A barren or desolate area; a very dry, usually, sandy place. hot in the daytime, cold at night; dry. 68° to 120°. Precipitation is about 15 cm a year

Northern and Southern Africa, Western U.S., Central Australia, the Middle East, parts of Asia.

Abiotic Factors that characterize the Desert Biome  Driest Biome on Earth!  Very little rainfall – about 1 inch per year  Temperatures range depending on the latitude lines.  Some range from degrees Celsius  Others range from degrees Celsius  Hot during the day and Cold at Night

 cactus, short shrubs like turpentine bush, prickly pears, false mesquite, agaves and brittlebush. s/01/0e/24/2e/cactus.jpg image.com/plants/flowers/slides/prickly-pear-cactus-in- texas.jpg

Plant Adaptations MUST CONSERVE ENERGY AND WATER LOSS!  Small leaves- less evaporation  Hairy leaves- reduces evaporation and keeps in moisture  Very shallow roots  Live close to ground- water wont need to travel up as far.  Spikes prevent animals from eating them for their stored water.  Stomata only open at night  Stomata- opening on plants leaves that allows CO2 in for photosynthesis.

Animals

 scorpions, snakes, camels, banded gila monster, bobcat, desert tortoise, thorny devil, sonran pronghorn antelope esert-tortoise.jpg

Animal Adaptations?

Animal Adaptations  Store water in fatty tissues  Reduce activity during the day  Hunt at night  Burrow under ground during the day (Kangaroo Rat)  Specialized kidneys that redirect water back into blood stream.  Exoskeleton or scales reduce water loss.

Circulating blood thru large flat ears cools off this rabbit.

Grasslands

Two Types of Grasslands Tropical- Savanna - Warmer Climate and closer to the Equator Temperate- Prairie - Found in the United States

2 Seasons: Wet Season and …

Dry Season Dry Seasons increase chances of Fire- these reduce the number of trees and shrubs.

Tropical grassland. Distinct wet and dry seasons; In the dry season only an average of about 4 inches of rain falls. Between December and February no rain will fall at all. Temperature around 70° F. In Africa the monsoon rains begin in May and end in November. An average of 15 to 25 inches of rain fall during this time.

The main part is in the central part of Africa in a band across the continent and down the middle into South Africa. There is a scattering of savanna grassland in South America, India, and Northern Australia.

hantGrass.jpg Elephant Grass Gum Tree Kangaroo Paw A few scattered trees, elephant grass, gum tree, eucalyptus, kangaroo paw

KY/Wild-Dog-Puppy-2.jpg /8/83/Zebra_Botswana_edit02.jpg Large grazing animals like zebra, elephants, giraffes, lion, African wild dog, Emu

Temperate grassland. Precipitation in the prairies can reach from about 12.6 inches to 21.7 inches. Hot summers and cold winters. Strong winds blow across the endless plains during both summer and winter. Temperatures widely vary because of the large area that the prairie covers.

s/ estimate-cover-great-plains.html North America

s/big_blue_stem.jpg horticulture.tamu.edu/wildseed/flowers/PurpleConeflower.jpg Wild Flowers and Grasses Big bluestem grass, Indian grass, Buffalo grass, fleabane, milkweed, and purple coneflower.

j3lh4qEI.DSC_00491.JPG eagle.jpg Prairie dogs Bobcats Badgers Eagles

Grasslands  Two distinct seasons- Wet and Dry Averages around 60 inches per year but six months with hardly any rainfall. Dry season increases chances of wild fires!

Plant adaptations?

 No low branches to keep leaves away from fire

Some animals have adapted to reach those tall branches

Deep, spread out roots allow grass to get water even in drought. Grass grows from the base- so even if eaten at the tops, they stay alive and still grow.

Thin, vertical leaves, lose less water thru evaporation

Graze in herds- decrease your chances of being the prey Hunt in herds to increase chances of catching prey

Stripes add to camoflage