Desert Ecosystems

#deserts #ecosystems #ngscience
Learn about the characteristics and adaptations of organisms in desert ecosystems.
When you think of a desert you probably think of a hot environment. Although many deserts are hot, thats actually not what makes a desert a desert. In fact, many deserts are cold all year round, like the Gobi desert in Asia and the deserts of the Arctic and Antarctic.
Other deserts have extremes in temperature between day and night.
Scientists classify deserts as environments that receive very little rain - less than 25 centimeters or 10 inches of rainfall per year.
Deserts cover about 20 of the Earth's surface and can be found on every continent. Compared to other terrestrial ecosystem, deserts do not support a large diversity of organisms.
The organisms that call deserts home need special adaptations to live in such a harsh environment. An adaptation is a trait, characteristic or behaviour that helps an organism survive.
Desert plants have a range of adaptations to live in dry conditions. Cacti are well-know for their short spikey leaves. This adaptation help the cacti survive in two main ways. The small surface area of the leaves help to protect water loss. The sharp spikes also prevents thirsty animals from reaching the precious water that many cacti store in their stems. Many other desert plants also have spikey leaves or thorns to prevent being eaten.
The primary function of a plant's roots is to take in water which is needed in the food-making process of photosynthesis. Some desert plants have a long root, called a taproot. This enables the plant to take in water from deep beneath the surface. Other desert plants have shallow roots that branch out in all directions. This root structure enables the plant to take in a much water as possible when it rains, which is a useful adaptation in sandy soil which generally drains quickly.
Animals that can survive in deserts are well-adapted to living in dry environments often combined with extreme temperatures.
Take desert-dwelling camels for example. These hardened beasts are totally built for living in deserts. Their adaptations include large and padded flat feet to distribute their weight on hot sand or rough terrain. They have thick fur on the top of theirs bodies which provides shade from the sun and and thinner fur of the rest of their bodies for heat loss. They lose little precious water through urination and store fat on their backs for energy and nourishment when food is scarce.
Camels are able to survive for weeks without needing to drink water and when water is available, they drink LOTS of it...We're talking up to 80 liters...that's more than 300 glasses!
A common animal adaptation to escape the heat of deserts is by living in burrows to escape the heat of the sun during the day. This is common in many species of rodents and lizards.
Some animals, like desert tortoises and frogs enter a state of aestivation whereby their breathing rate and heart rate are reduced. This allows them to remain underground for extended periods to escape the heat and conserve water during the hotter months of the year.
All deserts are colder at night than they are during the day. Many desert animals take advantage of this by being nocturnal. Nocturnal animals sleep or rest during the day and venture out at night in search of food.
Desert mammals, such as fennec foxes, jackrabbits, hedgehogs and Dorcas gazelle have large ears. Allow with providing them with a keen sense of hearing, they also aid in heat loss.
What are some other animals that live in deserts? What adaptations do they have to survive and reproduce in such a dry environment?

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