DESERTS

Prahlad Srinivasan
Grade V

Table of Contents
The Desert Environment .............................................................................................................................................................................1
Subtropical deserts caused by High pressure or Hadley cell .........................................................................................................1
Coastal deserts caused by cold ocean currents .............................................................................................................................2
Rain shadow deserts caused by rain shadows of mountains ........................................................................................................2
Interior deserts that are distant from the sea ....................................................................................................................................2
Polar deserts ............................................................................................................................................................................................3
Desert Characteristics............................................................................................................................................................................4
Humidity ...............................................................................................................................................................................................4
Temperature .......................................................................................................................................................................................4
Winds ....................................................................................................................................................................................................4
Water in the deserts...........................................................................................................................................................................4
Desert Vegetation .............................................................................................................................................................................4
Photosynthesis ....................................................................................................................................................................................5
How do desert plants cope? ...............................................................................................................................................................5
Succulence .........................................................................................................................................................................................5
Drought Dormancy............................................................................................................................................................................6
Drought Avoidance ..........................................................................................................................................................................6
Geographical Features .............................................................................................................................................................................7
Features of mountain deserts ...............................................................................................................................................................7
Features of rocky plateau deserts .......................................................................................................................................................7
Features of sandy or dune deserts ......................................................................................................................................................7
Features of salt marshes ........................................................................................................................................................................7
Features of Broken Terrain .....................................................................................................................................................................8
Animals, Birds and Insects ..........................................................................................................................................................................8
Animals .....................................................................................................................................................................................................8
The Arabian Camel ...........................................................................................................................................................................8
Armadillo Lizard ..................................................................................................................................................................................9
Coyote ...............................................................................................................................................................................................11
Desert Bighorn Sheep ......................................................................................................................................................................11
Kangaroo Rat ...................................................................................................................................................................................12
Desert Insects ........................................................................................................................................................................................14
Tarantula ...........................................................................................................................................................................................14
The Black Widow Spider .................................................................................................................................................................14
Desert Birds ............................................................................................................................................................................................15

The Ostrich.........................................................................................................................................................................................15
Weather Patterns, Seasons and Disasters .............................................................................................................................................17
Weather Patterns and Seasons ..........................................................................................................................................................17
Disasters in the Deserts.........................................................................................................................................................................17
Natural Disasters ...............................................................................................................................................................................17
Man-made Disasters........................................................................................................................................................................18
Other Reasons ..................................................................................................................................................................................18
Human Adaptation ..................................................................................................................................................................................18
Living in the Sahara desert .................................................................................................................................................................18
Lifestyle ..............................................................................................................................................................................................18
Clothing .............................................................................................................................................................................................18
Shelter ................................................................................................................................................................................................19
Food ...................................................................................................................................................................................................19
Culture ...............................................................................................................................................................................................19
Bibliography ...............................................................................................................................................................................................20

The Desert Environment

What is a desert?
A desert is a very hot land where there is very less rainfall.
The rainfall is not more than 20cm a year.
At daytime, it is extremely hot and at night time, it is extremely cold.
Types of deserts
Desert are of different types depending on how they are formed.
The types of deserts are:
1. Subtropical deserts
2. Coastal deserts
3. Rain shadow deserts
4. Interior deserts
5. Polar deserts
Subtropical deserts caused by High pressure or
Hadley cell
Subtropical deserts are caused by the
circulation patterns of air masses. Hot, moist air rises
into the atmosphere near the Equator. As the air rises,
it cools and drops as heavy tropical rains. After the
rains, the air is cooler and drier and moves away from
the Equator. As it nears the tropics, the air descends
and warms up again. The descending air prevents the
formation of clouds, so very little rain falls on the land
below.
These deserts are found along the Tropic of
Cancer, between 15 and 30 degrees north of the
Equator, or along the Tropic of Capricorn, between
15 and 30 degrees south of the Equator.
Examples:
The worlds largest hot desert, the Sahara, is a subtropical desert in northern Africa.
The Sahara Desert is almost the size of the entire continental United States.
The Kalahari Desert in southern Africa
The Tanami Desert in northern Australia.

Coastal deserts caused by cold ocean currents

Winds blowing across the ocean surface push
water away. So, the water beneath the surface comes
up to replace the water that was pushed away. This
process is known as upwelling.
The water that comes to the surface is colder
and is rich in nutrients. Though these nutrients help in
producing more fish, they create a cool atmosphere.
The air blowing towards the shore comes in
contact with this cold water, gets chilled and
produces a layer of fog. This heavy fog drifts onto the
land. Although the humidity is high, the factors that
cause rainfall are not present. A coastal desert may be almost totally rainless but may still be damp
with fog.
Example:
The Atacama Desert, on the Pacific shores of Chile, is a coastal desert.
Some areas of the Atacama are often covered by fog but it may not rain for as many as ten years.
The Atacama Desert is the driest place on Earth. Some weather stations in the Atacama have never
recorded a drop of rain!
Rain shadow deserts caused by rain shadows of
mountains
Rain shadow deserts exist near the
mountain slopes that are away from the
prevailing winds.
When moisture-laden air hits a mountain
range, it is forced to rise. The air then cools and
forms clouds that drop moisture on the windward
(wind-facing) slopes. When the air moves over
the mountaintop and begins to descend the
slopes not facing the wind, there is little moisture
left. The descending air warms up, making it
difficult for clouds to form.
Example:
Death Valley, in the U.S. states of California and Nevada, is a rain shadow desert. Death Valley,
the lowest and driest place in North America, is in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains.
The Atacama Desert is a coastal desert and a rain shadow desert since both conditions apply.
Interior deserts that are distant from the sea
Deserts are formed in the interior areas because no moisture-laden winds reach them. By the
time air masses from coastal areas reach the interior, they have lost all their moisture. Interior deserts
are sometimes called inland deserts.
Example:
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The Gobi Desert, in China and Mongolia, lies hundreds of kilometers from the ocean. The Gobi
is also in the rain shadow of the Himalaya Mountains to the south and hence both conditions
make it a desert.

Polar deserts
Parts of the Arctic and the Antarctic are classified as deserts. These deserts contain great
quantities of water, but most of it is locked in glaciers and ice sheets year-round. So though millions
of liters of water exist, there is actually little available for plants and animals to actually use.
Example:
The largest desert in the world is also the coldest. Almost the entire continent of Antarctica is
a polar desert. Few living things can withstand the freezing, dry climate of Antarctica.
Deserts of the world

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Desert Characteristics
Humidity
There is very low humidity in most deserts. The rains that come occasionally mostly evaporate
in the dry air. So the rain never touches the ground.
Sometimes, rainstorms bring as much as 25 cm of rain in just one hour and this may be the
only time that it rains for a whole year. Desert humidity is so less that not enough water vapour exists
to form clouds. The sky is almost cloudless and the suns rays are so hot that they bake the land. The
ground heats the air so much that air rises in waves. These shimmering waves confuse the eye and
make us think there is a puddle of water. This is called a mirage.
Temperature
In most deserts, temperatures are at extremes. In some deserts, it is so hot during the day that
people get dehydrated and could even die. Since there are no clouds and less humidity, desert
areas cool very quickly at night.
Winds
Some deserts have winds at speeds of about 100 kilometers per hour. As there is little
vegetation, the wind carries sand and dust even across continents and oceans. Windstorms in the
Sahara hurl so much material into the air that African dust sometimes crosses the Atlantic Ocean.
Water in the deserts
Rain is usually the main source of water in a desert, but it is very rare. Many people living in
deserts depend on groundwater that is stored in permeable rocks called aquifers that lie below the
ground. These aquifers transmit groundwater. Groundwater comes from rain or other precipitation,
like snow or hail. It seeps into the ground where it can remain for thousands of years.
Underground water sometimes rises to the surface, forming springs. A fertile green area called
an oasis may exist near such a water source. People, animals, and plants all surround oases, which
provide water, food and shelter.
When groundwater doesnt seep to the surface, people drill into the ground to get water.
Many desert cities, depend a lot on such aquifers for water.
Desert Vegetation
Since there is very less rain, plants adapt to desert habitats in many ways. The following
characteristics help them adapt:

The plants are scattered far away from each other so that they can get enough water around
them
They have thick, waxy skin to reduce loss of water and to reflect heat
Their large, fleshy stems help to store water
The thick leaves and stems help them absorb water when it rains so that they can continue
to grow even when there is no rain
They have small leaves so they use less water
Desert trees and shrubs are short and have fewer leaves and branches

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Their thorns and thin, spiky or glossy leaves reduce water loss
They have spikes protect cacti from animals wishing to use stored water
Their deep roots to tap groundwater
They have long shallow roots which spread over
a wide area
The desert plants lie dormant for years until rain
falls

Photosynthesis
Also, photosynthesis is the way in which plants
make their own food. Desert plants make their food
through photosynthesis but in a different way so that
they can save the water they have stored inside them.
This method is called CAM photosynthesis.

How do desert plants cope?

Desert plants use three strategies to survive in
the desert. These strategies are as follows:
1. Succulence
2. Drought tolerance
3. Drought avoidance
Succulence
Succulent plants store water in fleshy leaves, stems or roots.
All cacti are succulents
Other non-cactus plants like agave, aloe and elephant trees are also succulent
A succulent should absorb large quantities of water quickly because it rains rarely and for a
little while.

The soil dries rapidly under an intense sun. So, nearly all succulents have wide, shallow root
systems.
Succulents use CAM Photosynthesis
To protect their water from thirsty animals, most of the succulent plants are spiny or toxic or
both.
Some protect themselves by growing only in inaccessible locations.
Some others use camouflage.
Examples of Succulent Plants
o
o
o
o
o

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Agave
Aloe
Elephant trees
All cacti
Elephant trees

Agave

Aloe

Saguaro, a type of cacti

Elephant tree

Drought Dormancy
Drought dormancy is the ability of the plant to survive without water
During this time, these plants shed leaves and enter dormancy to avoid losing water
Those plants that do not shed leaves have a special coating on their leaves that helps them
from losing water
Examples
o
o
o

Brittlebush
Creosote bush
Mesquite

(Examples of vegetation)
Drought Avoidance
Annual plants escape unfavourable conditions by not existing.
They mature in a single season, then die after putting all of their life energy into producing
seeds instead of reserving some for continued survival.
Examples
o
o
o
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Desert Sand Verbena

Desert Paintbrush
Mojave

Geographical Features
Most of us think deserts have only sand and dunes. But, dunes cover only 10 percent of the
worlds deserts. The other deserts are either mountainous or contain dry expanses of rock, sand or
salt flats.

Features of mountain deserts

Scattered mountains separated by flat basins
High grounds that may rise slowly or steeply from the ground. These grounds could even be
1000 meters above sea level.
When rainfall occurs, it falls on the high grounds and the water turns into floods. These floodwaters
eat into deep gullies and deposit sand and gravel around the edges of the basins. The water quickly
evaporates leaving the land dry. If the amount of water entering the basin is more than the water
that evaporates, shallow lakes are formed. These lakes have a high salt content.
Examples: The Great Salt Lake in Utah and the Dead Sea.

Features of rocky plateau deserts

Vast flat areas with some solid or broken rock at or near the surface.
There may be steep-walled, eroded valleys called wadis or canyons.
These narrow valleys are extremely dangerous especially during floods that come after rains.
Example: The Golan Heights

Features of sandy or dune deserts

Sandy or dune deserts are extensive flat areas covered with sand or gravel.
Some areas may contain sand dunes that are over 300 meters high and 16 to 24 kilometers
long.
Other areas, may be flat for 3,000 meters long or more.
Examples: the edges of the Sahara and the Kalahari Desert in South Africa.

Features of salt marshes

flat and empty areas
sometimes has clumps of grass but devoid of other vegetation
These deserts occur in arid areas where rainwater has collected, evaporated and left large
deposits of alkali salts and water with a high salt concentration.
The water is so salty it is undrinkable.
A crust forms over the salt water. It may be 2.5 to 30 centimeters thick.
In arid areas there are salt marshes as big as hundreds of square kilometers. These areas have
many insects, most of which bite.
This type of terrain is highly corrosive to boots, clothing and skin.
Example: the Shat-el-Arab waterway along the Iran-Iraq border.

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Features of Broken Terrain

All arid areas contain broken or highly dissected terrain.
Rainstorms erode soft sand and carve out canyons.
A wadi may range from 3 meters wide and 2 meters deep to several hundred meters wide
and deep.

Animals, Birds and Insects

Animals
The Arabian Camel
1. Description
The dromedary is a large camel
It has long eye lashes and hairy ears
It has thick eyebrows which stand out and
shade eyes from the sun
Its wide feet prevents it from sinking in the
sand
The male camels are 1.8 to 2 metres tall and
the female camels are 1.7 to 1.9 metres tall.
The male camels weigh about 400 to 600 kg
and the female camels about 300 to 540 kg.
Their colour ranges from light beige to dark
brown.
The hump measures 20 cm.
2. Characteristics and Behaviour
Dromedaries have bushy eyebrows and two rows of long eyelashes to protect their eyes.

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They can close their nostrils during

sandstorms so that the sand does not
get in.
Their ears have protective hair.
The dromedary can stay without
water for over a week because they
can drink up to 57 litres in one go!
It can stay for months without food as
it stores fat in its hump
It can change its body temperature to
avoid losing water through sweating
Its thick fur helps to keep it warm at
night
The camels are active in the day, and
rest together in groups.
The dromedary is called the Ship of
the desert because of how well it
adapts to the desert conditions
It can survive even after losing 40% of its body water because of its special kidneys. This is
amazing as even losing up to 15% body water could kill other animals.

3. Habitat
The dromedary lives in arid regions like the Sahara Desert in Africa, the dry, hot regions of
North Africa, Ethiopia, the Near East, and western to central Asia.
4. Camouflage
The dromedarys light to dark brown colour sometimes makes it difficult to spot them in the
sandy deserts
5. Diet
Their diet includes foliage and desert vegetation, like thorny plants which their extremely
tough mouths allow them to eat.
Armadillo Lizard
1. Description
The Armadillo Lizard has a body 15-17 inches long.

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The head of the Armadillo

Lizard is narrow in shape.
The tail is 14-16 inches long
and it weighs 8-17 pounds.
Its back legs are a little shorter
than the front.
The head, body, and club-like
tail are all flattened so that it
can easily wriggle into rock
crevices for shelter.
The nostrils of the Armadillo
Lizard are formed into little
tubes. These tubes help it
smell for food or predators.
It lives on the ground and is
active in the daytime.
It feeds on a wide variety of insects, as well as on spiders and other invertebrates.

2. Characteristics and Behaviour

It is usually a slow moving animal but when the Armadillo Lizard thinks or knows it's in
danger, it runs as fast as it can go for cover.
In the case of danger, armadillo lizards curl into a ball that cannot be eaten by most
animals because of the spines on the neck and tail.
It is because of this posture it is called the Armadillo Lizard.
Another protection is their spiny scales that go all the way around its body. Their tails
and spines also can be used to defend themselves as well.
3. Habitat
The Armadillo Lizard can be found in the deserts of the southern tip of Africa.
The Armadillo Lizard's armour is most useful against many birds, mammals, and other reptiles.
Humans are the biggest enemies of armadillo lizards. Besides them, they are often targeted
by birds of prey.
4. Camouflage
The body of the Armadillo Lizard is covered with square-shaped scales.
They are light to dark brown on the upper side of the body and yellow on the bottom side.
Its upper lip is brown in colour and chin is covered with black marks.
This unique colouration of its body provides camouflage in the desert.
5. Diet
The Armadillo lizard is an omnivore.
Its diet mainly consists of termites and it also consumes scorpions, millipedes, spiders and
certain types of plants.
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Coyote
1. Description
The Coyote has a tan coat mixed with hairs of
rusty brown and grey and the ends of the hair
may be black.
The coyote has large, pointed ears and a bushy
Adult coyotes can grow up to 4 feet long
including the tail which can be 11 - 16 inches
long.
They can be 2 feet tall and can weigh up to 30
pounds.

tail.

2. Characteristics and Behaviour

Coyotes are known for their sharp eyesight,
keen hearing and a very good sense of smell.
Coyotes are clever animals and adjust to their environment.
3. Habitat
Coyotes once only lived in Western America, but people have forced them to find other
habitats.
Coyotes can be found in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
They live in all kinds of habitats including deserts, prairies and mountains.
Coyotes are not endangered. Their natural enemies include mountain lions and more
recently humans.
4. Camouflage
The different colours help to the coyote to in the underbrush, rocks, and grasses and not be
seen.
5. Diet
Coyotes eat mostly rabbits and rodents.
They also hunt antelope, goats, sheep, and other animals.
They also eat insects, reptiles, fruits and nuts.
As coyotes are forced to move closer to people, they can also adapt themselves and even
eat garbage.
Desert Bighorn Sheep
1. Description

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Desert bighorn sheep is a

subspecies of the Rocky
Mountain bighorn sheep.
They have a solid, stocky
and muscular body on short
legs.
The horns can weigh as
much as 14 kg.
Their muzzle is narrow and
pointed, while their ears are
short.
Their sharp-edged cloven hooves are elastic and concave. Their coat is smooth and made
up of an outer coat of stiff guard hairs and a short, wavy undercoat.

2. Characteristics and Behaviour

They have excellent eyesight and can spot predators from a long way off.
3. Habitat
Its preferred habitat are steep slopes on, or near mountains, with a clear view of the
surrounding area.
They live in dry desert mountain ranges, foothills near rocky cliffs, and near water when it is
available.
They exist the empty and waterless environment in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts on the
North American continent and the northern regions of Mexico.
They are found in the desert areas of Southwest United States and the northern regions
of Mexico.
4. Camouflage
The colour of the desert bighorn sheep matches the rocks in the desert making it very difficult
to identify it as it merges with the background.
5. Diet
Bighorns can eat and digest grass, even when it is dried out.
They feed on and off throughout the day on a large variety of plants.
They eat grasses and also browse on shrubs and trees.
The desert bighorns need water about every three days in the summer. If they dont get water
they manage because of they get a lot of their moisture from the food they eat.

Kangaroo Rat
1. Description
The kangaroo rat is a very cute little animal that looks like a mini kangaroo but is as big as a
mouse.
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It has large hind legs and feet.

It usually grows to about 14 inches (38 cm) in length, including its tail.
Its hair is a yellow buff colour above and white below.
The tail has a white-tipped tuft at the end.
The Kangaroo rat has very big eyes.

2. Characteristics and Behaviour

The kangaroo rat moves exactly like a real kangaroo.
It is a rodent.
It drums the ground with its hind legs and kicks sand
at objects, probably to see if it is alive.
It spends most of its day underground sleeping, and
comes out to feed at night when it is cooler.
It has adapted to desert life by getting its water from
the food it eats.
Another great adaptation the kangaroo rat has is a
cheek pouch, which it can store food in for weeks while finding shelter.
It uses its long and fluffy tail for balance and steering its way.
The Kangaroo Rat's main defense against predators such as owls, weasels, snakes, foxes,
badgers, and coyotes are their long back legs.
These back legs help them leap 7-9 feet off the ground and completely change direction
upon landing.
They have extremely good hearing and can even hear the silent owl which is completely
silent.
They manage to escape from their predators because of their really good hearing skills.
3. Habitat
They live in large dens with wide openings which they dig themselves at the base of bushes
like the creosote bush.
Their burrows are up to 4 1/2 feet (1.5 m) deep.
The kangaroo rat lives in the desert scrub of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of California
and Arizona, and western through southern Nevada.
4. Camouflage
Their sandy brown colour merges with the desert background.
5. Diet
The kangaroo rat mostly eats seeds, leaves, stems and insects.

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Desert Insects
Tarantula
1. Description
A tarantulas body is 2 to 3 inches long
It is brown or black in colour
It is covered with thousands of fine hairs.
Its head and chest are joined together
It has eight legs and also eight eyes!
2. Characteristics and Behaviour
The sensitive hairs on the tarantulas body
help in detecting movement around it
It uses this to attack other insects
When it is being attacked, the tarantula
rubs its legs on its body so its hair brushes
into the enemys eyes.
3. Habitat
Tarantulas live in dry areas in the desert
They live worldwide and in deserts in the south western states of North America and also in
Mexico, Central and South America.
4. Camouflage
Since desert tarantulas merge with the desert, we cannot see them easily sometimes.
5. Diet
Tarantulas feed on insects like grasshoppers, beetles, other small spiders and will sometimes
eat small lizards.
The Black Widow Spider
1. Description
Male and female black widow spiders
look quite different from each other.

The female spiders have shiny black

bodies and an hourglass-shaped red
marking on the underside of their body.

Female black widows are about 1.5

inches long and the males are half the
size.

2. Characteristics and Behaviour

Like many spiders, black widow spiders
eat insects that get caught in their webs.
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The female spiders hang upside down in their webs showing the red marking as a warning
to other insects.

But, the other insects are probably not afraid of the marking. They come closer and get
caught in the web.

When the prey is caught in the web, the spider quickly comes out from hiding, wraps the
prey tightly in its strong silk web.

It then punctures and poisons its prey.

The venom takes about ten minutes to take effect.

Till the poison acts, the spider holds on to the prey tightly.

When the victim stops moving, the spider releases digestive enzymes into the preys wound.

These enzymes liquefy the prey.

The black widow spider then feeds on the liquid.

3. Habitat
They may be found in dark, dry shelters and dense vegetation,
Black widows are found in temperate regions throughout the world, including the United
States, southern Europe and Asia, Australia, Africa, and much of South America.
In the United States, they exist primarily in the South and West.
4. Camouflage
Black widow spiders do not use camouflage methods.
5. Diet
Black widow spiders typically prey on a variety of insects like flies, mosquitoes, caterpillars and
beetles.

Desert Birds
The Ostrich
1. Description
The ostrich has a body too big for its legs.

It cannot fly.

It is the fastest two-legged creature.

Ostriches are about 7 to 9 feet tall.

Their eyes are about 2 inches in diameter.

They have a small head with a beak and a long and

flexible neck.

Their bodies are covered in brown coloured feathers.

They have a tail and very long powerful legs.

They have two toes with big claws.

2. Characteristics and Behaviour

The ostrich never uses its wings to fly.
It uses the wings to balance and turn when running.
If ostriches detect predators, they run away.
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If they cannot run away, they kick their predators powerfully and can injure the predators.
The food the ostrich eats is collected at the top of the throat until there is a big sized lump of
food to slide down the long neck into the stomach.
The body temperature on the ostrich varies and can be adjusted to a higher temp on hotter
days to reduce water loss from their bodies.

3. Habitat
Ostriches are found in Africa and South Australia in grasslands and arid desert regions.
4. Camouflage
Ostriches can lie completely flat on the ground stretching their neck.
This way, they camouflage with the grasses and cannot be seen at times.
5. Diet
The ostrich is an omnivore.

It feeds on grass, seeds, insects and vertebrates.

The ostrich eats whatever it can find in its environment even small stones, sands and
pebbles.

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Weather Patterns, Seasons and Disasters

Weather Patterns and Seasons

Deserts have very little rainfall.

The weather is extremely hot during the day and cold during the night.
The weather patterns and seasons are listed in the table below.
Hot and Dry Deserts

Semi-arid Deserts

Coastal Deserts

Cold Deserts

Normal Temperature
Extreme
maximum
temperature
Rainfall

20 C to 25 C
43.5 C to 49 C

21 C to 27 C
Up to 38 C

13 C to 24 C
Up to 35 C

21 C to 26 C
-2 C to 4 C

Very little rainfall or

concentrated rainfall
for a short time

Average rainfall of
8-13cm

A little during spring

Weather in Summer

Very hot

Long warm summers

Weather in Autumn

Warm

Very little rainfall or

concentrated
rainfall for a short
time
Moderately long
and dry
Warm

Weather in Winter

Warm with very little

rainfall.

Little rainfall

Cool

Short warm summers

with some rainfall.
Heavy rainfall in some
areas
A lot of snow.
Long and cold winters.
Some rainfall.

Weather in Spring

Warm

Warm

Cool

Warm

Some rainfall

Disasters in the Deserts

There are two types of disasters; natural and man-made.
Natural Disasters
Flash floods
Flash floods occur when there is heavy rainfall.
When there are thunderstorms and if the rains are too heavy, floods can happen even in
hours.
The sand in the deserts cannot absorb water well. So, when it rains heavily and continuously,
the water starts filling up the basins. Water overflowing from these basins causes flash floods.
Also, the water moves with so much force that it can even uproot trees, bridges and buildings.
Flash floods are very dangerous because they are sudden and powerful.
Sand storms
When a strong wind blows it lifts the sand particles off the ground.
These particles start flying in the air together because of the force of the wind. This is a sand
storm.
In dry desert areas, thunderstorms cause sand storms.
Blizzards
In polar deserts, winds are the main reason for blizzards.
Some snow in the polar deserts is frozen and forms sheets of ice. The snow that is loose and
not frozen is blown by strong winds and lifted into the air. This causes a blizzard.
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Man-made Disasters
Off-roading
Off-roading is the driving of vehicles on uneven ground for adventure and fun.
Off-roading erodes the sand and makes it loose. This could create sandstorms.
It affects the plants by damaging their root systems.
The noise of the vehicles scares the animals in the desert and makes them hide.
Other Reasons
Global warming
o It is caused when the temperature increases further and reduces the water levels
further.
o This will harm the plants and animals that live in the desert.
Desertification
o Productive land becomes non-productive desert land over time. This process is called
desertification. It affects the dry areas on the edges of deserts.
o Desertification is caused by
Long dry periods causing vegetation to die
Overgrazing of vegetation by cattle
Deforestation by humans to use firewood or make place for buildings.

Human Adaptation
Deserts as we know, have very little water. So, people living here have the challenge of finding
enough water to live. Humans can survive without food for weeks but not even for a couple of days
without water.

Living in the Sahara desert

Lifestyle
In the Sahara, people live a nomadic life.
Nomads are people who frequently keep moving to new places to live.
The people are called Bedouins.
Some people grow crops on irrigated land in an oasis.
Some others have flocks of sheep, goats and camels.
The oases villages have markets where people trade with each other. For example, someone
who has wool and hides exchanges it with another person for dates, coffee and other things
they need.
Clothing
In the Sahara desert, people wear long robes and turbans to protect their eyes and heads
from the sun and from sand storms.
The Bedouins make clothing from the wool of camels, sheep and goats which are the animals
they normally own.
They also wear sandals to protect their feet from the hot ground.
During the day, wool clothing is worn loosely to allow air to flow and keep the body cool.

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At nights, wool clothing worn tight keeps the people warm.

Wool acts as a temperature regulator and is worn to keep people warm and cool.

Shelter
They live in tents and mud houses to escape the heat.
The traditional Bedouin tent was woven from goats hair.
These tents protected the people from rain, sun and the cold nights.
The people living in tents can move easily from one place to another in search of water.
They also move to find grass for their cattle.
When they travel, they rest near oases with palm trees, under the shade where they can also
find water.
Food
As Bedouins kept moving frequently, they cannot carry around a lot of things like fruits and
vegetables.
Since rice and flour was easy to carry, their diet mainly includes these.
As they grew cattle, milk is also available.
Culture
Bedouins make their own music with just their voices and the clapping of their hands.
They sing songs to feel strong in the desert and so that they dont feel lonely.
They also sing songs for their camels so the camels feel happy and strong.

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