Question

Explain the effects of climate on the natural vegetation in tropical desert areas.

Answer 1

ʜᴜᴍᴀɴꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴇʀᴛᴇᴅ ɢʀᴀꜱꜱʟᴀɴᴅꜱ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʀɪᴄʜ ᴀɢʀɪᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ᴀʀᴇᴀꜱ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ. ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴀʀᴇᴀꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪɢʜ yᴇᴀʀʟy ʀᴀɪɴꜰᴀʟʟ, ᴛʀᴇᴇꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴄᴀʀᴄᴇ ɪꜰ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʀᴀɪɴꜰᴀʟʟ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʀᴍ ɢʀᴏᴡɪɴɢ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ. ʀᴇɢɪᴏɴꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʀᴀɪɴꜰᴀʟʟ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴄᴀʀᴄᴇ ᴠᴇɢᴇᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅᴅᴇꜱᴇʀᴛꜱ, ᴏʀ ᴀʀɪᴅ ʀᴇɢɪᴏɴꜱ.

Answer 2

Answer: The extreme climate of the desert ecosystem means that plants and animals have had to adapt to survive. Vegetation has had to adapt to the extreme temperatures, lack of water and high rates of evaporation.

The main adaptations are:

• Vegetation has leaves that are very small (and only grow after it rains) or have no leaves at all. This helps to reduce water loss;

• Plants either have long root systems spread out wide or go deep into the ground to absorb water;

• Plants have short life cycles. They germinate following rainfall, grow, flower and die within a short space of time e.g. one year. This helps them avoid drought;

• Some plants have spines to discourage animals from eating plants for water and reduce water loss through transpiration;

• Many plants are slow-growing – this requires less energy.  The plants don’t have to make as much food and therefore do not lose as much water.

Some plants are succulents and store the water in their leaves, stems or roots. An example of this is the cactus.