W H AT I S A

The desert is aD
landE S E RT
of extremes: ? and extreme
extreme heat
dryness; sudden flash floods and cold nights. Because deserts are
such a difficult places to live in they often have names likes "Death
Valley," "the empty quarter," and "the place from where there is no
return."
HOW DRY IS A DESERT?
Deserts are usually very dry. Even the wet deserts get
less than ten inches of rain a year. In most places, rain
falls steadily throughout the year. But in the desert, there
may be only a few periods of rains per year with a lot of
time between rains. When it does rain, there may be quite
a downpour. After the rain, desert flower bloom.
IS IT ALWAYS HOT IN
A DESERT?
Everyone knows that during the day many deserts are
very hot. Temperatures can get as high as 100 degrees
Fahrenheit are not uncommon. Yet at night, the same
deserts can have temperatures fall into the -3.9°C (about
25°F).) With no clouds or plant life to keep the heat in, it
begins to cool as soon as the sun goes down.
Velocity of wind

It tends to be very high in a

desert ecosystem. This is the
reason deserts experience
sandstorms/ dust storms of high
intensity resulting in the
formation of huge sand dunes.
Scarcity of water
Due to less rainfall, there is a
shortage of water in a desert
ecosystem. Due to the scarcity
of water deserts have to face the
situation of drought half of the
year.
The quality of the soil

In deserts is very low to grow

vegetation. It is dry, rocky, thin,
sandy, mainly grey in color and has
no organic contents like nitrogen,
phosphorus which are essential for
the growth of plants.
 T Y P E S O F D E S E R T
The quality of the soil

In deserts is very low to grow

vegetation. It is dry, rocky, thin,
sandy, mainly grey in color and has
no organic contents like nitrogen,
phosphorus which are essential for
the growth of plants.
 T Y P E S O F D E S E R T
The quality of the soil

In deserts is very low to grow

vegetation. It is dry, rocky, thin,
sandy, mainly grey in color and has
no organic contents like nitrogen,
phosphorus which are essential for
the growth of plants.
 T Y P E S O F D E S E R T
The quality of the soil

In deserts is very low to grow

vegetation. It is dry, rocky, thin,
sandy, mainly grey in color and has
no organic contents like nitrogen,
phosphorus which are essential for
the growth of plants.
 T Y P E S O F D E S E R T
The quality of the soil

In deserts is very low to grow

vegetation. It is dry, rocky, thin,
sandy, mainly grey in color and has
no organic contents like nitrogen,
phosphorus which are essential for
the growth of plants.
 T Y P E S O F D E S E R T
The quality of the soil

In deserts is very low to grow

vegetation. It is dry, rocky, thin,
sandy, mainly grey in color and has
no organic contents like nitrogen,
phosphorus which are essential for
the growth of plants.
Biodiversity in a desert ecosystem

However, the survival in a desert ecosystem

is very hard but despite the fact, deserts are
home to various plants and animals. The
plants and animals have adapted to survive in
the harsh and extreme conditions of the
desert.
CAN ANY PLANTS GROW IN A
DESERT?
Plants that grow well in desert environments need to store moisture in their
01 fleshy leaves or have an extensive root system.

Desert plants tend to look very different from plants native to other regions. They are often
02 swollen, spiny, and have tiny leaves that are rarely bright green. Their strange appearance is a
result of their remarkable adaptations to the challenges of the desert climate.
 PLANTS

BARREL BRITTLEBUSH BUSHMAN’S HAT

CACTUS
 PLANTS

CENTURY CREOSOTE DATE PALM ROCK MORNING

PLANT BUSH GLORY
 P
L
PRICKLY
PEAR
SAGUARO
CACTUS
WELWITSC
HIA
A
N
QUIVER
TS
TREE /
KOKERBOO MOTHER
STURT’S DESERT OF
M PEA MILLIONS
 WHICH ANIMALS LIVE IN THE
DESERT?
Animals in the desert must survive the intense heat, searing sun, and lack of water.
01 Animals that live in the hot desert have many adaptations. Some animals never drink,
but get their water from seeds (some can contain up to 50% water) and plants.

02 Many animals are nocturnal, sleeping during the hot day and only
coming out at night to eat and hunt. Some animals rarely spend any
time above ground.
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ADAPTATIONS OF ORANISMS IN THE
DESERT
ADAPTATIONS OF ORANISMS IN THE
DESERT
ADAPTATIONS OF ORANISMS IN THE
DESERT
Snakes adapt to the desert by using
light brown or grey camouflage to blend
in with their surroundings. They’ve
adapted to the temperature by learning
to burrow in dens to shelter from hot
temperatures.
ADAPTATIONS OF ORANISMS IN THE
DESERT
Lizards use burrows, or underground holes,
as a means of adapting to the desert heat.
They descend into these burrows to escape
the heat. They may use the burrow as a
temporary shelter during the heat of the
day or as a long-term survival technique.
Lizards create their own burrows or use
ones made by other animals.
 PRICKLY SAGUARO WELWITSC
PEAR CACTUS HIA

QUIVER
TREE /
KOKERBOO MOTHER
STURT’S DESERT OF
M PEA MILLIONS
THANK
YOU!
 DESERT
Credit to: Divine Princess P. Martinez
https://www.earthreminder.com/desert-ecosystem-types-characteristics/