The Desert - Thar Flashcards
Physical characteristics
Few plants and animals are able to survive in the extreme warmth in the day and cold in the night, as well as low levels of rainfall
How have plants adapted to the desert
They have small leaves to conserve water aswell as well as roots that are high up to soak up water quickly
How have animals adapted to the desert
Camels have humps of fat that they can burn for energy on long journeys as well as thick eyelashes to stop sand getting in their eyes
Cause: subsistence farming
Subsistence farming is where people farm for food and by doing this they overuse a not very fertile land in the first place and make it more deserified
Causes : mineral extraction
In the thar desert there are important minerals such as kaolin which is used as a whitener in paper. People want to mine these minerals for monetary gain and will damage the earth to make this money
Cause: over farming and overgrazing
Overusing the land until it becomes desertified
What are the challenges of desertification
Extreme temperatures, inaccessibility and water supply
Extreme temperatures
Tourism industry is very seasonal as the temperatures vary heavily
Inaccessibility
As the thar desert is huge, it takes a while for anyone to reach anywhere so there fore inaccessible
Water supply
The water levels are very low and there fore it becomes even more inaccessible as there may not be enough for everyone to use
Managing desertification methods
Water and soil management, tree planting and the use of appropriate technology
Water and soil management
Growing crops that would not damage the land and didnt need much water using drip irrigation stops the topsoil being eroded
Tree planting
They can act as windbreaks to protect the soil from wind erosion. They also stableize the sand
Appropriate technology
This involves using cheap materials that are easy for the locals to maintain. Eg sand fences and solar cookers
