Desert

 Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's surface and occur where rainfall is less than 50 cm/year. Although most deserts, such as the Sahara of North Africa and the deserts of the southwestern U.S., Mexico, and Australia, occur at low latitudes, another kind of desert, cold deserts, occur in the basin and range area of Utah and Nevada and in parts of western Asia. Most deserts have a considerable amount of specialized vegetation, as well as specialized vertebrate and invertebrate animals. Soils often have abundant nutrients because they need only water to become very productive and have little or no organic matter. Disturbances are common in the form of occasional fires or cold weather, and sudden, infrequent, but intense rains that cause flooding.

Weather

Temperature

Hot & Dry Deserts

20-25 degrees Celsius (68-77 degrees Fahrenheit)  yearly

Hot Deserts

43-49 degrees Celsius (109-120 degrees Fahrenheit) yearly

Cold Deserts

2-4 degrees Celsius (35-29 degrees Fahrenheit) winter

21-26 degrees Celsius (69-78 degrees Fahrenheit) summer

Precipitation

Most deserts have less than 10in (25cm) of precipitation each year. The precipitation in hot and dry deserts usually have very little rainfall and concentrated rainfall in short periods between long rainless periods. This averages out to under 15cm a year. Cold deserts usually have lots of snow. They also have rain around spring. This averages out to about 15-26cm a year.

Clothing

Clothes that keep you cool during the day and clothes that keep you warm during the night.

Location

Deserts cover about one fifth (1/5) of the Earth's land surface. Most hot and dry deserts are near the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn. Cold deserts are nhear the Arctic part of the world.

Wildlife

     (Click the animal or the plant for more information and pictures)

Animals:

Armadillo Lizard
Banded Gila Monster
Bobcat
Cactus Wren
Coyote
Desert Bighorn Sheep
Desert Kangaroo Rat
Desert Tortoise
Javelina
Cactus Ferruginoug Pygmy Owl
Sonoran Desert Toad
Sonoran Pronghorn Antelope
Thorny Devil


Plants:
Barrel Cactus
Brittle Bush
Chainfruit Cholla
Creosote Bush
Crimson Hedgehog Cactus
Desert Ironwood
Joshua Tree
Jumping Cholla
Mojave Aster
Ocotillo
Palo Verde
Pancake Prickly Pear Cactus
Saguaro Cactus
Soaptree Yucca
Triangle-leaf Bursage