Hot Deserts

Question 1

What is the annual rainfall amount in hot deserts?

Answer 1

Less than 250 mm per year.

Question 2

How often might it rain in hot deserts?

Answer 2

Once every few years.

Question 3

What are the temperature extremes in hot deserts?

Answer 3

Can reach 45 °C in the day, drop below 0 °C at night.

Question 4

What limits the soil’s fertility in hot deserts?

Answer 4

A lack of leaf fall.

Question 5

What happens to the soil due to little rainfall?

Answer 5

The soil dries out often.

Question 6

What is the texture of soil in hot deserts?

Answer 6

Often shallow with a gravelly texture.

Question 7

What type of plants grow in hot deserts?

Answer 7

Sparse plants like thornbushes and cacti.

Question 8

What is a characteristic of plants in hot deserts?

Answer 8

Plants have short life cycles, growing quickly after rain.

Question 9

What adaptations do animals in hot deserts have?

Answer 9

Animals are adapted to the harsh environment.

Question 10

What is a common characteristic of mammals in hot deserts?

Answer 10

Tend to be small and nocturnal.

Question 11

What do most birds do during harsh conditions in hot deserts?

Answer 11

Leave the desert.

Question 12

Which bird can live in hot deserts year-round?

Answer 12

Roadrunners.

Question 13

Where do many people living in deserts grow crops?

Answer 13

Near natural water sources, usually in the desert fringes.

Question 14

What is a common lifestyle of indigenous people in deserts?

Answer 14

Nomadic, traveling to find food and water for livestock.

Question 15

What components are included in the biotic aspect of hot deserts?

Answer 15

Plants, animals, and people.

Question 16

What are the abiotic components of hot deserts?

Answer 16

Climate, water, and soils.

Question 17

How do plants and animals interact in hot deserts?

Answer 17

Plants provide nutrients and water to animals; animals spread seeds.

Question 18

What effect does the hot and dry climate have on desert soils?

Answer 18

Soils are salty and low in nutrients due to high evaporation rates.

Question 19

What limits food availability in hot deserts?

Answer 19

Sparse vegetation.

Question 20

What can happen if cattle overgraze in hot deserts?

Answer 20

Soil erosion can occur.

Question 21

What is a consequence of soil erosion in deserts?

Answer 21

Wind can blow fine sand particles into the atmosphere, forming dust clouds.

Question 22

What effect do dust clouds have on rainfall in deserts?

Answer 22

They reduce rainfall, making deserts even drier.

Question 23

What can happen to water supplies in hot deserts without rainfall?

Answer 23

Water supplies can dry up, affecting people, plants, and livestock.

Question 24

What adaptations do desert plants have to cope with hot, dry conditions?

Answer 24

Desert plants have adaptations such as:
* Extremely long roots to reach deep water supplies
* Wide roots near the surface to absorb water when it rains
* Succulent stems for water storage
* Thick waxy skin to reduce transpiration
* Small leaves or spines to lower surface area and reduce transpiration.

Question 25

What is an example of a plant with extremely long roots?

Answer 25

Mesquite roots can grow 50 m long.

Question 26

What is the purpose of small leaves or spines on desert plants?

Answer 26

To lower their surface area and reduce transpiration.

Question 27

Which plant only germinates after it rains?

Answer 27

Brittlebush.

Question 28

What adaptations do desert animals have to cope with high temperatures?

Answer 28

Desert animals have adaptations such as: * Being nocturnal to avoid heat * Long limbs or ears for heat dissipation * Living in underground burrows * Storing fat that can be converted into water * Obtaining water from food.

Question 29

How do kangaroo rats minimize water loss?

Answer 29

Kangaroo rats do not sweat and have very concentrated urine.

Question 30

What adaptations do camels have to cope with sand in the desert?

Answer 30

Camels have: * Triple eyelids * Long eyelashes * Ability to close nostrils * Large, flat feet.

Question 31

What is the level of biodiversity in hot deserts?

Answer 31

Hot deserts have relatively low biodiversity.

Question 32

Where is biodiversity highest in desert areas?

Answer 32

Around ephemeral ponds and rivers or along the desert margins.

Question 33

What human activities threaten biodiversity in deserts?

Answer 33

Human activities that threaten biodiversity include: * Increasing desertification * Over-using or contaminating water supplies * Development dividing habitats.

Question 34

What impact does global warming have on desert species?

Answer 34

Global warming makes deserts hotter and drier, forcing some species to move to cooler areas.

Question 35

What are biodiversity hotspots?

Answer 35

Biodiversity hotspots are places with a high proportion of endemic species that are threatened with extinction.

Question 36

True or False: Desert bighorn sheep are threatened by habitat division due to roads.

Answer 36

True.

Question 37

Fill in the blank: Many desert animals live in _______ to avoid extreme temperatures.

Answer 37

underground burrows.

Question 38

What is desertification?

Answer 38

The degradation of land, making it drier and less productive.

Question 39

What fraction of the world's land is at risk of desertification?

Answer 39

A third of the world's land.

Question 40

What happens to soil when vegetation dies or is removed?

Answer 40

Exposed soil is easily removed by wind or water, leading to loss of nutrients.

Question 41

Name one consequence of desertification.

Answer 41

The ground becomes sandy, dusty, stony, or bare rock.

Question 42

What is one main cause of desertification related to climate change?

Answer 42

Reduced rainfall in already dry areas.

Question 43

How does increased temperature contribute to desertification?

Answer 43

Higher temperatures cause more water to evaporate from the land.

Question 44

What human activity involves the removal of trees for fuel?

Answer 44

Removal of fuel wood.

Question 45

What is overgrazing?

Answer 45

Too many cattle or sheep eat plants faster than they can re-grow.

Question 46

What is over-cultivation?

Answer 46

Planting crops in the same area continually, depleting soil nutrients.

Question 47

How does population growth contribute to desertification?

Answer 47

More people increase pressure on land, leading to deforestation, overgrazing, and over-cultivation.

Question 48

What is one strategy for reducing the risk of desertification?

Answer 48

Water management.

Question 49

Name a crop that requires little water.

Answer 49

Millet, sorghum, or olives.

Question 50

What is the benefit of using drip irrigation?

Answer 50

It prevents soil erosion by adding water gradually.

Question 51

How can trees help combat desertification?

Answer 51

They act as windbreaks and stabilize sand.

Question 52

What is soil management?

Answer 52

Leaving areas of land to rest and rotating crops to recover nutrients.

Question 53

What is appropriate technology in the context of desertification?

Answer 53

Using cheap, sustainable materials for maintenance by local people.

Question 54

What is one example of appropriate technology?

Answer 54

Sand fences or terraces.

Question 55

True or False: Solar cookers help reduce the rate of deforestation.

Answer 55

True.

Question 56

Fill in the blank: Desertification is caused by __________ and physical factors.

Answer 56

human