Section B - Hot Deserts

Question 1

What are deserts?

Answer 1

An area that receives less than 250mm of rainfall per year.

Dryness and aridity is the key factor influencing deserts.

Deserts can be hot or cold (e.g. Antarctica)

Question 2

What is the climate for deserts

Answer 2

High pressure (descending air)
Lack of clouds and rain
High temperatures
Below freezing temperatures at night

Question 3

Where are deserts distributed - what countries?

Answer 3

Africa
Arabian
Syrian
Australia

Question 4

How has ‘aloe’ adapted to the desert

Answer 4

• thick inner tissue to store huge amounts of water

* wax cover - stops water escaping and reflects sunlight

Question 5

How has the ‘saguaro cactus’ adapted to the desert

Answer 5

• 2 inch thorns stops animals from eating it
• wise spreading shallow roots for quick water uptake
• stops water escaping and reflects sunlight - wax cover
• stores water in its trunk/stem

Question 6

How has the ‘darkling beetle’ adapted to the desert

Answer 6

• ridges on its shell trap moisture in the air

* further ridges direct moisture to the mouth

Question 7

How has the ‘fennec fox’ adapted to the desert

Answer 7

• light coloured fur to reflect heat
• fur also keeps them warm during cold nights
• dig burrows to stay cool
• big ears with veins close to the surface to allow heat regulation
• natural hunter
• thick paws for walking on hot sand

Question 8

What are some key facts about the Indira Ghandi Canal

Answer 8

• built in 1958
• 650km long
• provides drinking water for the people of Jaiselmer
• cotton and wheat commercial farming flourishes
• 3500km squares under irrigation

Question 9

What is desertification

Answer 9

Where the marginal and edges of existing desert turn into more desert

Question 10

What is desertification usually caused by

Answer 10

• over grazing/over cultivation
• climate change
• population pressure
• population growth
• soil erosion

Question 11

What are some key facts about the Thar desert?

Answer 11

•one of the worlds major hot deserts
•the most densely populated desert in earth
•home to 30 million people
•200,000 Km squares in size
100mm-240mm per year rainfall (July temp 53)
•Sandunes and some shrubs dominate the landscape
•soils are not fertile
•2001-India’s largest wind farm built

Question 12

What are the mineral extraction opportunities in the That desert

Answer 12

The desert region has valuable reserves of minerals which are used all over India and exported across the world. The most important minerals:

Gypsum(used in making plaster and in cement)
Feldspar (used to make ceramics)
Phosphorite (used for making fertiliser)
Kaolin (used as a whitener in paper)

At Jaisalamer the Sanu limestone is the main source of Limestone for India’s steel industry

Question 13

What are the tourism opportunities in the That desert

Answer 13

In recent years, the Thar desert has been a popular tourist destination. Tens of thousand visit mainly from the neighbouring Pakistan. Desert safaris on camels are popular. An annual desert festival held each winter is also a popular attraction and local people benefit by providing food and accommodation as well as acting as guides

Question 14

What are the energy opportunities in the Thar desert

Answer 14

• Local - there are extensive lignite coal deposits in parts of the Thar desert and a thermal energy plant has been constructed at Giricil
• Oil - a large oilfield has been discovered in the Barmer district which could transform the local economy
• wind - recently there has been a focus on developing wind pier, a renewable form of energy
• solar - the Thar desert offered ideal conditions for solar power generation

Question 15

What are the farming opportunities in the Thar desert

Answer 15

Most of the people living in the desert are involved in subsistence farming. They survive in the hot and dry conditions by grazing animals on grassy areas and cultivating vegetables and fruit trees

Question 16

What are some sources of water in the Thar desert

Answer 16

• traditionally, drinking water for people and animals is stored in ponds, some of which are natural (tones) and others are man made (johads).
• there are very few rivers and streams that flow through the desert such as the River luni which feeds a marshy area called the rann.
• some water can be otsinee from underground sources (aquifers) using wells but this water is salty and not very good quality

Question 17

What are the extreme temperature challenges in the Thar desert

Answer 17

The Thar desert has very high temperatures in the summer.

• working outside in the heat of the day can be very hard, especially for farmers
• high rates of evaporation lead to water shortages which affect people as well as plants and animals
• plants and animals have to adapt to survive in the extreme heat. Some animals are nocturnal, hibernating in the cooler ground during the day time. Livestock need shade to protect them

Question 18

What are the accessibility challenges in the Thar desert

Answer 18

Due to the very extreme weather and the prescence of vast barren areas, there is very limited road network across the Thar desert. The high temperature can cause the tarmac to melt and the strong winds often blow sand over the roads. Many places are only accessible by camel. Public transport often involves seriously overladen buses

Question 19

How is overgrazing/ over cultivation a cause of desertification

Answer 19

It exhausts the soil and becomes exposed

Question 20

How is climate change a cause of desertification

Answer 20

Higher temperature means rainfall is less predictable

Question 21

How is soil erosion a cause of desertification

Answer 21

The top soil is washed or blown away

Question 22

How is population pressure a cause of desertification

Answer 22

The Lang is being cleared away for development

Question 23

How is population growth a cause of desertification

Answer 23

Firewaad is a growing resource/high demand

Question 24

What are some key facts about the Badia desert, Jordan

Answer 24

• dry rock dessert
• less than 150mm of rainfall per year
• exceeding temperature 40C
• Bedouin Nomads moved in with herds of sheep and goats

Question 25

What are 2 methods farmers use to prevent soil erosion

Answer 25

Ponding banks- areas of land enclosed by low walls to store water

Contour traps - embankments built along the contours of slopes to prevent soil from being washed down during heavy rainfall

Question 26

What are people doing in the Badia, Jordan to reverse desertification?

Answer 26

• Local people have built low stone walls to stop water running down slopes after heavy rainfall
• this water is used to irrigate newly planted Atriplex shrubs that are well adapted to semi desert environments
• Atriplex hold the soil together and provide grazing for sheep and goats

Question 27

What are the 2 national parks that are trying to reduce desertification

Answer 27

• the desert national park in the thar desert was created in 1992 to protect 3000km2 of desert and reduce the risk of desertification
• the Zion national park is one of four desert national parks in the USA. It was established in 1919 to protect a desert canyon near Las Vegas

Question 28

How is water and soil management reducing desertification

Answer 28

Water from underground sources or from rivers and canals can be sprayed onto crops or used to flood fields. Too much irrigation can cause problems leading to a process called salinisation. The High rate of evaporation I’m hot deserts leads to a build up of salts on the surface. This reduces soil fertility and kills plants

Question 29

Why is tree planting important in the thar desert

Answer 29

Tree planting is an important way of reducing erosion. Tree roots bind the soil together and the leaves and branches provide shade and grazing for animals and fuel wood

Question 30

How are magic stones in Burkina Faso, west Africa reducing desertification?

Answer 30

In rural parts of Burkina Faso, lines of stones have been used to reduce soil erosion. Using basic tool and truck to transport the stones, local people have built low stone walls between 0.5 and 1.5 high along the contours of slopes. I hi rain washes down the hillside, the walls trap water and soil. This has helped to increase crops by up to 50% and reduce desertification