1. Tropical Desert Biome Kate K. Tori C. Chris T. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/coll/484471564/)

2. Climate Characteristics  Average Annual Temperature: 22.8 C  Temperature Range: 21.2 C http://www.rainbowgardensbookshop.com/f18.jpg

3.  Average Annual Precipitation: 43.8 mm  Other Limiting Factors: –Extreme Temperature Differences –Little Vegetation –Sparse Animal Population –Clear and Sunny, Limited Shade

4. Geographic Location Main Locations: Saudi Arabia Southwest United States Sahara Desert http://enviro-map.com/maps/sahara_map.jpg *Light Yellow Represents Tropical Deserts http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert.htm Sahara Desert

5. Flora and Fauna  Rules of Adaptation: –Beat the Heat –Every Drop of Water Counts http://www.flickr.com/photos/backlitcoyote/1356976549/

6. Flora Adaptations  General: –Small leaves conserve water –Deep roots collect groundwater –Drop leaves to survive during dry spells –Widely spread roots collect water after rain showers.  Sage Brush: wax coated leaves minimize transpiration  i.e. Cacti, Creosote Bush, wildflowers, mosses, lichens (Living In The Environment)

7. Fauna Adaptations  General: –Thick shells to minimize water loss –Small size –Sparse populations –Dry feces and urine concentrate  Spiders: Collect water from dew, dormant during extreme heat  i.e. coyotes, snakes, owls, lizards (Living in the Environment)

8. Degree of Biodiversity  Very low species diversity  This is caused by lack of resources and extreme climate

9. Biomass Pyramid Primary Consumers: birds, insects, rodents, and other seed-eating herbivores, Secondary Consumers: coyotes, snakes, lizards, foxes, owls, and hawks Producers: Evergreens (with wax coated leaves), desert perennials, perennial shrubs, wildflowers and grasses, mosses and lichens

10. Bibliography Ritter, Michael E. The Physical Environment: an Introduction to Physical Geography. 2006. October 19, 2008. Ritter, Michael E. The Physical Environment: an Introduction to Physical Geography. 2006. October 19, 2008. http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/ title_page.html Benders-Hyde, Elizabeth M. "Desert Biomes." Blue Planet Biomes. 2000. 17 Oct. 2008. Miller, Jr., G. Tyler. Living in the Environment. 12th ed. Belmont, Ca.: Thomson Learning, 2002. 132-36.