in the Western Desert?
flat roods to collect rainwater AND houses were small = reduce sunlight and keep temps low inside AND whitewashed walls = reflect sun and keep buildings cool AND cowboy hats = prevent sunburn
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where do people in the Western Desert get the most of their water from?
the Colorado River
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what are economic benefits of taking water to the western desert?
Colorado's reservoir brings water to cities through western desert AND water to farms (1.4 million acres of irrigated land = 15% of USA's crops and 13% of livestock) = $1.5 billion a year from this
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what are the ecological costs of taking water to the western desert?
silts and sands get trapped behind = water leaving dam is colder = many species lost AND sandbanks in lower course don't have enough sediment = plants/ animals in sandbanks have declined
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what is desertification?
the degradation of land so that it becomes more desert-like (dried and less productive)
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what plays a large role in desertification?
soil erosion, soil is exposed = removed by wind/water = nutrients lost = soil is unproductive
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what are the main causes of desertification?
climate change and human activities
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how does climate change causes desertification?
climate change will cause reduced rainfall = less water for plant growth = plant die = soil erosion AND temp increases = more water evaporates = soil drier = plants die = soil erosion
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how do human activities causes desertification?
removal of fuel wood for cooking = soil erosion AND overgrazing = plants can't regrow = soil erosion AND over-cultivation = no more nutrients in soil = plants can't grow = soil erosion AND population growth = pressure on land = deforestation
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how can the risks of desertification be reduced?
water management, tree planting, soil management, appropriate technology
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how can water management reduce the risks of desertification?
growing crops that don't need much water = reduce water use AND drip irrigation = no soil erosion
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how can tree planting reduce the risks of desertification?
trees act as windbreaks = protect soil from win erosion AND trees stabalise sand AND trees can reduce temperatures and evaporation rates on crops
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how can soil management reduce the risks of desertification?
leaving areas to rest in between grazing/ planting = recover nutrients AND rotating crops that use different nutrients = nutrients aren't removed AND compost = add extra nutrients to soil
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how can appropriate technology reduce the risks of desertification?
using cheap, sustainable, easily available materials that are easy for local to maintain. E.g. sand fences, terraces = stablise soil + reduce erosion AND solar cookers instead of wood as fuel (cheap and easy to make)
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

what is the soil like in hot deserts?

Back

shall with a coarse, gravelly texture. hardly any leaf fall, infertile, soil is dry due to no rain

Card 3

Front

what are the plants like in hot deserts?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

what are animals like in hot deserts?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

what are people like in hot deserts?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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