Deserts Flashcards
Roots
Roots may be grounded deep to access ground water, or spread out wide to capture as much water as possible when it rains.
Spines in plants
Help plants prevent water loss and also helps to protect plants from being eaten by animals.
Short plant life cycles
Means that some plants are able to grow, flower and spread seeds in just a few weeks, ski’s good they can cope with just a very short wet season.
Camels adaptations
They are well adapted to living in desserts. They have triple eyelids and long eyes lashes, to keep out sand during storms. They have large flat feet so they don’t sink during the sand.
They store fat in the hump, which they can break down to water when needed.
Lizards and snakes adaptations
They can cope with high body temperatures. For example iguanas are adapted to tolerate temperatures up to 42 degrees Celsius. They also retain moisture, have waterproof skin and produce only tiny amounts of urine.
Where is the Thar desert
It is the worlds seventh largest desert. It stretches across North West Indian and into Pakistan. It is also the most densely populated desert in the world.
Extreme temperatures
Temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius in the summer. Farmers will therefor find it very hard to work. Livestock will also need shade to protect them from the sunlight. High rates of evaporation leads to water shortages, which affect the people and the plants and animals.
Water supply
Population pressure has lead to a sharp increase in demand for water. There are few rivers in the desert, only flowing after rainfall. Traditionally drinking water is stored in natural or man made ponds.
Some water cans be obtained from underground, though the water is often salty and not of good quality.
The construction of the Indira Ghandi canal in 1985 has helped to provide drinking water to people across the desert.
Inaccessibility in the thar desert.
There is a very limited road network across the desert. The high temperatures cause tarmac to melt and strong winds blow sand over the roads.
Public transport is also limited and takes the form of very overcrowded buses,
Many places are also only accessible by camels.
Desertification
Is the degradation of land over time so that the land becomes drier and less productive and ultimately turns to desert.
Population growth in the Thar desert
Population is rising rapidly at the edges of the desert. This puts a lot of pressure of the land.
Removal of fuel wood
Many people in the desert rely on fuel wood for cooking. This results in the removal of branches and trees, which results in soil erosion.
The roots of the trees help bind the soil together and leaves the protect the soil from being washed away by the rain.
Overgrazing in the Thar desert
People living at desert margins have traditionally relied on grazing livestock, however population growth has lead to an increase in cows sheep and goats. This means that in certain areas vegetation is being eaten faster than it can re grow.
Cattle also trample the soil, which leaves is less able to absorb rainwater and results in greater runoff and erosion.
Over cultivation in the Thar desert
People have traditionally planted crops in semi desert areas but population growth and the increased use of irrigation have led to a significant increase in the planting of crops and more intensive farming.
The planting of more crops in the same area results in nutrients in the soil being used up faster than they can be replaced. This leads to the soil becoming infertile and unable to support vegetation. This leaves soil at risk of erosion p.
Tree planting
In the Thar desert, tree planting is helping to reduce soil erosion.
The Khejri tree is often planted. It is well adapted to the hostile desert environment. Its roots help to stabilise sand dunes and the crown of leaves provide shade and protect the soil.
