Hot deserts Flashcards
Describe the climate in hot deserts
Summer daytime temperatures can exceed 40°C. However, at night the temperature can drop below 0°C. The climate is very dry with less than 250 mm of rainfall a year
What is the soil like in hot deserts?
Desert soils are thin, sandy, rocky and generally grey in colour
Give 2 adaptations of plants to hot desert environment?
Small leaves on desert plants help reduce moisture loss during photosynthesis
Give 2 adaptations of animals in hot deserts
large, flat feet - to spread their weight on the sand.
thick fur on the top of the body for shade, and thin fur elsewhere to allow easy heat loss.
a large surface area to volume ratio - to maximise heat loss.
Describe how inaccessibility can make development challenging in hot deserts?
Accessibility is difficult in the Thar Desert - extreme weather and vast barren areas have made it hard to develop a decent road network.
Explain how tree planting can reduce the risk of desertification
Planting the trees reverses desertification by preventing soil erosion and providing nutrients for other plants and crops to grow
Other than tree planting, what else can reduce the risk of desertification
Water management, tree planting, soil management and using appropriate technology.
Opportunities in hot deserts
Hot deserts provide a range of opportunities for development including:
Energy. Solar energy in areas such as the Mojave, Desert
Mineral extraction
Tourism
Agriculture
Challenges in hot deserts
The extreme temperatures, poor water supply in parts of the desert, and inaccessibility in more remote regions.
Also it is super hot their so it will be hard for people to work their.
Adaptation in plants in hot deserts
Leaves and stems of many desert plants have a thick, waxy covering, keeping the plants cooler and reducing evaporative loss.
Adaptation of animals in hot deserts
thick fur or feathers to help insulate them from the heat,
