Today I have decided to write about the properties of a desert Biome. This was really fun to write about and I hope it is really fun to read.

Desert

Deserts are dry or arid areas that receive less than 250 mm of rain each year. Deserts can be hot or cold. They contain plants and animals that are specially adapted to these extremely dry conditions.

Most hot deserts are found between 15-30° north and south of the equator.

What Causes Deserts to Form?

• Air around the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer is dry. This is a zone of high air pressure where the air sinks. Air at the equator rises and cools – condensation then forms rain. The air then moves north and south until it gets to about 30° north and south of the equator, where it sinks. This air is dry and no condensation can form, so there is no rain. This is known as the Hadley Cell. It shows how air moves around the atmosphere near the equator and tropics.
• Some deserts are found on the western edges of continents. They are caused by cold ocean currents, which run along the coast. They cool the air and make it harder for the air to hold moisture. Most moisture falls as rain before it reaches the arid land, eg the Namib Desert in Africa.
• Some deserts form in the rain shadow of mountains, eg the Atacama Desert is located in the rain shadow of the Andes. Let me say if behind the french Alps there is a desert the Alps take all the rain so there is non left. Air is forced to rise over mountains, air cools and condensation occurs, rain falls over the mountains, dry air sinks down the other side of the mountain.
• Some deserts form in areas that lie at great distances from the sea. The air here is much drier than on the coast.

Animals in Deserts

As you can tell in a desert the temperatures can rise to 50 degrees Celsius in the summer. So animals have to adapt to very hot conditions and very low water and food. This is an example of an Animal that has adapted to these conditions.

Cactus

Adaptations

• thick, waxy skin to reduce loss of water and to reflect heat
• large, fleshy stems to store water
• thorns and thin, spiky or glossy leaves to reduce water loss
• spikes protect cacti from animals wishing to use stored water
• deep roots to tap groundwater
• long shallow roots which spread over a wide area
• plants lie dormant for years until rain falls

Camel

• long eye lashes, hairy ears and closing nostrils help to keep out sand
• thick eyebrows which stand out and shade eyes from the sun
• wide feet so they don’t sink in the sand
• they can go without water for over a week because they can drink gallons in one go
• they can go months without food – they store fat in their humps
• body temperature can change to avoid losing water through sweating
• they are well camouflaged
• thick fur helps to keep them warm at night

So that is some animals adaptations to the desert I have now got a song to share with you guys

How I am feeling

At the moment I am feeling really excited. Today me and my mum are having a working day my mum has got a lot of calls to make so I a going to do some work and also hire a swegway for half an hour. Yesterday I felt a bit down in the morning. I do not know why but I just felt really annoyed. Today I am feeling a lot better and more happy and excited. I am also really looking forward to seeing my dad in August but I am still having an amazing time traveling the world. The hotel that we are in at the moment only has wi-fi i the lobby so it is a bit poop and also the connection is really bad. So we go down to this community centre so my mum can make her calls and I can do my work.

I hope you guys have enjoyed todays post and if you have please smash that like button (can we hit ten likes). if you are new around here hit that follow button to become a Casparian.

Peace