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The Desert
Most desert regions are always very hot during the daytime. There are different types of desert. A sandy desert, such as the Sahara, cannot support plant life. This is because sand is a poor soil. Water drains through it very quickly and it is easily moved by winds. Plant roots are unable to take a firm hold in sand. Water is very scarce but where it does occur the soil is able to support plant lift. These regions are called oases (sing. oasis). Some deserts, such as the Sonoran desert in Arizona, are rocky areas with a thin top soil which is able to support plant life. The plants and animals which are found in these deserts are adapted to survive drought conditions. Cacti (sing. cactus) have roots which grow into the ground and radiate outwards over large distances in search of water. This is why cacti do not grow very close to each other in the desert; they are competing with each other for water. The cacti have a large volume inside a thick, spiky skin. They store water in their stems and the thick skin prevents too much of this water evaporating when the sun is out. Many desert animals hide in burrows or under rocks during the day and only come out to feed at night.
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© Paul Billiet, Shirley Burchill, Alan Damon and Deborah James 2009 |
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