awe 67 Aswage seco ndaveage treat, scing gatas tng Steal undetoed by moran tres, survive drought and cold by shedding their leaves and becoming dormant uring such pends. and Sweden, where summers are col and short, this Strategy i less succefa Instead evolution has favored coniferous (cone bearing) evergreen plants (suchas sprace, pies, and firs). These plans keep, seme oftheir narrow, pointed leaves oes) al year. ‘The waxy canting, shape, and clustering of conifer nis shove doven est lose and evaporation during the long, cold winter, Additionally, By keeping thet leaves all winter, such tees are ready to fake adv tage ofthe ble summer without having o take ne to gone new news. “Thus, communities with similar climates contain plants andothe organisms) ithsimiar evolutionary aptatons eventhough the individual pecs maybe Uirelated. For example plants in bot American and [Arcan deserts tend to have thick body party protec: tive spines, and small eaves even though plants in those fo ars evolved fom different ancestor 63 DESERT BIOMES [What Are the Major Types of Deserts? A desert isananea where evaporation excends preciptton. Pe: ‘ipitation typically i lor than 25 centimeters (10 Inches) a yearand often isseatered unevenly trough ‘ut the year, Deserts have sparse, widely spaced ‘moslly low vegetation Desenscaver about MMs ofthecarh’ land ante stuotec mainly between tropical and subtropical regions noth and south ofthe equator, a about 30 ‘orth and 20° south laltude (igure 616). Inthese ares air that ns oat it metre over the tuopcs falls Back tothe earth Figure 68). The largest losers aren the interiors of continents, fa om MOS! Seo sir and mostur-beaning winds Ofer, more eat Severs form on the downwind sides of mountain ranges because ofthe ain shadow eet (Pig 14 “The baking sun worms the round nthe desert du ing thea. At nigh however most ofthe hen store the ground adits quickly im theatmospns caseContes Tura ns Tere moses) gure 6-18 Gera efit ats et an tute ah on aan Homes Pra enanoes| ‘vegoion ype ooo wha te tome square ples om aaa o mows. ‘eset sols have ite vegetation and sure ar the ‘kis sally ance THisexpai wh inadeser ou tay roast caring the ay bs shiver a ight. ‘Acomsbination of low etniall nd diferent aver age temperatures crates topical tr perate and cold eset (Fgaes 17 and 610) in ropa desert, suc ‘the southem Sahara in Asc, temperate ally te high year-round and deze bs itera. which yp- Jelly falls during only 1 2 months ofthe year (Fg- ure 6-19, left). These diet places om earth typically have fo plants and shad, enon sueace town with rocks ad some snd, s a pls ite Hei hs He ie H2) (98 se “ap In tenperate desert, such ap the Mojave in sot mn California (Figure 19, daytime temperatures are igh in sumer aa ow i Winter and there more precipitation tan in topical deserts (Pure 18, cen- Ep) The vegetation le sparse, consisting mostly of wily cispersed, cought resistant shrubs and cactior ‘thersucculent end aimals are edapted othe ck! ‘water anc temperature vations (gre 6-20) Ta cold desis, suchas the Gobl Dewert in China, winters are cold, summers are warm of hot. and precipitation is low (Figure 619, ght). In the semi Sri zonor botveon desert and grasslands we find Figure619 Cirnte zaon soneg pcs vations nar tert nd pectin op Inmet and plod) esos 1