Question

Essay On Desert , Desert

Answer 1

 A desert is basically a wilderness or a wasteland. There is little moisture and poor soil such as sand gravel or rock. There are few plants to offer shade. they can be described as harsh places. Many are burning hot by day and cold by night. Some of them are cold in which snow sprinkles.  

          One third or 33 percent of Earth’s land surface is covered with deserts. World’s largest desert is Antarctica, is a polar desert measuring 5.5 million square miles. Sahara, the largest non-polar desert, measures around 3.5 million square miles. A geographical region is turned into a desert it looses more water by evaporation then it gains by natural precipitation. The life in a desert is tough due to lack of rainfall, high temperature, and less vegetation. Nevertheless when you look closely, you will see that deserts are filled with life in their nooks and crannies.

Winds are also not uncommon in deserts, and the activity of desert winds can help deserts to spread far and wide by picking up the sand of the desert and carrying it elsewhere.

The flora and fauna of these places have adapted to cope with harsh, dry conditions. Plants such as cacti and animals such as camels have evolved to store water in their succulent xylem and in their humps respectively.

            Desert plants have adapted to heat and dryness of the desert. Plants that have adapted by altering their physical structure are called xerophytes. Xerophytes, such as cacti, usually it has special means of storing and conserving water. They often have few or no leaves.  

            Phreatophytes are plants that have gotten used to arid environments by growing extremely long roots, allowing them to acquire moisture at or by the water table. Other desert plants, using behavioral adaptations, have developed a lifestyle in cooperation with the seasons of greatest moisture and the coolest temperatures. Theses types of plants are usually called perennials, plants that only live for several years, and annuals, plants that live for one season.

            Most desert animals have found a way to solve the heat and water problems the dessert environment creates for animals. Among the thousands of animals there are many remarkable structural adaptations made for avoiding excess heat. The lack of water creates a problem for all dessert organisms. Animals have an additional problem from plants they are more susceptible to extremes of the temperature.

Answer 2

A desert is a place that has few, or sometimes even no, life forms. Sometimes life forms adapt to living in deserts, but conditions tend to be extreme, and survival is challenging. Some deserts can be visited but not lived in. Some deserts are so inhospitable that life as we know it cannot survive in them at all. In terms of rainfall, areas that receive less than ten inches of rain a year are considered to be deserts. Some deserts receive only three or four inches of rain a year. A few places do not receive any rain at all. When we think about deserts, we think about limiting factors. These factors include: Liquid Water: On earth, liquid water is necessary for life. Some life forms survive periods when water is not available by becoming spores or seeds, or by becoming dormant (hibernation). Some plants can survive for many years as seeds. Insects and unicellular life forms can also wait out drought. Sooner or later, however, liquid water is necessary. Survival is essential, but it is not all of life. Without growth and reproduction, life is on hold, not progressing. Salinity can also interfere with an organism’s use of water.