The Desert Biome By Hannah Akhtar 6E

Introduction Good morning ladies and gentlemen, I am going to give facts about the desert biome. 7,

World map Mexico Western Australia Cape town Turkmenistan 6

What is the Desert biome? A Desert biome is barren, hot and very dry. Animals like bears cannot survive in the desert. Some deserts have cold climates

What animals live in the Desert biome? The Desert biome is home to many fascinating creatures. These are some of the creatures which live in the Desert biome: The Thorny devil The Ostrich The Collared lizard The Desert hopping mouse The Elf owl 3

The thorny Devil The Thorny devil is a type of a lizard. Its scientific name is Moloch Horridus. Has numerous rows of spikes on its skin. Less than 20cm in length and eats ants. It can change its colour depending on the amount of sunlight it recieves. The Thorny devil uses small channels in the middle of the scales on its legs to gather morning dew and water from wet sand. Water comes up the channels by capillary action to its mouth. 5, 17

The ostrich The Ostrich is a rather large bird which cannot fly. Another name for the Ostrich is Struthio Camelus. It mainly eats plants although it also feeds on insects. The Ostrich is adapted well to the Desert Biome because it can survive for a long time without any water. It also is the largest bird in the world. 1, 4

The Collared lizard The Collared lizard is an American lizard. It can be as long as 30 cm! Another name for the Collared Lizard is the Crophytus Collaris. Just like other lizards collared lizards have to be provided with diets which contain a lot of calcium. These lizards are well adapted to their environment because they can survive for a long period of time without water. Like all other lizards they are very fast at running. 2, 8

The Desert Hopping Mouse The Desert Hopping mouse is also known as the Tarkawara or the Tarkawarra. These mice are usually seen at night. They get all the water they need from the moisture provided in their food. Desert hopping mice eat seeds insects and roots. For their shelter, Desert hopping mice dig burrows. First they dig a sloping tunnel, next they dig straight upwards and make pop holes. After that, they use soil to fill in the first tunnel they make. The rather steep opening keeps out unwanted creatures. Burrows also help the Desert Hopping mice to trap the water they breathe out. 9, 18

The Elf owl Another name for the Elf Owl is the Micrathene Whitney. The Elf Owl is the smallest Owl in the world. Elf Owls are 5-12 inches tall and they have a wingspan of inches. They have very long legs. Elf Owls eat insects; they are known to eat scorpions. They are exactly 6 inches in width. They only come out when night falls and they remain inside cactuses during the day. The temperature is cooler by about 20 degrees in a cactus.. Elf Owls keep hydrated by eating bugs. 10, 19, 20

What plants live in the desert biome? There are also many mesmerising plants which live in the desert. Here are some of them: The Crimson Hedgehog Cactus The Pancake Prickly Pear Cactus The Ocotillo The Desert Ironwood The Joshua Tree 11

The Crimson Hedgehog Cactus The Crimson Hedgehog Cactus is small and barrel shaped, it grows in clumps of a couple to one hundred stems. It is also known as the Claret Cup Cactus, the King’s Cup Cactus and the Mound Cactus. This cactus does not have any leaves and has chlorophyll in its stems. The flowers on the cactus are a deep red and have petals which are shaped like cups. The fruits are red and can be eaten. During nighttime, the plant’s pores stay open to exchange oxygen and Carbon Dioxide. During the day the plants go through the process of photosynthesis but they keep their pores closed so that they do not lose any moisture. These plants often grow against rocky outcroppings. 11, 21

The Pancake prickly pear cactus The Prickly Pear Cactus is used in many ways; it can be used for foods crops and much, much more. It is found in the Sonoran and Mojave Desert. The Pancake Prickly Pear Cactus can reach 7ft in height. It has round pads which rise from a thick circular trunk. Red flowers grow on the edges of these pads.. The roots of the Prickly Pear Cactus are made for very dry environments to help adapt to the desert’s hot weather. The pads of the cactus are used to store water so that if there ever is an event like a draught the cactus will still be supplied with water. 12, 11

The Ocotillo The Ocotillo has many other names such as: the Candlewood, the Slimwood, The coachwood, the Flaming sword, the vine cactus and the Jacob’s staff. It grows stems from its root crown. These stems grow in an S like pattern. The stems are covered with spines. The leaves of the Ocotillo are very thick. The leaves grow depending on the amount of water they receive. When there is not enough water the leaves turn brown and fall off. The Ocotillo is adapted to its environment by shredding its leaves when there is not enough water and when the area becomes very dry. It also can grow new leaves 5 days after it receives water. The Ocotillo has a shallow but wide root. 12, 13

The Desert Ironwood The Desert Ironwood trees are the tallest trees in the Sonoran desert, they are from the pea family. These trees grow very slowly and have bluish gray green leaves. The Desert Ironwood trees are one of the longest living trees in the Sonoran desert. Some very rare ones can live up to 1,500 years. It supplies desert animals and plants with the food and shelter they need to survive. The dense canopy of this tree shades the ground under it and causes the temperature to decrease.. When the weather becomes dry, the Desert Ironwood drops some of its leaves to preserve water. The reason why these trees never drop all of their leaves is so that their canopy will provide protection all year. 12, 14

The Joshua tree The Joshua tree only grows in the Mojave Desert and is the largest of the yuccas. It has a lifespan of about 200 years. The Joshua tree is part of the Lily family. It has small leaves which are like knifes, these leaves have a small surface area. The small surface area means that less water is evaporated. The Joshua tree also has a waxy resin which prevents large amounts of water to evaporate. 12, 15, 16

The abiotic factors Sunlight: The water evaporates The climate becomes very hot Harder to walk long distances Sand Sandstorms Dust Air The air is always dry There is always dust in the air, it is not fresh. Hot temperature Have to find shelter Easy to become dehydrated. Not all animals and plants can survive in the desert because of its extreme temperature.

The human impacts on the desert Dune bashing Quad bike riding Camping Barbecue

Thank you for watching my presentation

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