Deserts
Ms. Garcia
Thursday,March 30, 2006
What is a desert?
◊ A desert is a landscape form of region
that receives little precipitation- less
than 250 mm (10 inches) per year.
Deserts have a reputation for
supporting little life.
Life in the Desert
◊ Animals
◊ Plants
What are some desert
animals?
◊ Sidewinder snakes ◊ Turkey Vulture
◊ Diamondback ◊ Gopher
snakes ◊ Mexican Gray Wolf
◊ Striped Whipsnake
What are some desert plants?
◊ Apache Plume ◊ Crucifixion Thorn
◊ Desert Lily ◊ California Fan Palm
◊ Fairy Duster ◊ Joshua Tree
◊ Barrel Cactus ◊ Showy Milkweed
◊ Mojave Yucca
How do desert animals
survive?
◊ Most of the desert animals are nocturnal-
being most active during the night.
◊ Most of these animals avoid the heat of the
desert by feeding & hunting at night when
the temperature has dropped.
◊ Some animals dig burrows & stay
underground. Animals that are large stay
under shade.
How do desert plants survive?
◊ Xerophytes are plants ◊ Phreatophytes are
that have adapted by
altering their physical plants that have
structure. adapted to arid
◊ Xerophytes such as environments by
cacti, usually have growing extremely
special means of storing
and conserving water.
long roots, allowing
They have few or no them to acquire
leaves, which reduces moisture at or near
transpiration. the water table.
Quiz on desert life:
◊ What are some animals that inhibit the
desert life?
◊ What are some plants that inhibit the
desert life?
◊ What are two ways that desert animals
survive?
◊ What are two ways that desert plants
survive?
California deserts to visit:
◊ Salt Ridges, Mojave ◊ Forty-nine Palms
Desert Oasis, Joshua Tree
◊ Death Valley National Park
National Park ◊ Tufa Towers, Trona
◊ San Jacinto Pinnacles
Mountains ◊ Resting Springs Pass