1. David Litts Robert Bentler
Desert
David Litts
Robert Bentler

2. Where are Deserts?

3. What are deserts? Precipitation <10” Lithosols Caliche
30 degrees N latitude
30 degrees S latitude

4. How much desert is there
20% of land surface
Desertification
Most rapidly increasing biome
More surface area than any other biome

5. Climate Varies greatly Can be farmed Not all hot
Not all as dry as others
Yuma, Arizona very dry
Dzamiin Uuded, Mongolia rain X2

6. Plant life
Mostly C.A.M. plants
Cover is sparse

7. Wildlife
Abundance low, diversity high
Most nocturnal in summer

8. Anthropogenic influences
Invading plant species
Water harvesting
Destruction of soil stabilizers
Military exercises

9. Preserve the deserts 50-300 years for natural biomass recovery
3000 years for complete ecosystem recovery
Limit impacting factors

10. We hope you learned something
What they are
Where they are
What is there
How we influence them
How to save them
And their climate